Here in New England (Paperback)

From the time he published his first story in Yankee in 1979 to the day he retired as its editor in 2025, Mel Allen’s writing has captured the unique essence of New England's and the people who call it home. Here for the first time, Allen has collected 45 of his favorite pieces, adding intimate new introductions and postscripts to put them in context. The feel and flavor of New England lives within the covers of this engaging collection.

About The Author
Mel Allen has spent nearly half a century finding fascinating people and places he wanted to write about and assigning countless others to the finest writers in New England. He became Yankee's fifth editor in the summer of 2006, after previous roles as writer, senior editor, and executive editor. In 2018, he was inducted into the Folio Magazine Hall of Fame for editorial excellence. He has taught magazine writing and creative nonfiction for the past 25 years, divided between the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and MFA Bay Path. His previous book is A Coach's Letter to His Son. He lives and writes in New Hampshire.


"Time to meet Mel Allen's Yankee neighbors: some are geniuses, some are ordinary. Some are lucky, others underdogs. But their stories all brim with decency, dignity, kindness, and courage. This beautifully written book restores your faith in humanity."
— Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus and Of Time and Turtles