"How did you get into guidebook writing?"

That's a tough one to answer in a few sentences ... but here goes: When I graduated from college, I went back to coastal Maine (where I was born and raised) and wrote a travel guide to Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. I'd grown up near Mount Desert Island so I knew it well, and I didn't think any of the guides on the market were any good. So I wrote the type of guide that I'd want to use—fascinating chapters on natural and cultural history; in-depth information on hiking, biking and outdoor adventures; lots of color photos and maps. When it was published the response was overwhelming. At book signings people came up to me with dog-eared copies of my book, telling me it was the only guide they used. Realizing I might have a knack for this sort of thing, I moved to California and wrote a travel guide to Joshua Tree National Park. When that book was a hit I knew I'd found my calling.

"Do you shoot film or digital?"

Digital. I don't even know how to use a film camera. Yes seriously.

"Why isn't your Acadia book sold in the Acadia National Park bookstore?"

Although the park service praised Acadia: The Complete Guide for its "in-depth coverage of the park's natural and cultural history, recreational activities, and facilities," they banned it from their bookstores because "the tone of the stories was of concern." Specifically, they didn't like my Seal Harbor passage about the local gossip surrounding Martha Stewart's supposedly bad behavior (even though I reveal that the most nasty and persistent rumor about her is false). They also didn't approve of the following passage from the Islesford chapter: "Back then, the work hard, play hard mentality of some of the young lobstermen led locals to joke that Islesford was a 'quaint drinking community with a lobstering problem.'" I mean really. I don't think I'm the first person to point out that lobstermen like to drink.

"Are you mad at Acadia National Park for banning your book?"

No way. It rocks! I have now joined the ranks of Salinger and Twain. Who knew it was possible to get a book banned these days? I'm thinking of renaming my book Acadia: The Satanic Verses.

"Will you take out the passages in question in future editions of your Acadia guide?"

Never. I'd rather make less money than write a watered-down guide. I'll never sell out!

"Do the bookstores in Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Joshua Tree carry your guides?"

Yes. Fortunately there are no lobstermen near Grand Canyon, Yosemite, or Joshua Tree, so I have nothing offensive to say about them there.

"Why is the sky blue?"

Rayleigh scattering.

"You have the best job!"

There's a good chance I was Gandhi in a former life.

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