Woods & Waters; 1203; Andy Phippen/ Bill Silliker

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Woods and waters with your host Bud Levitt. Good evening and glad you came along and I think you're going to be too. Sandy Phippen is my guest Danny nice to see you. Here always good to see you. Bill William Bill silica is the premier photographer we're going to talk about geography. We're going to talk about. We're going to talk about such such wonderful things as cheap gossip. Everybody's a gotcha. Let me tell you why. Do you know why you're going to like this. Sandy wrote this. It begins this way. Anyone who says he or she doesn't gossip must be did. What online. Well when we found out the title but when we decided to call it cheap gossip I think that was one of the titles I thought about that before I was accusing you know of being a gossip how bad it is and how I never gossip certain people let on that why unless Everybody gossips to

having sex. And that's why I came up with it. I did anyway. Tell me about Sandy and he went away a bit viewer teacher in Syracuse how many years 15 years 15 years a serious that's a come back to university and you're writing for books. Yes. People are trying to be good. That's a pain to hear I'll tell you more about those in a moment I mean one and the one that started all this one place well that's right that's right. POLICEWOMAN the police know everything. And tell me about yourself. Tell me about Sandy. You're a school teacher I want to tell me everything about you so whatever moved you to write. I suppose I love books from the beginning but when I do yes I read Dick Tracy comics when I was a kid and Zane Grey stories had the boys all the stuff kids read. I love books right off I read early Oh I think I was four years old and before I went to school and I just loved books physically I love them. And so I guess I was once in my name on one and it didn't change also

high school and college I wrote a column for the main campus newspaper before Stephen King called bugle blast of the rock that was me calling out. No one read it right. It was exciting to see my name in print. And I'd read you of course all the time. All my life. And in Hancock to help because of my hometown there was this Tuesday publication. Right. That's right in the early 70s a bunch of us you know look to snap as I guess dad then started a newspaper as an alternative to Ellsworth American. And when mail really started and he was fresh on a boat didn't have any money but a whole bunch of us wrote Crazy articles and we had a lot of fun without pay for. That's how this all began that's one hundred fifteen hundred twenty out of a hundred sixteen Hugh McCollum's and then I wrote also the 55 book reviews and you get a thousand dollars a column for that. Oh yeah sure. $75 an hour column.

Something like I want a career so I was good. I was really clean and. You know you get you do something that few people can do let me tell you about this book this is a review. Of why I can be a better of you than this was written by candle Merriam. And a Maine Sunday Telegram I'll give them a plug for the nation's paper. He says cheap gossip that I read your one line over here is the best book about Maine to come out in 1989. It is painfully honest funny revealing and intelligent and it will probably get one of the genuinely quote unquote real main writers to emerge in the last decade. Another punch in the nose cone of 1982 from an unhappy with the way he depicted family members in his thinly disguised autobiography The police know everything. There's no been near a fiction been in cheap gossip. It is sad for the pure and complicated.

What a great review that's excellent. That's the best review I think I've ever received. If you're good you get very impressed with all of you to do cheap washing that gets the success of the police and people and also the best man story book that's another one I did it. Those were bestsellers originally and because of that moment off the publisher of dog the press he said you got the other stuff laying around you know that you want to publish and I said while my own newspaper calls but I don't know why you'd be interested in that but I sent him some to Florida it was a farter and hundred and some of them and he said do it if you've got pictures to go with this and that's because it's a picture book to do a book that's that's what happened. He took 34 columns. And there it is. It's great. They crowd the crowd you write about a comic that is quite a crowd of delegates. You imagine a debate that I have an old wall addiction and I mean known him all my life.

Yes well I know a few good things about him. Publicly he's good material. Yes true. God forbid a very British executive in his Beijing Television. But anyway tell me about some of the folk down there at that time. Then you live in Hancock now and you live in or know more sophisticated places a people are different today. The population I think I think so I feel what I'm writing about in the way is dead and gone to a great extent when I'm trying to recreate the times that I grew up in the 40s 50s and 60s and Walter said a wonderful thing with all of this and he after he read it he said Sandy you messed a whole generation of people they were they were wonderful lawless people and I'm I'm sure I did miss those people. I remember when my father was giving haircuts in the kitchen and off on Sunday. All these I would you know how I got in the kitchen and I remember

these characters that came out of the woods you know always and I wished then I knew I was going to write I could have taken notes. These were men who used to work on the main central steamships fronts of the men who worked in the woods all lobstermen of course all these characters you know that have stories to tell. They made they told FOX telling stories that sound like the Battle of the balls. Amazing stuff but I didn't appreciate it as a kid you know what wonderful wonderful yet wonderful characters individuals and I don't think they're around anymore. Who was a goodish character which you may have missed or the ones we can talk about on television you know. Well the most legendary in Hancock history probably is Harry Johnston. Who was a relative of mine by marriage actually Harry was indeed a very funny man he was like so many main men no education but smart as hell bright and he played the character sure professional care and he loved doing that with some people you know stand on the wall often. Welcome to God's country and all that. When he

