Program

Constance H. Carlson Prize

Honoring an individual, institution, or group in recognition of exemplary contributions to the public humanities in Maine.

Contact

Diane Magras
Director of Development
(207) 773-5051

Details

Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize

Sharing the Poetry of Maine’s Unheard Voices

May 1, 2017 | Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, News & Announcements

Gary Lawless, who was awarded the 2017 Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, has long worked to bring poetry and the creative process to the people of Maine.   Follow Gary as he shares poetry from Mainers of all backgrounds. Poems will be released monthly in Notes from an Open Book, the MHC’s e-newsletter, and collected below.    … Read more

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Maine poet to be honored for giving voice to refugees, disabled and homeless

Feb 21, 2017 | Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, News & Announcements, Press

Originally published in the Bangor Daily News on February 15, 2017 By Beth Brogan, Staff Writer “In March, the Maine Humanities Council will honor Lawless, 65, for decades contributing to public humanities — bringing poetry and voice to refugee communities, veterans and developmentally disabled adults, among others — and bestow on him the 2017 Constance… Read more

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Maine Humanities Council honors poet Gary Lawless

Nov 18, 2016 | Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, News & Announcements

Maine poet Gary Lawless will receive the 2017 Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize from the Maine Humanities Council. A resident of Nobleboro, Lawless owns and operates Gulf of Maine Books in Brunswick with his wife Beth Leonard. He is the editor and publisher of Blackberry Books and has had sixteen collections of his poetry published in the… Read more

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Angus King honors Donald Soctomah

Senator Angus King recognizes Donald Soctomah’s work

Apr 3, 2015 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, News & Announcements

Donald Soctomah is the recipient of the 2015 Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize. Mr. Soctomah serves as Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township in Maine. In that and other roles, he has worked to steward and protect native culture and lands through resource management, policy-making, teaching, and the promotion and… Read more

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Donald Soctomah Donald Soctomah rows a birch bark canoe with his son, also named Donald. The canoe was built based on a 21-foot Passamaquoddy canoe dating from 1850.

Committed to His Native Roots: Soctomah to Be Honored for Contributions

Mar 3, 2015 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, News & Announcements, Notes from an Open Book, Press

Executive Director Hayden Anderson was interviewed for an article in Indian Country Today highlighting Donald Soctomah, 2015 recipient of the Constance H. Carlson Prize. This is the Maine Humanities Council’s highest honor, and is awarded to an individual, institution, or group in recognition of exemplary contributions to public humanities in Maine. Here is an excerpt from Alysa… Read more

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Donald Soctomah

Donald Soctomah honored at 2015 Public Humanities Prize Luncheon

Jan 22, 2015 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, News & Announcements

2015 Prize Luncheon March 30, 2015 | 12:00pm | Richard E. Dyke Center at Husson University,  Bangor. During an awards luncheon on Monday, March 30, 2015, the MHC will present Donald Soctomah, tribal historian for the Passamaquoddy tribe, with the Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize. The Prize honors an individual, institution, or group in recognition… Read more

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Constance Carlson

Connie Carlson: A Memory from Nancy MacKnight

Oct 2, 2014 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, Newsletter

There are many firsts on Constance H. Carlson’s résumé. But her illustrious achievements and awards do not suggest the woman of wit and wisdom who was marvelous company. Connie was my cherished mentor when I first joined the Department of English at the University of Maine in 1972 and she was Dean of what was… Read more

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Constance Carlson

Constance H. Carlson: A Portrait By Trish Riley

Oct 2, 2014 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, Newsletter

By Trish Riley The Maine Humanities Council is dedicated to sustaining the power of the humanities to enrich, enliven, and leaven our lives. The Constance Carlson Prize was named for a woman who exemplified and promoted that mission. Constance Hedin Carlson grew up on the grounds of Bangor’s mental health hospital where her father was… Read more

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Donald Soctomah

Strong Candidates across the State

Oct 2, 2014 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, Newsletter

By Hayden Anderson The Maine Humanities Council created the Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize in 1998, and since then we have awarded the prize five times, most recently in 2010. The Prize is the highest honor the Council bestows, awarded to recognize an individual or organization for exemplary work in the public humanities benefiting… Read more

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Honoring Joe Conforti

May 4, 2011 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, Notes from an Open Book

By Diane Magras The room was packed at USM’s Glickman Library on April 2, 2010, which was hardly a surprise: the MHC was honoring USM’s Distinguished University Professor Joseph Conforti with the Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize. Joe is one of the top regional history scholars in New England, founder of USM’s American and New… Read more

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