News
Host a fall Discussion Project
Jun 8, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
Learn more and apply! View guidelines Prospective applicants can also register for one of our online information sessions. Fall 2021 Discussion Project meetings can be held online or in person. All in-person meetings must be held in accordance with the Maine CDC’s COVID-19 guidelines current at the time of the meeting. For the 2021 Discussion Project we’ve highlighted… Read more
CSLP Manual
Jun 2, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
2022 Theme: Oceans of Possibilities Order your 2022 CSLP Manual The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) collaborates with libraries to create an inclusive literacy based program that is enjoyable for all ages, provides a reproducible program with a unified theme, and shares resources and offers professional support. Read more
Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler
May 24, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
Drum roll, please! The winning book of the 2022 Readers Retreat Book Ballot is Octavia E. Butler’s Wild Seed! Thank you so much for casting your vote. We couldn’t be more excited to feature this book across our programming in the coming year and to explore it together at Readers Retreat 2022! Afrofuturism and Africanfuturism:… Read more
Readers Retreat 2022 Book Ballot
May 7, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
With so many strange and horrifying things happening in the world, so many things changing quickly for better and for worse, so many old patterns of power, disparity and oppression entrenched, and the future as uncertain as it always was, only feeling a little more so, what if we could turn to Afrofuturist and… Read more
Summer Discussion Project cohort
Apr 20, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | Discussion Project, News & Announcements
We’re thrilled to be offering the Discussion Project to a cohort of over 20 organizations and individuals throughout Maine! Augusta Adult Ed–Kennebec County Jail Maine Correctional Center Maine State Prison Mountain View Correctional Facility Resources for Organizing and Social Change Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center Debbie Khadraoui Anisa Khadraoui Maine Women’s Lobby Education Fund… Read more
Become a speaker
Apr 1, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Word in Your Library
We are working to build a cohort of speakers who live all over Maine, who have come to us from all walks of life. We’re looking for people who have deep experience and/or expertise and are eager to help the incredible people who live in our state explore complex topics, gain insight, and broaden… Read more
2021 Major Grant awards
Mar 25, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
MHC Major Grants support a variety of larger humanities projects such as exhibits, conferences, films, and other initiatives. $6,000 for “Untitled Margaret Moxa Project“– Center for Independent Documentary Funding will support writing and early stage production of the play, Moxa, written by Penobscot Nation diplomat and playwright, Maulian Dana. The play will shine a… Read more
New Poetry Express sites
Mar 12, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Poetry Express
We’re thrilled to be offering Poetry Express in 2021 to a cohort of five organizations throughout Maine! Special National Poetry Month Poetry Express Kick Off: To kick off 2021 Poetry Express we’ll have a special joint MSL/MHC National Poetry Month event in April (DATE TBD) featuring a collective of poets including MHC staff, partners, facilitators,… Read more
New World in Your Library sites
Mar 5, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Word in Your Library
We’re thrilled to be offering our Maine speaker program this spring/summer to a cohort of 13 organizations throughout Maine! Auburn Public Library Maine’s First Ship Maine Women’s Lobby Education Fund Mechanics’ Hall Monhegan Memorial Library Parsons Memorial Library Rockland Public Library Sebec Village Associates Stonington Public Library University of Maine at Augusta Katz Library Waterville… Read more
Read ME 2021 Libraries
Mar 5, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
This summer, libraries across Maine are participating in Read ME, a statewide summer read offered in partnership with Maine State Library. This summer’s program features Mill Town by Kerri Arsenault and Mainely Power by Matt Cost! Both books are recommended by Gerry Boyle, author of the Jack McMorrow mystery series. Bring Read ME to your library! 72 Participating Libraries Abbott Memorial Library Abel Morneault… Read more
Upcoming Events
Feb 12, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
Discussion Projects | Read ME | Poetry Express | World in Your Library Discussion Projects Windham Public Library Reading: Crossing Over: Contemporary American Indian Writers Wednesdays | 6 pm | 6/23 Naples Public Library & Casco Public Library Reading: A Matter of Trust Tuesdays | 6 pm | 6/29, 7/13, 7/27, 8/10 Springvale Public Library … Read more
Read ME 2021
Jan 25, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
