Mel Allen to speak for ‘Stories to Share’ series Friday in Jaffrey

Mel Allen, editor of Yankee Magazine, poses with his Jack Russell terrier, Rudy, in front of Judd Hale’s collection of memorabilia in the Yankee Publishing offices. 

Mel Allen, editor of Yankee Magazine, poses with his Jack Russell terrier, Rudy, in front of Judd Hale’s collection of memorabilia in the Yankee Publishing offices.  STAFF PHOTO BY JESSECA TIMMONS

By JESSECA TIMMONS

Monadnock Ledger Transcript 

Published: 10-30-2024 12:03 PM

On Friday, Nov. 1, Mel Allen, the longtime editor of Yankee Magazine, will present “People I’ve Known, Places I’ve Seen: Yankee Magazine Editor’s Most Memorable Stories” at the second “Stories to Share” event of the season at the Jaffrey Civic Center, 40 Main St.

The event is from 5 to 6 p.m., with a reception following.

“We only have one hour, and I’ve been at Yankee for 45 years,” Allen said. “Trying to decide which stories to tell is like going through your family photo album and trying to pick favorites.”

Allen’s favorite stories range from the heartbreaking to the inspiring, and from encounters with the world famous to regular people with incredible stories.

“I’ve always been drawn to stories about people overcoming hardship,” Allen said. “There are so many people who have had to endure unimaginable things.”

Some of Allen’s most unforgettable stories include his interview with the parents of Molly Bish, the 16-year-old Massachusetts lifeguard who disappeared from her chair at the town beach in Warren, Mass., in 2000. He also wrote a profile about Grace Mary Corrigan, the mother of “Teacher In Space” Christa McAuliffe, who was present at the launch of the ill-fated Challenger flight.

“I want to let people know what it’s been like to spend a life writing about others, hearing their stories. I’ve been a writing teacher for decades, and I ask my students, ‘When was the last time someone listened to you — really listened, when they weren’t on their phone or doing dishes?’ It’s rare to have someone really listen. When you really listen, people will often tell you stories they have never told anyone else, stories they maybe haven’t even told their best friend,” Allen said. “That is what a writer does.”

Allen, who started his career freelancing in Maine, was one of the first journalists to interview Stephen King.

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“He was on the way up then, and I also interviewed his wife, the writer Tabitha King,” Allen said. “Stephen was not yet a superstar, and I was one of the first people to write a big feature on him.”

Allen says some of the most-inspiring people he has ever met were some of the humblest.

“One of my favorite stories I ever wrote about a man named Bill De La Rosa. When he was 15 years old, his mother was deported, and he was left to take care of his brothers and sisters. He had to become an adult,” Allen said.

Allen has also enjoyed digging into New England lore and legends. He was able to spend time with Red Sox legend Ted Williams, and he was the last person to see pioneering organic farmer Scott Nearing alive. Another favorite story involved the last trip down the Penobscot River with a legendary Maine guide. Allen was also the first person to interview Sandra Mansi, who took the only authenticated picture of “Champ,” the alleged Lake Champlain sea monster.

“She said I was the only person who had ever come to find her and ask her about the picture,” Allen said.

Allen says his career at Yankee has been a privilege.

“When you’re a writer, it’s like you just go in to work to a regular job. Every day is different, and no story is the same, because the person you meet is different,” he said. “There is not a day that goes by that I am not grateful for what I do. There are more stories than I could ever tell.”

For information about Yankee, go to newengland.com.