got home his wife said you know down the point now. But he would tell he was in a great natural storyteller and comedian he's the type of guy that people like Tim sample and today's comedians copy for us. He was he was wonderful and what a showman he really was and I don't know whether the stuff was true didn't matter. Now what do you do for love. Who knows. And we know they took a little wooden or something mowed along he was a caretaker and he was the proprietor and Hancock he said I'm the proprietor of the Hancock point water company and we kids when we were kids the pipes that run on tops of the roads and hire us to run around and check the five cents a leak try to find the leaks and he drove a bicycle you never drove a car anything or a bicycle a three piece suit. Probably never talk about. Golf and hat. You did cut in here in the kitchen on the shore. I was like oh all mean people had three jobs at least to make a living. And my father drove a fuel truck he worked on the mend self-esteem is years ago and he also did

care taking to places and he cut hair. He was the neighborhood barber. We had him all over town and every Sunday all these men would show up and some would pay with a turn up. Honest to God they would and they'd knock on the door and they'd say you got me time which meant you know can I get my haircut. My father was relatively short so when you got a haircut and I got many of them from him he had them in the chain. And he had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth camels and of course he'd light your hair on fire half the time you stand to step in here and stamp the fire out while people would be telling the stories and so on. If you didn't like the hackers away want to. That was it. I had my hair cut by my father until 13 14 my first professional haircut in Ellsworth Jola Bell's jewel of the home Water Street right. That was that was a but that was the atmosphere you know it was quite a time it was a mostly farms are gone now and the fishing

community in the summer calling then that was about it. You know we go to Ellsworth on Saturdays and that's the life I try to recreate in my stories and books and all the people bring them all back again. Because it was a wonderful childhood for a kid growing up and I know people are very negative sometimes in my own relatives that are about certain things but I really want to get you ready. No no no no. Except that they say things like don't talk to him you write down everything you say. Now they're used to it they've gotten used to it. I did get punched out of the stereo in the school gym. She didn't agree with me on the book first came out but I've gotten used to it now. You get punched Oh we're too slow we unfortunately had a family reunion the same month of the book came out that was either good or bad published I'm not sure of the timing was pretty bad and I was master of ceremonies and I ended the gym and some of them and read the book by then and she said here's what I think a book like this and it's a good review was good because it got me on the 6 o'clock news on channel 2.

That's how it began. Now you still get on this Imus I'm sure on the weekends. What do you what are you up to now what do you right now I'm working on a novel must if I can do a novel because you're going to write a novel for the big boys you know they want short stories and I mean it's about a hotel in the harbor leaving Hancock I just want to have this or you're moving away we're not going down the coast. I've written a little bit about them and that's what tell me the thrust of this novel. Well it's about a strange boy growing up on the Maine coast. Trying to. And he's more laws and gets a chance to work in this hotel where he's going to meet the world he's going to get sophisticated this is the late 50s early 60s with him. And you know I did but I really did. It's really true. I don't I think channelise Yeah by that I mean I changed the details change the name select things you know make up conversations but basically it happened I'm recreating the thing that really was there and this is a hotel book this is my hotel book I think it's different from other ones I've read. It was a crazy wonderful absurd

when I went to orange to go to college. My jaw dropped down here when I realized the people I was waiting were all famous I never knew that you know they were Course I don't know about the world. I've only been to Bangor for only escalate it for his Christmas shopping and in the evening. So it's about a boy coming of age. Out of a terrible question What was it about that era produced guys like you and Steve were going to show you this. Well I think that's a good question I think all of us who were in the 40s really Steve Carroll and Margaret Dixon all of us who are writing in may know many natives. I guess this is our literature where we're trying to write the truth about our time. You know Steve the wonderful thing in Salem's Lot of the main trailer park with great living in trailer park and that's what we're all doing we grew up this way I mean it was it was funny but also awful. It was a dark side to me that we're bringing out it's not sort of Mantik as the generation before us. You know Ruth Moore wasn't exactly

romantic but certainly Louise Dickinson rich and lots of other writers were I think they made it kind of rose colored shall we say. Now we see it differently with the with the kids of the war baby World War you know we were baby boomers we came out afterwards it was a different world. Kennedy got killed you know assassinations. I went through race riots in Syracuse when I was teaching. You know I can't write about me in that way. Goody goody I mean I wish I could in a way. I hate to disappoint them. It has to be real. I think there's nothing about the reality that you know you are an interesting rascal living here in Iraq and I know you admire his work. Yes there's more but these books. Bill good to see you. Good to see you but this is one of the premier photographers that we have in lane. When I look at the Shot of the need to look at the Penobscot River. You love this thing when you see it. This is one of Bill's great works when today tell me about it. Well this is. Just downstream from the dam and the Z but. I was.