Details All participating libraries showcase and make available two books (one fiction—Mainely Power by Matt Cost, one nonfiction—Mill Town by Kerri Arsenault ) recommended by Gerry Boyle, author of the Jack McMorrow mystery series. Participating libraries Participating library toolkit Registered libraries will receive their books via van delivery. Events Summer Program Kick-off on Maine Calling Friday |… Read more
Creating connections in the New Year
Jan 14, 2021 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
These days, all MHC programming is happening online. It’s been challenging but rewarding, connecting people from across the state as never before, bringing a platform of equality to our participants: No matter who you are or where you are, you’re welcome to join us. We’re looking forward to a year of creating meaningful connections, fostering… Read more
New Arts & Humanities Grant awards
Nov 17, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$892 for ArtWaves – Bar Harbor $1,000 for Bagaduce Music – Blue Hill $1,000 for Frannie Peabody Center – Portland $1,000 for International Community Center – Westbrook Read more
Spring Discussion Project cohort
Nov 16, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Discussion Project, News & Announcements
We’re thrilled to be offering the Discussion Project in the spring of 2021 to a cohort of 24 organizations throughout Maine! Brick Store Museum York Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library Oxford Curtis Memorial Library Cumberland Cushing Public Library Knox Erskine Academy Kennebec Anisa Khadraoui Cumberland Lincoln Memorial Public Library Washington Literacy Volunteers of Bangor Penobscot… Read more
Mini Grant awards | Summer 2020
Sep 3, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$1,000 for “125 Anniversary Programs” – Bangor Symphony Orchestra $1,000 for “Online Fall Shabbaton“ – Center for Small Town Jewish Life, Waterville $1,000 for “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” – Center Theatre, Inc., Dover-Foxcroft $1,000 for “Commons Conversations: Reaching Community“– Central Hall Commons, Dover-Foxcroft $630 for “Art of the Virginia“– Maine’s First… Read more
At the National Book Festival
Sep 1, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
As home of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book, the Maine Humanities Council has selected Samara Cole Doyon’s Magnificent Homespun Brown—a children’s book with a strong Maine connection—to feature at the 20th National Book Festival. Hosted by the Library of Congress, the National Book Festival is an annual celebration of books and reading,… Read more
Route 1 Reads
Aug 31, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
As home of Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book, the Maine Humanities Council is once again excited to participate in Route 1 Reads, a road trip-inspired reading list that explores various genres through the network of state Center for the Book affiliates located along Route 1. Our 2020 selection is Lizzy Bright and Buckminster… Read more
Current grant opportunities
Aug 28, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
Major Grants: $1,001 to $7,500 The Maine Humanities Council Major Grant program distributes funding to non-profit organizations in Maine for larger humanities programs and projects – things like exhibits, films, conferences, initiatives – that have broad public outreach. We are excited to support programs and projects with rich, well-developed humanities content, strong participation from a… Read more
Read ME author talks
Aug 6, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Library programs, News & Announcements
This year’s Read ME summer reading program features online talks by featured authors Jaed Coffin (Roughhouse Friday) and Patricia O’Donnell (The Vigilance of Stars). Both talks will be offered on Zoom and will also be streaming via Facebook Live on the Maine Humanities Council, Maine State Library, and participating library Facebook pages. Patricia O’Donnell | The Vigilance of… Read more
Become a facilitator
Aug 5, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
We are working to build a cohort of facilitators who live all over Maine, who have come to facilitating with us from all walks of life. We’re looking for people who love to engage with books, poems, and big ideas, and who are eager to discuss them with the incredible people who live in our… Read more
Fall Discussion Project cohort
Jul 27, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Discussion Project, News & Announcements
We’re thrilled to be offering our new Discussion Project this fall to a cohort of over 30 organizations throughout Maine! The current moment calls for great flexibility – and we’re eager to support people in Maine’s communities in ways that meet the needs they actually have, and that enable them to use the energy they… Read more
Requesting proposals for DEI strategy
Jun 30, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
Our core work at the Maine Humanities Council is to foster rich, meaningful discussion about the things that really matter. We cannot succeed in this work without making every effort against racism. And so it is with real excitement and hope and energy that we are inviting proposals from independent consultants who can help us… Read more
Working to be an anti-racist organization
