LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-May 2010 by Susan Grisanti Kelley Photography Maria A. Vettese

I just had the pleasure of meeting a young photo assistant named Chloe Brown while she was working on a photo shoot for MH+D. In conversation, I came to learn that Chloe has one month to choose from the several art schools that have accepted her for admission this fall.

I just had the pleasure of meeting a young photo assistant named Chloe Brown while she was working on a photo shoot for MH+D. In conversation, I came to learn that Chloe has one month to choose from the several art schools that have accepted her for admission this fall. Chloe shared that instead of applying for college during high school, she had taken some time to find her path. For two years she has worked with artist Maria Vettese before embarking on a journey towards a degree. While speaking with her, I was immediately impressed with her decision and her story stuck with me for several days. I considered the courage it takes to make that kind of a choice—especially when your peers are doing differently. The ability to listen to her heart and to consider the best way for her to make her way in the world shows an unusual level of maturity. I imagine what it must have taken for Chloe and her parents to buck the traditional college application process, and to have faith that the road less traveled may be the right one for her, no matter how different. This independent spirit is an example I hope to hold up to my children, my friends, and my colleagues.

Chloe’s spirit, her purposeful choice to follow her own path, reminds me of the remarkable characters that we often write about in Maine Home+Design—and this issue is no exception. Whether it be Chris and Laura Lynch (Standing Grand, page 40) who made the decision to leave the kind of life a job on Wall Street brings to start a more balanced family life here in Maine. Or Cyrus and Patty Hagge (High Up, Upside Down, page 53) who, after building a business in Portland, have immersed themselves in philanthropic work and energetic involvement at the YMCA, Rippleffect, the Telling Room, Portland’s Downtown District, Space Gallery, and MECA. Or Sandra Ankarcrona (Stateside Summers, page 65) who, even with an international career that has literally spanned continents, has never missed a summer in Maine. We are grateful for those passionate Mainers who allow us to tell their stories, not only of the design of their homes but of the path that brought them here.

Susan Grisanti Kelley
Editor-in-Chief