The sixteen writers whose stories appear in North by Northeast 2, Littoral’s second anthology of short fiction by Maine writers, are keen observers whose stories take us into our own communities – our towns and cities, our woods and fishing villages, our homeless encampments and amusement parks, hardware stores and VFW halls and backyards and bars. Here we meet characters who may seem familiar, but who are bound to surprise us, whose stories are told with verve and skill, and oftentimes, with humor.

“The energy in these tales could power an aircraft carrier. What I love most about them is their fearlessness, and the vividness of their settings. There’s not a single lighthouse in this book, zero puffins, but what you will find on full display are the talents of these Maine writers. This collection is a treat.”

– Lewis Robinson, author of Water Dogs and Officer Friendly and Other Stories

“North by Northeast 2 makes it clear what hammocks hung by the lake are really for: a story at a time, and stories of our time, each to be savored alone, all to be savored together. Because these Maine writers stretch the form both around the world and around the state, they help us redefine community, one vivid character, one belly laugh, one sad sigh at a time, new voices alongside the familiar.”

– Bill Roorbach, author of Lucky Turtle and Girl of the Lake

Contributing writers are Meghan Gilliss, Eleanor Morse, Emily Jane Young, Reza Jalali, Brett Willis, Brandon Dudley, Linda Buckmaster, Nicole d’Entremont, Anne Elliott, Annie Seikonia, Jodi Paloni, Joshua Rich, Robert Diamante, Liza Mattison, Joshua Bodwell, and Rita J. Doucette.

With art by Judith Allen-Efstathiou and photographs by James Bushell.