Yankee Magazine Editor Mel Allen to Visit Abbott Library

Abbott Library will host Mel Allen, the longtime Yankee magazine editor and author, for a presentation titled Listening to New England on Saturday, January 10 at 1:30 p.m. The appearance is billed as an exploration of the unique people and places of New England and is built around Allen’s recently published book Here in New England. Registration is not required for the adult program.

Allen, now editor at large at Yankee, established a long relationship with the magazine beginning with his first byline in 1977 and joining the staff in 1979 as a senior editor. He later rose to executive editor and led the magazine as editor from 2006 to 2025. Over a multi decade career he edited and wrote across sections including home, food, and travel, while maintaining a focus on long form storytelling.

The presentation brings to Sullivan County a storyteller whose reporting ranges from adventurous field work to intimate profiles. Research notes on Allen’s career list experiences including racing a sled dog team, entering black bear dens, fishing with Ted Williams, profiling astronaut Alan Shephard, and even helping author Stephen King round up pigs for market. Those anecdotes illustrate the kind of first person, place based narratives Allen has made his specialty—stories that highlight both the quirks and the resilience of New England communities.

For local residents, the program is more than an author visit. Public library events like this serve as low barrier opportunities for social connection, lifelong learning, and civic life in a largely rural county. Free admission and no registration help reduce common obstacles to participation, especially for older adults, low income residents, and those with limited transportation or digital access. Community gatherings at a familiar, neutral venue can also support mental well being by easing social isolation, a public health consideration for local officials and service providers.

The appearance underscores the role of public libraries as community health assets and cultural anchors. Sustaining and expanding such programming requires continued public and philanthropic support for library operating budgets, outreach, and transportation alternatives that improve equitable access across Sullivan County.

Readers planning to attend can go to Abbott Library on Saturday, January 10 at 1:30 p.m. for Listening to New England. The event is intended for adults and does not require prior registration.