Calendar of Events

Council-Sponsored Events in Maine

Experience the humanities in Maine! Attend a lecture series, see an exhibit or join a discussion group. The events listed here are either presented by the Council or by organizations that have been awarded Council grants. Please note that times and venues are subject to change. Please contact the sponsoring organization to confirm event details.

Nov 5 2009

Let’s Talk About It

July 6, 2010

Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman

Series: Refreshing the Whodunit
Location and Time: Lawrence Public Library, Fairfield, 6:30 p.m. (the program is free, pre-registration required)
Contact: Judy Larson (207) 872-1978

Let’s Talk About It is a free, library-based, facilitated book discussion program for adults who want to talk about what they’ve read, presented in collaboration with the Maine State Library with major support from the Betterment Fund and additional funding from the Maine Charity Foundation at the Maine Community Foundation.

For more information about the series


Oct 30 2009

Let’s Talk About It

July 7, 2010

The Collected Stories by John McGahern

Series: Liberating Imaginations: Readings in Modern Irish Fiction
Location and Time: Naples Public Library, Naples, 1:30 p.m. (the program is free, pre-registration required)
Contact: Dale Jandreau, 207-693-6841

Let’s Talk About It is a free, library-based, facilitated book discussion program for adults who want to talk about what they’ve read, presented in collaboration with the Maine State Library with major support from the Betterment Fund and additional funding from the Maine Charity Foundation at the Maine Community Foundation.

For more information about the series


Oct 15 2009

Let’s Talk About It

July 7, 2010

The Collected Stories by John McGahern

Series: Liberating Imaginations: Readings in Modern Irish Fiction
Location and Time: Naples Public Library, Naples, 1:30 p.m. (the program is free, pre-registration required)
Contact: Dale Jandreau (207) 693-6841

Let’s Talk About It is a free, library-based, facilitated book discussion program for adults who want to talk about what they’ve read, presented in collaboration with the Maine State Library with major support from the Betterment Fund and additional funding from the Maine Charity Foundation at the Maine Community Foundation.

For more information about the series


Oct 13 2009

Let’s Talk About It

July 7, 2010

Like Lesser Gods by Mari Tomasi

Series: Invisible New England: The Real New England?
Location and Time: Bridgton Public Library, Bridgton, 3:00 p.m. (the program is free, pre-registration required)
Contact: Holly Hancock, 207-647-2472

Let’s Talk About It is a free, library-based, facilitated book discussion program for adults who want to talk about what they’ve read, presented in collaboration with the Maine State Library with major support from the Betterment Fund and additional funding from the Maine Charity Foundation at the Maine Community Foundation.

For more information about the series


Oct 10 2009

Let’s Talk About It

July 8, 2010

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Series: Making a Living, Making a Life: Work and Its Rewards in a Changing America
Location and Time: Shaw Public Library, Greenville, 6:30 p.m. (the program is free, pre-registration required)
Contact: Karen M. Chandler (207) 695-3579

Let’s Talk About It is a free, library-based, facilitated book discussion program for adults who want to talk about what they’ve read, presented in collaboration with the Maine State Library with major support from the Betterment Fund and additional funding from the Maine Charity Foundation at the Maine Community Foundation.

For more information about the series


Oct 5 2009

Teacher Programs

July 12 – July 16, 2010

History Camp

“Through a Howling Wilderness”: Benedict Arnold and the Maine Frontier

Location and Time: Old Fort Western and Colburn House, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Contact: Anne Schlitt, Maine Humanities Council, 207-773-5051

History Camp is a one-week seminar for high school students who enjoy history. Each history camp theme is related to a Maine person, historical site, or event in United States history and is offered in collaboration with a history-related organization. Campers visit museums, archives, and historic sites; learn from the experts and ask questions; use primary source materials; and discuss the field of history as the gateway to many career options. History Camp is made possible through finding from the Dorothy Schwartz Opportunity Fund.


Oct 3 2009

Let’s Talk About It

July 12, 2010

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Series: Civil War Fiction: Perspectives on the Civil War
Location and Time: Princeton Town Hall, Princeton, 7:00 p.m. (the program is free, pre-registration required)
Contact: Donna Worden, 207-796-5333

Let’s Talk About It is a free, library-based, facilitated book discussion program for adults who want to talk about what they’ve read, presented in collaboration with the Maine State Library with major support from the Betterment Fund and additional funding from the Maine Charity Foundation at the Maine Community Foundation.

For more information about the series


Oct 2 2009

Teacher Programs

July 19 – 30, 2010

Teaching American History Through Biography

Summer Session, Cohort 1

Location and Time: Bowdoin College, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Contact: Anne Schlitt, Maine Humanities Council, 207-773-5051

Teaching American History Through Biography uses biography and related texts to explore the complex and engaging history of the United States. Funded through the US Department of Education and provided in partnership with selected Maine school districts, the program provides ongoing professional development for teachers of history, civics, and related topics.


Oct 1 2009

Let’s Talk About It

July 13, 2010

The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells

Series: The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today?
Location and Time: Wells Public Library, Wells, 6:15 p.m. (the program is free, pre-registration required)
Contact: Cheryl Dearman Mills, 207-646-4565

Let’s Talk About It is a free, library-based, facilitated book discussion program for adults who want to talk about what they’ve read, presented in collaboration with the Maine State Library with major support from the Betterment Fund and additional funding from the Maine Charity Foundation at the Maine Community Foundation.

For more information about the series


Sep 29 2009

Teacher Programs

July 13, 2010

Born To Read

Peaceable Stories training

Location and Time: YMCA Child Care Center, Nobleboro, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Contact: Marie Arnold, Midcoast RDC, 207-443-1690

Peaceable Stories is a statewide, six-hour training program for early childhood educators offering high-quality children’s books, accompanied by an Activity & Resource Guide, designed to stimulate meaningful conversations about conflict and peace. Participants read and discuss the books, and take part in related exercises and activities, in preparation for using the materials with young children. Born to Read is made possible through funding from the Helen and George Ladd Charitable Corporation, the Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust, We the People, Jane’s Trust, The Bingham Program, Virginia Hodgkins Somers Foundation and through private donations.