GQ writer takes Maine to task for whatever reason

“Bad writing is more than a matter of shit syntax and faulty observation; bad writing usually arises from a stubborn refusal to tell stories about what people actually do― to face the fact, let us say, that murderers sometimes help old ladies cross the street.” 
                                                                                              ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Editors note: Here the link to (http://www.gq.com/story/do-we-need-maine-paul-lepage) the hit piece on Maine. If readers suffer any signs of disgust, stop reading it immediately and  pick up a good book.

A writer for GQ Magazine recently wrote a slice-and-dice column that took Maine and its residents to task for whatever reason.

He name is not worth mentioning or his writing — for that matter.

The piece is inane and belongs in a dumpster.

His acerbic thoughts serve no purpose other than to provoke and lambaste people in the Pine Tree State. He judged all Mainers by a governor who has had a handful pathetic moments during his time in office.

The writer appears to be as angry and ineloquent as our governor.

You sound like numerous uninformed posters who hide behind a thin veil of anonymity and spread their poisonous thoughts across the Internet. You took the long way around the barn to make no point at all.

You flayed away at a state rich in history and filled with genuine people who enjoy its vast natural resources and the cold, which keeps away blowhards like you.

There are many reasons why I am not a subscriber to GQ, but this writer certainly tops my list when it comes to explaining why I’ve never wasted $5 to purchase an elitist ad rag that caters to CEOs and Wall-Street types wearing $5,000 clothes. As far as journalism goes, I prefer the New York Times or the Boston Globe for eye-opening points of view.

I am surprised this drivel got past an adept editor and ended up in print. The writing is similar to an essay written by a disgruntled third grader condemning his teacher for assigning homework over school vacation.

There is no question the state is sparsely populated when you venture beyond Bangor. But there is Mt. Katahdin and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, where people come from all over the world to enjoy and explore the state’s wilderness. 

Maine gave this country Medal-of Honor winner Joshua Chamberlain, who led a group of beat-up, shot-up Union soldiers who foiled the Confederates at Gettysburg, Penn. By the way, it takes a great deal of money to live in Portland, which is a great city and in some ways Boston’s little brother.

The Pine Tree State is bigger than all of us and our governor, but it has no room for a writer who pretends to be an erudite scholar. Obviously, a four-year degree didn’t do much for you as a writer.

I am outsider who didn't ride into the state on a high horse when I established roots here. I took a job, and along the way, I discovered there are good people here, and that could be said of any state in the union. Yes, I have been chided for being an out-of-stater and a Masshole, but my boyish good looks and self-deprecating humor have won over the staunchest Mainers.

I understand clever opinion pieces are written to stir the pot and make people think, but this piece of junk should have been spiked by the publisher.

Whatever reasons you have against Maine, please keep your jumbled thoughts and inadequate writing to yourself.

If you object to my opinion, do not contact me. Reading your nonsense was enough for three lifetimes, and I am sure a conversation with you would be equally fruitless.