Background & Upbringing
Abby was raised near the rocky shores of Bar Harbor, with Acadia National Park practically in her backyard. Her father was a park ranger, and her mother ran a bed-and-breakfast catering to adventurous travelers. Abby spent countless hours hiking the park’s trails, collecting shells and jotting down observations of tidepools and sunsets.
Education
She attended a small but academically rigorous public high school in Mount Desert Island. Abby then pursued an Environmental Studies degree at the University of Maine, later completing an MFA in Creative Writing. Her studies solidified her passion for writing about the delicate balance between nature and humanity.
Professional Background
Post-college, Abby worked part-time as a tour guide, leading visitors through Acadia’s lesser-known paths. In her off hours, she wrote short nature essays focusing on Maine’s rugged coastline and local wildlife. Gradually, she transitioned to writing full-time, publishing a bestselling memoir that intertwined personal anecdotes with reflections on coastal conservation. Today, she’s an in-demand speaker on the synergy between environment and storytelling.
Places Lived
Aside from her college years in Orono, Maine, and short teaching stints in Portland, Abby returns to Bar Harbor every summer for the tourist season. She’s also traveled briefly to Iceland and Norway for research, drawn to regions where the natural environment shapes daily life as profoundly as it does in coastal Maine.
Influences
Abby admires the ecological writings of Rachel Carson and the poetic focus on place found in Mary Oliver’s work. A fan of folksy indie music, she often listens to bands like Fleet Foxes that evoke images of forests and cliffsides. Her perspective on romance, sophistication, and life at large is deeply tied to the rhythms of the tide, the swirl of Atlantic mists, and the humble pride of Maine’s tight-knit communities.