Trying to catch the wintering bald eagles that we're fortunate to have a name. And. That's as you know I'm sure that's part of the only stretch of the river that stays open when it really gets cold. And because of the dam and some of the rivers down there. The Eagles are out after the fish and that morning. I was waiting for the the mist to clear from the difference in temperature of the water and here you're was about ten below zero. And when it finally cleared I just look so great that I have a blind that I use to. So I don't scare the Eagles Eagles. Perching on that. Big branch overhanging the river it. Looks so good. If you are going to take a picture of this for a scenic shot. I took the blind took the picture and along came the bald eagle I'd been waiting for for two hours. Then he saw me of course and took off. I had to wait to catch him. Get him on a different day. If that's him that's that's one of them. It could be the bird that I support that. And I'd like to mention

you when you when you go after something like that you're very careful I would get there before the Eagles I knew their pattern their habit. Eagles are an endangered species. And you know just any any kind of harassment can and can hinder their survival especially in the winter. You know has done great work for the Fish and Wildlife Department magazine several covers. He's got a background of this long but. How long. Have you waited for a single object. How many days. I think the we don't want the camera. Yes essentially that's true. I hunt with a camera. I think some species are easy moves are easy and especially to go back to the park and you know they just look the right pose may not be easy. The right light. They are always looking for a better light a better poet. I think the longest I've ever put in to try to get one photograph that I was really pleased with would be the bald eagle and

because it. They haven't. Had good luck with us humans over the course of history and a coming back really well in the state of Maine. But they still they don't like people that much and. You get to. Spend you go do it right you got to be patient you know wait and you hope that they're going to come near where you're sitting and waiting. And you've spent days and I go back and my wife would say. Do you get anything you know don't even take a photograph. I mean you're like a fish coming back. You don't even know. That's right. You have days like oh sure how many days were you before you got a shot like this. Probably a total of 10 or 11 days. Oh yeah real cold and. I would say you know I sat there as long as I could stand it in a boy and I would see them but they'd be on the other side of the river or the light wasn't right where you you shoot something like that with a camera you get a lot of near misses and a near miss with a camera is.

Worthless. It was out of focus. You didn't get quite the right weight. That kind of stuff. That it's interesting I took that shot there's a little press story that that bird sat in when he sat there. I had so much awareness on. It. Because I was looking at the birds out across this bird was maybe 30 feet away from me. And I have a 400 millimeter lens and I had a an extra converters weigh about five and 60 millimeters which is the equivalent of about 11 x. Magnification. The bird said that he was working the other way. And I'm sitting there in a boy and I'm saying to him under my breath look at me look at me before he'll leave. And I just had time to focus I got two shots off with one more to drive on the camera and you can see the white caught his eye. It was the early morning light And this is what that is it I mean it made a shot for me. But then remarkable study. Yes it's wonderful. Tell me about this one. That was one that. I go after and I go when I go I have to dear. But with a

camera you get to get about as close as a border. Between the two of you to really get what I what I like to see as a real you know portrait kind of shot usually and I go after them where they're not hunted. If if possible Swan Island the one in the state preserve and enrichment and the Kennebec River. That's right take that. But they still run away from that. And. That that was on Swan Island. This is this is a really good example. If you're if you always keep the camera on the back seat or in the seat beside you when you go in the woods. You make it look I had just enough time to focus and take that photograph that's you know the new refuge and I was on my way in into hiking into part of the refuge before it was a refuge and. That was sitting on a tree just as I drove down the road and I backed up picked up the camera got one photograph and. It was gone. Sometimes you get like. Oh boy. There are those. That stood

around for me. And. That's in Baxter park. And again some of these critters when they're not they're not haunted and not quite spooky and they will they will stand still for you. Not always. I know this is comparatively easy heaven. But that was a great move show I. Really wish. Isn't that a magnificent animal. Every time I take a picture of a deer I always want to take an oh you know it's like it is like hunting and you know it's just just being out there seeing them and try to get the right pose and get them when they're alert like that that's what I like to get to get the real feel that. Beautiful beautiful thing. All right your motion people who are us. This thought I spent a week I say that you can find them. Easier sometimes in a place like Baxter park I spent a weekend back to the park my wife and I were volunteers up there one one week and the whole Maria time it was great. Well we weren't that

many people and rebuilding some of the cabins and they go out in the morning in the late afternoon OS and I spent the whole week. Never saw a ball never selling when I was leavin. This guy was out of pocket. In that. Flow is down it. And. I worked my way down and got some shots and then I told him it was a week before the season this was like I said you get it you're going to go up the road if you want to stick around I'd like to talk. Somebody may have that rack on the wall this time. I hope he is still doing well. Because there's beaver shot. Those those are tough critters to catch with a camera because you know you're going and they're gone and we're back and you know. The other thing is is the light is always usually really low. When you when you when you see a beaver out. You know you don't have good light and it's tough to get I guess I got lucky. I got the right light showed up on its face and. It helped. Well I want to Chad you were that I was an LLB the other day and I saw.

