a collection of notes from the Maine Humanities Council
It is with regret that the MHC announces its decision to cancel its program Coming to America: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Immigration, planned for October 29th in Ellsworth. Unfortunately, registration numbers were not sufficiently robust.
Many thanks to everyone who helped plan for the program.
Scotch immigrant family at Quebec, New York Public Library
Immigration has raised complex issues for Maine and America throughout history, affecting our society and our landscape. With new immigrants and refugees arriving every day, people continue to struggle with the profound and complicated changes that occur.
On October 29, the Maine Humanities Council will present Coming to America: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Immigration, a one-day conference in Ellsworth, that will explore the historic and contemporary challenges of immigration.
This conference will feature presentations by Professor Edward O’Donnell from the College of the Holy Cross, Professor Tomasz Herzog of University of Maine Presque Isle, and Ian Yaffe, Executive Director of Mano en Mano in Milbridge. The day will also include several break-out sessions to enable deeper conversation about specific topics.
The conference will take place from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm at the Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth. Register online or phone (207) 773-5051.
Little Dog and Duncan (poems by Kristine O’Connell George and illustrations by June Otani) records, through short poems, the friendship between two dogs and a little girl. At the start, Little Dog and the girl are excited to have Duncan, the neighbor’s dog, come to visit and stay with them, but, as with many of us, once Duncan’s family leaves, homesickness sets in. Throughout the rest of the poems, Duncan’s spirits are revived by Little Dog and the girl, and the poems chronicle their adventures through Duncan’s stay. George’s poems capture the relationships and emotions very well, and children will enjoy this introduction to poetry.
Recommended by Martina Duncan
The National Book Festival, a program of the Library of Congress, will take place on September 25th, 2010, on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Each state is represented at the Pavilion of the States, and Erik Jorgensen, the MHC’s Executive Director, will be at Maine’s for the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book, sharing great information about Maine’s literary scene with the thousands of festival goers. Each year, the MHC chooses one children’s book to share, and this year’s selection is Hardscrabble Harvest by Dahlov Ipcar. It is a wonderful look at the growing season in northern New England, the trials farming families endure, and a celebration of the culmination of the harvest over Thanksgiving dinner. With Ipcar’s beautiful, unique illustrations, it’s a must-read. For more information on the festival, please go to http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/.
Immigration represents opportunity for some, escape for others, and for many people, a threat. Throughout American history, immigrants have left their mark on this country, and continue to do so today. Coming to America: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Immigration, a one-day conference presented by the Maine Humanities Council, will explore the past, present and future of immigration in America and Maine, including discussions of the many challenges that surround the issue. Featured speakers include Professor Joseph Conforti of the University of Southern Maine, Professor Edward O’Donnell of the College of the Holy Cross, and Professor Greg Fahy of the University of Maine at Augusta, as well as others. This program will take place on April 30, 2010, from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm at the University of Southern Maine.
The Shoe Vendor, Cuba, ca. 1895–1920. Photo courtesy Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection, Library of Congress
“Cuban Exceptionalism: Reflections on Latin American History” is a MHC public symposium in Portland on December 4. This study of the island’s tensions and relationship with the United States, explored in part through Christina Garcia’s Dreaming in Cuban, will help participants see new sides of this angle of Latin American history. For more information, please check out our website.
David Greenham and Dennis Price make a point with a portrait. (Photo credit: Diane Hudson)
A major public event this fall for the MHC is our ongoing theater of ideas touring program, “As Maine Grows…”, a wacky presentation of the history of growth in Maine and what it means for our future. It was created and is being performed by the Theater at Monmouth’s David Greenham and Dennis Price, two very funny guys, and is happening all around the state through November. To find out more, visit our website.
Zora Neale Hurston at the New York Times Book Fair, Nov. 1937. Photo courtesy Library of Congress
On October 17, the MHC is presenting “Looking for Zora: the Many Lives of Zora Neale Hurston” at Bates College in Lewiston. This public symposium includes discussions of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston’s pivotal text that epitomizes many of the contrasts in her life. Please join us for a fascinating day.
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