Jun 22, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
Dear Friends, Early the week of June 1, the Maine Humanities Council released a public statement on the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer: “The recent acts of racist violence against Black people, including the murder of George Floyd, demonstrate the persistent widespread denial of Black humanity… Read more
Summer Discussion Project cohort
Jun 10, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Discussion Project, News & Announcements
We’re thrilled to be offering our Discussion Project to a cohort of over 30 organizations and individuals throughout Maine! The current moment calls for great flexibility – and we’re eager to support people in Maine’s communities in ways that meet the needs they actually have, and that enable them to use the energy they have in the… Read more
Connecting Maine Communities
May 5, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
The Maine Humanities Council is more committed than ever to supporting people in Maine’s communities as they find ways to connect meaningfully with each other amid great uncertainty and change by engaging with books, poetry, and big ideas. This moment requires great flexibility. We are keen to find ways to foster connection that is nourishing and… Read more
Remote-facilitation
May 5, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
We worked with virtual facilitation experts to develop a Zoom-facilitation skill-share that directly addressed needs and concerns that arise in discussions like ours – where participants’ engagement with a text and with each other are vital. In our skill-shares, participants: Worked with the MHC to be sure that they had what they needed in order… Read more
CARES Act Grants
Apr 24, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
The Maine Humanities Council is honored to support Maine non-profit humanities and cultural organizations that are facing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus. Nonprofit organizations include: museums, libraries, historic sites, preservation & historical societies, and community & cultural organizations with a significant humanities focus. Funding for these grants has been provided by the… Read more
2020 Major Grant awards
Apr 9, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$5,300 for “Century Saturdays: The Story or Maine“– Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk $1,300 for “Edible Landscape Project“– University of Maine Art Education, Orono $4,500 for “Freedom and Captivity“– Creative Portland $4,000 for “The History of Developmental Disabilities in Maine”– Maine Developmental Disabilities Council, Augusta $5,500 for “Kittery’s Tide History“ – Tide Mill Institute, Greene… Read more
Audio | Cedric Gael Bryant | Beloved
Apr 6, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Readers Retreat
Cedric Gael Bryant presents his talk Definitions, Definers, and the Defined: Literacy and Orality in Toni Morrison’s Beloved at Winter Weekend 2020. Bryant is the Lee Family Professor of English at Colby College. His talk was accompanied by dance and movement vignettes by René Goddess Johnson. Read more
Navigating the times ahead
Mar 25, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
This morning in Maine, much of what we know to be true about the value of bringing people together feels upended. Gatherings that in normal times are a sign and a source of community wellbeing now seem risky, the community vulnerable. And yet it’s clear that in this moment when physical distancing is necessary for… Read more
Book Groups update
Mar 25, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Book Groups, News & Announcements
In the days and weeks to come, we will be reaching out to partners and facilitators across the state to listen, learn, and share with them what we are learning. We’ll be developing new programming, hoping to make it as easy as we can for you to gather a group to discuss a text together… Read more
Audio | Carolyn Denard | Beloved
Mar 18, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Readers Retreat
Dr. Carolyn Denard presents her talk “Why Read Beloved in 2020?” at Winter Weekend 2020. Denard is the Chief Diversity Officer at Georgia College and Founder and Board Chair of the Toni Morrison Society. Read more
Register for Read ME 2020
Mar 6, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Library programs, News & Announcements
Read ME is a statewide community read that gets Maine adults all reading two books recommended by a well-known Maine author. For 2020, our recommending author Lily King has chosen Roughhouse Friday by Jaed Coffin and The Vigilance of Stars by Patricia O’Donnell. The summer reading season will culminate at the end of August with… Read more
Bicentennial library toolkit
Jan 31, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | Library programs, Maine at 200, News & Announcements
We believe Maine’s bicentennial presents a unique opportunity for Mainers to come together for meaningful commemoration, reflection, and engagement. And our libraries are important community hubs that bring people together to learn and grow and envision how life here should be. You play a vital – maybe even daunting – role in your community, and… Read more
2020 New Books, New Readers sites
