Retired Yankee Magazine editor to talk in Groton June 11

GROTON  — What makes New England feel like home? Is it the places themselves or the people and stories that connect them?

These questions will be explored when author and longtime editor Mel Allen presents “Listening to New England” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, at the Groton Public Library, 99 Main St.

Allen has spent nearly five decades writing and reporting for Yankee Magazine, beginning with his first published stories in 1977 and concluding in 2025, retiring as only the publication’s fifth editor in its 90-year history.

Through thousands of interviews and years of storytelling, Allen has documented the people, traditions and landscapes that have helped shape New England’s special charm.

During the program, Allen will share stories gathered throughout his career and is excited to discuss his new book, “Here in New England: Unforgettable People, Places and Memories That Connect Us All.”

He will also reflect on Yankee Magazine’s long history since it’s founding in 1935 and how the publication has endured through challenging times.

“The book is a collection of moments that together create a larger portrait of the region,” Allen said.

He compares the stories to the detailed scale model of Mystic, Connecticut, at Mystic Seaport  — small scenes that, when viewed closely, reveal a much bigger world.

The collection highlights individuals overcoming extraordinary challenges, neighbors helping one another, communities coming together during difficult moments and shared experiences that reveal a common humanity across New England.

“I never tire of meeting the people I see at my talks,” Allen added. “Groton will be my 34th stop and each time I am touched by the feeling people hold for Yankee and for my own writing, and mostly by their feeling about New England. It has been the most rewarding part of my book. My email is in the introduction to the book, and many readers have written and I write back and in a way I am making new friends everywhere.”

Following the presentation, audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions and meet Allen. Copies of “Here in New England: Unforgettable People, Places and Memories That Connect Us All” will be available for signing.

The event is made possible through support from the Groton Public Library Endowment Trust.

For more information, or to register for this program, visit the library’s adult calendar at gpl.org. Additional information on Mel Allen can be found at melallennewengland.com.