Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

This is a volume of essays on ancient (and modern) Greek myth, culture, society, and literature. It covers the work of almost thirty years and is inspired by a lifetime's teaching experience with university and mature students. Some of the essays are already counted as 'classics' and a number have not been published before.

Beginning with the legendary story of a man in Jonesport (or was it Dexter or Waterford or Litchfield?) who raffled off his horse, which incidentally had been dead for some time, these twenty-nine tales cover the length and breadth of Maine and extend back to the sixteenth-century fishing camps that were set up a hundred years before Jamestown and Plymouth. Learn about the origin and history of "schoolmarms," along with other classic tales on Down East thrift, the evils of drink, Maine weather, lumbering folklore, and Paul Bunyan. These yarns often pull your leg, so keep a sharp eye! Such a collection makes for an encyclopedia of the great cultural achievement of Mainers, which has been compared to the Rosetta Stone and the birth of Chaucer. But essentially The Jonesport Raffle is a book of the highest humor that will be a source of infinite enjoyment.

Maine curmudgeon John Gould offers humorous tongue-in-cheek advice for fathers-to-be with a non-medical, non-technical, non-scientific explanation of the masculine side of the matter, with much that is useful and nothing that is wholly useless.

"We left our Maine and our United States at home and we journeyed amongst other peoples with courtesy to them and credit to ourselves." That is John Gould's definition of good travelers; and he and his wife are charming examples of this as they tour through Germany, Denmark, Austria, Italy, France, England, and Scotland. You'll discover what a delight it is to travel Gould family style, for that is Maine style with the extra sparkle of Gould's wry Down East humor. It's a friendly book, but Gould lets no country, group, individual, or menu get away with pomposity or an unearned reputation. There is much to discover, both good and bad as the Goulds search for the quality of European life and bring readers into the presence of ordinary, and fascinating, Europeans.

There used to be a time when marvelous skyrockets could be purchased for a dime and the iceman came around once a week, when throwing a cap on and off took special talent and pants had watch pockets. When John Gould was young it didn't take much to amuse a boy. A boy would wake up in the morning ready to be "amazed all day long at all manner of things." Warmth, humor, nostalgia--these pages are filled with them, all conveyed lovingly in John Gould's signature wit. For anyone who has ever been young and wants to remember or just laugh with Gould as he recounts his experiences growing up in another era.

John Gould's family first settled in Maine in 1618, so by the time he came along in the early 20th century, the Gould's were well steeped in the vernacular of the region, and his first inheritance was the turned-around, honed-down, and tuned-up language of his farming neighbors who seldom strayed beyond the village store. Maine Lingo was first compiled in 1975, when TV, radio, and other leveling media had begun to seriously erode regional speech distinctions, and this dictionary will furnish anyone interested in Maine or regional dialects with the terminologies of regular folks, from lobstermen to farmers to woodsmen. Altogether it is a fun and fascinating collection of lore, humor, and straight information that will have you able to tell your billdad from your wazzat in no time flat.

In 1940, the 1780-farmhouse that noted Maine essayist and curmudgeon John Gould's great-grandfather built burned to the ground. To honor the generations that came before him, Gould there and then decided to rebuild the house in Lisbon Falls. Like his great-grandfather, Gould cut the timbers from the same woodlot, and the new house rose so smoothly, it seemed as if Great-Grandfather Jacob was building it himself. Memories clung to every beam and rafter and this host of recollections form the substance of this memoir. Woven in are stories of how Gould's Grandfather Thomas started the Battle of Gettysburg and all the rich associations of a family whose roots dug deep over five generations.