The Portland Press Herald
Published October 14, 2025
On October 7, 2025, Portland Press Herald Staff Writer Megan Gray and Staff Photographer Daryn Slover attended a special book discussion at Maine State Prison on Lois Lowry’s dystopian novel The Giver, led by incarcerated facilitators.
Attended by 40 Maine State Prison residents and 15 outside guests, the day was a rare glimpse of what is happening at prisons across Maine: small numbers of Maine Humanities facilitators gathering fellow-inmates in their units, pods, classrooms, and multi-purpose rooms to talk openly and respectfully about books, poetry, and big ideas while fostering connection, agency, and engagement.
Photo: Daryn Slover, Staff Photographer, The Portland Press Herald