Edited by Steven Long
Introduction by Sherri Mitchell Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset

softcover 978-1-961905-03-0
e-book 978-1-961905-02-3

December 2023 | 208 pages

2024 Maine Literary Awards Finalist

​Rivers of Ink: Literary Reflections on the Penobscot is a captivating anthology that delves into the profound influence of Maine’s Penobscot River on the region’s history, culture, and daily life. Curated with an insightful introduction by Sherri Mitchell Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset, an esteemed Indigenous attorney, activist, and author from the Penobscot Nation, this collection weaves together the voices of 61 Maine writers, each offering a unique perspective on the river’s enduring legacy.

Through evocative essays, fiction, and poetry, Rivers of Ink invites readers to explore the Penobscot’s rich history, its pivotal contribution to industry and daily life, and the deep personal connections of those living along its shores. The anthology also addresses the river’s current significance, shedding light on environmental and climate challenges while celebrating its resilience.

$1 from every sale of Rivers of Ink will be donated to Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters in support of their “A Monumental Welcome” campaign. Your purchase helps fund a new visitor contact station, priority park projects, and initiatives directed by Wabanaki, ensuring the preservation and appreciation of this incredible natural heritage for generations to come.

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How to use Rivers of Ink in learning

Rivers of Ink: Literary Reflections on the Penobscot is a compelling anthology that delves into the profound influence of Maine’s Penobscot River on the region’s history, culture, and daily life. Featuring contributions from 61 Maine writers and an introduction by Sherri Mitchell Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset of the Penobscot Nation, this collection offers a rich tapestry of poetry and prose that reflects the river’s enduring legacy.​

How to Use Rivers of Ink

For Educators:

  • Curriculum Integration: Incorporate the anthology into literature, environmental studies, or regional history courses to explore themes such as the significance of natural waterways, cultural heritage, and environmental conservation.​
  • Discussion Prompts: Utilize diverse narratives to stimulate conversations about human-environment interactions, rivers’ cultural importance, and storytelling’s role in preserving ecological and cultural memory.​
  • Creative Assignments: Encourage students to create their own river-inspired writings or art projects, drawing inspiration from the anthology’s vivid depictions of the Penobscot River and its surroundings.​

For Book Clubs:

  • Thematic Discussions: Discuss the anthology’s exploration of community, resilience, and the natural world’s influence on personal and collective identities.​

  • Guest Speakers: Invite local environmentalists, historians, or contributors to the anthology to provide deeper insights into the Penobscot River’s significance and the creation of the collection.​

For Personal Enjoyment:

  • Reflective Reading: Immerse yourself in the anthology’s rich narratives to deepen your appreciation for Maine’s natural landscapes and the Penobscot River’s enduring presence.​

  • Nature Companion: Bring the anthology along on visits to the Penobscot River or similar natural settings to enhance your connection with the environment and reflect on the themes presented in the writings.​

Supporting Conservation Efforts:

By purchasing Rivers of Ink, you contribute to the preservation of Maine’s natural heritage, as proceeds support the Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters’ campaign “A Monumental Welcome.” This initiative funds a new visitor contact station, priority park projects, and Wabanaki-directed initiatives, ensuring the appreciation of this magnificent natural heritage for generations to come.

Retailers and schools, bring our transformative stories to your community. Wholesale inquiries welcome via our Contact page. Schools receive a 10% discount on all purchases.

12 Willows titles can also be purchased from all major bookseller platforms.

“Striking images of flora and fauna and of landscapes and wilderness are among the many pleasures of reading Rivers of Ink: ‘cormorants riding/the eddies/my kin/singing rock me/on the water’ (lisa panepinto). Thomas, a painter, makes his home an ‘overcrowded shrine to the river’ (J.D. Mankowski). A mother scatters her son’s ashes in the Penobscot, ‘A ceaseless, flowing movement—like music—constantly evolving, carrying us and our stories, our cultures’ (Annaliese Jakimides). The poems and prose in this book are a moving tribute to the removal of the dam, to the cleanup of the river, to the return of Atlantic salmon and other fish to its waters, to the redemptive rewilding of the Penobscot River: ‘Wilderness enters our lives and we find/ a way to greet it’ (Kathleen Ellis).”
—Alice Bolstridge, PhD, author of Oppression for the Heaven of It, a fictionalized memoir, and Chance & Choice, a chapbook of poems

“What a testament this anthology is to the majesty and importance of the Penobscot River. The tenderness, reverence, and respect each writer has for the mighty watershed make for a deeply moving and inspiring collection. Reading Rivers of Ink was an experience in gratitude: I am grateful to live on the shore of the Penobscot; I am grateful for this community of talented writers; I am grateful for the dazzling celebration between these covers—a treasure, polished smooth as a river stone, on every page.”
—Hollie Adams, author of Things You’ve Inherited from Your Mother

“Brimming with voices as diverse as the river’s currents and the land through which it flows, Rivers of Ink is a significant addition to the literature of the Penobscot. Readers both familiar and unfamiliar with the river itself will return to these pages.”
 —Kristen Britain, New York Times bestselling author of the Green Rider fantasy series

“To the river writers in this anthology, thank you for your marvelous visions of the Penobscot. Ecological and animated, meditative, and hopeful, vital, tender, and welcoming: your poems, stories, and essays capture the spirit of this mighty thoroughfare. We came away feeling new awe and appreciation for that river that runs through all of us, sustaining and alive.”
—Carl and David Little, authors of Art of Penobscot Bay

“The writers in Rivers of Ink speak to us about the power of place, how one river connects us all.  It is as if writers and readers alike are on the banks of the Penobscot together, taking the time to look closely, learn from the past, and look toward the future. Each story, each poem becomes part of the flow in this river of words, and we travel through geologic time, Indigenous time, and industrial time, to a time that—we hope—will be one of renewal.”
—Stuart Kestenbaum, former poet laureate of Maine and author of six collections of poetry