John Gould

John Thomas Gould (October 22, 1908 – September 1, 2003) was an American humorist, essayist, and columnist who wrote a column for the Christian Science Monitor for over sixty years from a farm in Lisbon Falls, Maine. He was published in most major American newspapers and magazines and wrote thirty books.

Early life Gould was born in Brighton, Massachusetts to Franklin Farrar Gould and Hilda Dobson Jenkins. After his birth the family moved to nearby Medford. When Gould was ten years old his family, which then included three children, moved to Freeport, Maine. Gould was responsible for farm chores before and after school, but his father stressed the importance of his education. His family subscribed to The Youth's Companion, the Rural New Yorker and The Boston Post, all of which published materials submitted by young Gould.

Published books "New England Town Meeting" (Brattleboro, VT: Stephen Daye Press, 1940) "Pre-Natal Care for Fathers" (Brattleboro, VT: Stephen Daye Press, 1941) Farmer Takes a Wife (New York: William Morrow, 1945) The House that Jacob Built (New York: William Morrow, 1947) And One to Grow On (New York: William Morrow, 1949) Neither Hay nor Grass (New York: William Morrow, 1951) The Fastest Hound Dog in the State of Maine, with illustrations by F. Wenderoth Saunders (Thorndike: Thorndike Press, 1953, 1981, 1985, ) Monstrous Depravity: A jeremiad and a lamentation [about things to eat] (New York: William Morrow, 1963) The Parables of Peter Partout, with illustrations by F. Wenderoth Saunders (Boston, Little, Brown, 1964) You Should Start Sooner; in which widely separated topics are strangely discussed by an old cuss, with illustrations by F. Wenderoth Saunders (Boston: Little, Brown, 1964) Last One in: Tales of a New England boyhood, a gently pleasing dip into a cool soothing pool of the not-so-long-ago, so to speak, with illustrations by F. Wenderoth Saunders (Boston, Little, Brown, 1966) Europe on Saturday Night; The Farmer and His Wife Take a Trip (Boston: Little, Brown, 1968) The Jonesport Raffle, and Numerous Other Maine Veracities, with illustrations by Edward Malsberg (Boston: Little, Brown, 1969) Twelve Grindstones; or, A few more good ones, being another cultural roundup of Maine folklore, sort of, although not intended to be definitive, and perhaps not so cultural, either, with illustrations by Edward Malsberg (Boston: Little, Brown, 1970) The Shag Bag, which, considering our peculiar [sic] present, has no motive, purpose, and dedicated aim, and is meant only to be amusing — which not very much is nowadays, is it?, with illustrations by Edward Malsberg (Boston: Little, Brown, 1972) Glass Eyes by the Bottle: Some conversations about some conversation pieces (Boston: Little, Brown, 1975) Maine Lingo: Boiled owls, billdads & wazzats, in collaboration with Lillian Ross and the editors of Down East magazine (Camden, Maine: Down East Magazine, 1975) Next Time Around : Some things pleasantly remembered, with illustrations by Consuelo Eames Hanks (New York: W.W. Norton, 1983) No Other Place (New York: W.W. Norton, 1984) Stitch in Time, with illustrations by Consuelo Eames Hanks (New York: W.W. Norton, 1985, ) The Wines of Pentagoët (New York: W.W. Norton, 1986) Old Hundredth, with illustrations by F. Wenderoth Saunders (New York: W.W. Norton, 1987) There Goes Maine!: A somewhat history, sort of, of the Pine Tree State (New York: W.W. Norton, 1990, ) Funny about That, with drawings by Consuelo Eames Hanks (New York: W.W. Norton, 1992, ) It Is Not Now: Tales of Maine (New York: W.W. Norton, 1993, ) Dispatches from Maine: 1942-1992 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1994, ) Tales from Rhapsody Home, or, What They Don't Tell You About Senior Living (Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2000, )