Maine Humanities Council
Home of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book

Winter 2008 ~~~ Lewiston

Early in 2008, a series of four French films (with English subtitles) will be screened at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston. Each screening will be preceded by a bilingual lecture and followed by a discussion. All are welcome, and it is hoped that the series will unite Bates College with the Lewiston-Auburn community. The series will be marketed to Bates French department faculty and students, members of La Rencontre (the Franco-American Center’s monthly French language group), and other local Franco-American societies. The series begins in January 2008; for dates and film titles, call the Franco-American Heritage Center at (207) 783-1585 or visit www.francoamericanheritage.org.

Back to the Top

January 9, 17, & 19, 2008 ~~~ Portland

Open Waters Theatre Arts presents Wallace Shawn’s The Fever, a play in which an anonymous character violently comes to terms with her/his personal role in global economies. In an effort to provide context for this production in the community and to educate audiences about local economics, Open Waters has planned three events at Zero Station in Portland. First, the company has asked Citizen Salon to host a community dialogue at 6 p.m. on January 9. PIRG of USM will co-host a panel discussion, “Is Gradual Change Possible? Poverty in Maine," at 7 p.m. on January 15. Finally, Marty Pottenger, director of the Portland Arts & Equity Initiative, leads a community workshop on economic dialogue called “Abundance” at 2 p.m. on January 19. For more information, please visit www.open-waters.org.

Back to the Top

January 26, February 23, March 29, 2008 ~~~ Portland

Spirits Alive is dedicated to the preservation and beautification of one of Maine’s oldest public burial grounds, the Eastern Cemetery in Portland. To help raise public awareness of the significance of the Cemetery as a historic site, Spirits Alive will host an early spring lecture series focused on the place of cemeteries in our collective past. Lectures are scheduled for January 26, February 23, and March 29. Speakers Earle Shettleworth, Jr., David Waters, and Joy Giguere will cover topics ranging from the general (gravestone carving in New England) to the specific (the role of the Eastern and Western Cemeteries in Portland). For event details, visit www.spiritsalive.org.

Back to the Top

March, 2008 ~~~ Bangor

Poet Martin Steingesser has reworked the diary and letters of Etty Hillesum, a Jewish woman from Amsterdam who was killed at Auschwitz, into a poetic performance for two voices and cello. In March 2008, Steingesser will join Judy Tierney and cellist Robin Jellis to present this work, entitled The Thinking Heart, at the Bangor Public Library. A Maine historian will lead a discussion following the performance. In addition, a chapbook of Steingesser’s poems, with background about their source and inspiration, will be available to those who attend. For more information, call the library at (207) 947-8336.

Back to the Top

April 9, 2008 ~~~ Portland

The new edition of a 19th century Penobscot book, Joseph Nicolar’s The Life and Traditions of the Red Man (Duke University Press, 2007), sheds light on Eastern Algonquian history and culture. On April 9, 2008, Nicolar’s grandson, Charles Shay, will join the editor of the new edition, Annette Kolodny, for a presentation at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. The free event starts at 7 p.m. For more information, please call Professor Lorrayne Carroll at (207) 780-4324.

Back to the Top

April 16, 2008 ~~~ Farmington

The Wilton Free Public Library’s Hands On PAH! initiative is intended to make the library more accessible to the local and larger deaf community through collection development, technical services, and programming. In April 2008, nationally renowned deaf storyteller Peter Cook will visit Maine with his interpreter, Keith Wann. Cook will give a workshop on ASL storytelling and visual communication in the Nordica Auditorium at the University of Maine in Farmington from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16. At 7:30 p.m., in the same location, he will give a storytelling performance. For further details, call the library at (207) 645-4831.

Back to the Top

January - April, 2008 ~~~ Lewiston

Early in 2008, a series of four French films (with English subtitles) will be screened at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston. Each screening will be preceded by a bilingual lecture and followed by a discussion. All are welcome, and it is hoped that the series will unite Bates College with the Lewiston-Auburn community. The series will be marketed to Bates French department faculty and students, members of La Rencontre (the Franco-American Center’s monthly French language group), and other local Franco-American societies. The series begins in January 2008; for dates and film titles, call the Franco-American Heritage Center at (207) 783-1585 or visit www.francoamericanheritage.org.

Back to the Top

June - October, 2008 ~~~ Vinalhaven

The Bodwell Granite Company Store operated on the island of Vinalhaven from 1858 until 1919. The Vinalhaven Historical Society maintains an extensive collection of receipts, correspondence, payroll tickets, and other documents from the store, as well as glass plate negatives of images of quarry operations, workers, and managers. Based on census, payroll, and union records, the historical society has built a database of quarry workers employed by Bodwell. Public access to this database will soon be available at www.vhhis.org. In addition, the historical society is planning an exhibit that examines the influence of the Bodwell Granite Company and their company store on the history and economy of Vinalhaven through the lives of ten representative workers. The exhibit will be on view during the museum’s 2008 summer season, from June through October. A public lecture will also take place during the summer at the Smith-Hokanson Memorial Hall. For more information, please call (207) 863-4410 or visit the aforementioned website.