Some materials over there in the form of Christmas god. Well we have there are no card series. Well right now we have. A deer mix Meanwhile life stuff and some scenic So I do. One of the things that as you already. Hit on you go in the woods with a camera you're after a critter. You can wait hours and hours. The best time to catch them is just like honey. More early in the morning late afternoon feeding times and stuff. It's also one of the best ways off a scenic So we do. I do scenic stuff too. I mean is a kid I had an uncle that. That loved to. Photograph stuff and he had a darkroom and. He gave me his dark when I was a when I was a kid I was in southern Maine I grew up in your county and your county where well be a shame to where you can oh my I went and I got to Sandy's character as I am going to see if I could. It's hard to pin it down

like my dad would fix up a house and sell it two years and we moved to another town I live with and Gorman see if it Alfred she happily Soco it should you name it. Rundle. But if I like I would call the coastal area around Stockholm my real home and that's where I spent more time than anything. But when I really got serious with a camera was back a few years ago a piece of land out there that I kind of took for granted. Like you know like a lot of us do and I think what Sandy said earlier about. Things have changed a lot your county has certainly changed and I realized about four years five years ago now that this one piece of land that I always thought it was a piece of marsh out there that it would never change that somebody had a plan they wanted to put a thousand. Condominium units around it. And. It was supposed to be part of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge while to make a long story short I thought. That didn't seem like a great idea and maybe one way to

help prove it was to go out with a camera and show people. What kind of wildlife was on that refuge or what was supposed to be with. That all worked very well. I got I guess in some pretty good pictures but. That thing worked out well in that the developer finally decided to sell it to the Nature Conservancy who then sold it to the feds and is that it is about you that's what I really got into. Now you've done a lot of the Penobscot fishing is there what else is there to get. In the Penobscot you know. There's a lot of water that you see out there and you know I. Would I. I my next target that I'd really like to go after is black bears. And. You know. The woods more and. They're tough. Again and I think what I'm probably going to do in fact I've had an invitation. I do some. Sort of article kind of things for the meal and I just and they put me in touch with a guy who. Who has dogs and.

He's. Going to go out with him in August when he's training. And gets in there. There's that one. Because it's. It's you have to photograph you know you got to learn they have as much just the same as I wanted. You. To be successful. You've got to find them. You get in the way they're coming in regularly. And I'm always. Trying to find. A place where there's some kind of critter that's come in on a regular basis. They're real tough and Bobcat. You know. How often you see them you know Sandy. People say where do you get all leash guests that you have on woods and water and my stock answer is this is the richest state in the world with talent. Now here's a young artist and sort of good characters right. There's a young man you know hunts of the camera trying to get coyote get bear and so forth and what we've seen.

Are you selling photographs. Yes we sell photographs at various retailers and we're going to start a mail order sales. We sell no cars and we sell the Mounted. Type of photograph and the exhibit type of print like the one that they had on earlier with the cold morning. And. Just recently I just recently completed a. Book. Tour Downeast with photographs and that's a photo book on kids to try to. Try to. Educate kids about what movies are all about. And with some photos. We show really want to give John I want to share that I want to bring at the attention of our viewers. Wish it. Well I'll tell you what you can do for a Christmas laugh. Just in case you somebody has a nice loud stocking but you want to jam something down the police know everything. Guaranteed to make you laugh. That will break yeah. And people trying to be

good by Sandy Phippen that's one of four that he's read. Don't we hope that this monster is well I don't see this when I have the best minds for store stories. What's in there either. All right. Anyway that's another one and I know Sandy's books are an all popular news thing and looked awful nice to have you thinking about it because you're a you're a chip off the old county blog and it's good to see you and we never did friend down where you came from that was on your county somewhere as they say our county. Bill I wish you well and I've watched you come and have admired your work and from what you've told me the night of my show a lot of our viewers are going to be looking for your work in the future. Thank you very much for coming on the pro great to be here. Hope you enjoyed Riyadh tonight we had a couple of real able may not as Sandy Phippen and Bill Bill silica. They talked about the things that they do best one is writing and the other is photographer and that's a pretty good company. But this night

I'm glad levered Wishing you a good evening. Right where you followed up through all I mean he's right where you are where you buy your. Own blood where explorer for the moment here you are. I'll give you. The yarn. This programme was made possible by the support of viewers like you.

Thank you dear.