Maine Humanities Council

A MHC scholar/facilitator recently shared this story of a New Books, New Readers group she works with in Biddeford:

I have observed over time that participants in the Parenting Program (age range potentially 16-60) become a support for each other.  They check on who is missing, who is in the hospital with diabetes, who needs a ride, etc. entirely separate from the two teachers. Participants report when they read a New Books, New Readers book to their kids and what the kids thought, when their kids use one for a report. New Books, New Readers can’t claim all the credit for this support, but the stories shared and issues discussed do bring them together as well as the classes they take in parenting.

These kinds of sharing would not occur without an ongoing relationship between “scholar” and participants.  One of the phrases the mother uses in the book Beatrice’s Goat is “First Things First;” many of these participants have learned how to decide and act on what is most important for them and for their children the hard way. But they share and joke with each other about their experiences through the medium of the books we discuss.

Welcome to Anne Schlitt, Teacher Program Officer, who joined the MHC in September as a staff member for the Born to Read and Teaching American History programs. Born and raised in Michigan, Anne studied history at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. After graduation, she moved to Japan, where she taught English to high school students for three years on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. Being overseas allowed Anne to enjoy travel adventures in Indonesia, Australia, and Egypt as well as in Japan. She then went on to receive a Master’s degree in medieval history at St. Peter’s College, Oxford before returning to the U.S. to work as a writer, editor, and web producer for various companies such as Britannica (Chicago), Kaplan University (New York City), and Tom’s of Maine. Anne also holds a Masters in Library Science from Syracuse University and enjoys dabbling in archival work whenever she can. Anne, her partner Erick, and their daughter Willow enjoy hiking, photography, cooking, and, of course, reading. We are delighted to have her among the staff.

Zora Neale Hurston, 1938, Photo by Carl Van Vechten from the Library of Congress

Zora Neale Hurston once criticized Richard Wright for not representing “authentic black speech, real emotion, and real life” in his work. She worked meticulously to make her own work glow with such aspects, from holding formal interviews to working a hot dog stand so that she could hear how real people talk. Hurston wanted to show everyone how African Americans really were, and how, despite the segregation laws of her day, they were truly people. Yet after her death in 1973, Hurston lay in an unmarked grave overgrown with leggy grass. Her books were out of print. All that her life and efforts had shared with the world seemed swept away by forgetfulness.

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On November 18, 2009, Portland author Philip Hoose received a National Book Award for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice.  The MHC funded a project based on his book. See the “Celebrating the Story of Claudette Colvin” post from October 29 for more details.