Join us Tuesday, September 24th at 5:30 p.m. for the virtual program "Learning from LaRue Spiker" with Jenna Jandreau. This online program is a collaboration between the MDI Historical Society and the Southwest Harbor Public Library. Jenna Jandreau, author of the article “Learning from LaRue” published in the 2024 edition of Cbebacco, will talk about LaRue’s prolific writing and photography in the area, and the impact both her creativity and conscience had on the people and places of Mount Desert Island.

LaRue Spiker, prominent among the Who’s Who of Mount Desert Island, was a freelance writer, photographer, journalist, and editor of Bar Harbor Times in the early 1960s. Those who remember her describe her as no-nonsense and intelligent; not only did she receive frequent kudos in the Letters to the Editor, but also many criticisms for the opinions she expressed in her editorials and articles. 

Having moved to the area “from away,” Spiker brought a fresh lens to the island, capturing not only its natural beauty in her photographs but also numerous people from many different walks of life. She seemed to have an insatiable curiosity about everything MDI, writing about sea urchins, ladyslippers, and ferns, along with feature articles on fishing villages, local artists and writers, and political issues such as nuclear disarmament and the consolidation of MDI high schools.

Jenna Jandreau is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in northern Maine’s Saint John Valley with her husband and Yorkshire Terrier. She was the Collections Manager at MDI Historical Society in 2018 and the Communications Coordinator in 2022-2023. Her writing and photography have appeared in The Maine Townsman, Off the Coast, Strut & Axle, Chebacco, and other publications. 

CONFIRMATION EMAIL: To make sure this reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org.  

Photo: LaRue Spiker, 1959. Mount Desert Island Historical Society