Jan 24, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | New Books, New Readers, News & Announcements
Aroostook County Jail, Houlton | Migration & Borders Thursdays at 1:00pm | April 30 – May 21 Ellsworth Adult Education, Ellsworth | Suffrage Fridays at 1:00pm | January 24, February 28, March 27, and April 10 Knox County Homeless Coalition, Rockport | Carrying the Past Thursdays at 1:30pm | March 26 – April 16 LIFE… Read more
2020 Veterans Book Group sites
Jan 23, 2020 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Veterans
American Legion Post #1, Rockland Tuesdays at 5:30pm | January 21-28, February 11- 25 Lewiston Vet Center | Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston Wednesdays at 4:30pm | February 12 – March 18 Sanford Vet Center, Springvale Mondays at 3:30pm | April 20 – May 18, June 1 Washington County Adult Ed | St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church,… Read more
Mini Grant awards | Fall 2019
Dec 11, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$319 for “Art, Write, Now!” – RSU 24 Adult Education, Sullivan In partnership with Friend Memorial Library in Brooklin, RSU 24 Adult Education will exhibit “Inside Out” throughout December 2019. The exhibit is comprised of work that inmates created on a weekly basis throughout 2018 in the hopes that it be displayed for the public… Read more
New journalism book series for libraries
Dec 6, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Book Groups, Let's Talk About It, Library programs, News & Announcements
Where Are We, Anyway? Readings: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 paired with Jill Lepore’s “Does Journalism Have a Future?” (newyorker.com, January 28, 2019) More Than Fun and Games Readings: Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death paired with David Puttnam’s TED Talk (‘Duty of Care’ in the Media) and Tim Groseclose’s Q&A on freakonomics.com (August 8,… Read more
#GivingTuesday
Dec 3, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Maine at 200, News & Announcements
Maine’s bicentennial year is an invitation to take stock, to look back with new eyes at what’s already happened, to look around with renewed care at what’s happening now, and to grapple with big questions. Join the MHC on this #GivingTuesday to support rural programming in towns statewide celebrating and reflecting on what Maine’s bicentennial means… Read more
Maine at 200
Oct 21, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Maine at 200, News & Announcements
Maine’s bicentennial year is an invitation to take stock, to look back with new eyes at what’s already happened, to look around with renewed care at what’s happening now, and to grapple with big questions. We listened to communities around the state and chose four interrelated themes for our engagement with the bicentennial: Many Maines,… Read more
The Big Question
Oct 16, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Maine at 200, News & Announcements, The Big Question
At The Big Question, we jump started our year of inquiry, curiosity, and engagement with Maine’s bicentennial. We view Maine’s bicentennial year, just a few months away, as an invitation to take stock, to look back with new eyes at what’s already happened, to look around with renewed care at what’s happening now, and to… Read more
Audio | NEH Chairman Jon Peede
Sep 18, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, Maine at 200, News & Announcements
There’s something irresistible about an anniversary. Maine’s bicentennial, the centennial of women’s suffrage, the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence: All invite public commemoration. But what are we doing when we mark these anniversaries? Celebrating our past? Interrogating it? Something else entirely? Presented in partnership by the Maine Humanities Council,… Read more
NEH Announces $29 Million for 215 Humanities Projects Nationwide
Aug 14, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced $29 million in grants for 215 humanities projects across the country. “NEH grants help strengthen and sustain American cultural life, in communities, at museums, libraries, and historic sites, and in classrooms,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede. “As the nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary… Read more
Poetry Express on WERU
Aug 13, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Poetry Express
We’ve partnered with WERU Community Radio to broadcast recordings of selected Poetry Express readings! Tune in every Sunday morning at 9:30 am or visit the station’s archives to hear past airings. Poetry Express is a collaborative program with the Maine State Library, bringing Maine poetry and poets to communities. We partner with a local public… Read more
Mini Grant awards | Summer 2019
Aug 6, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$1,000 for “Bill of Rights Concert” – Youth Journalism International, Auburn $1,000 for “Community Reflections on Inclusion and Social Justice“ – Heart of Biddeford, Biddeford $1,000 for “Culinary Historian Michael Twitty Discusses ‘Kosher/Soul’” – Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, Portland $1,000 for “Environmental Writing as a Tool for Giving Voice to Marginalized Communities“– Sierra Club Maine, Portland $900… Read more
2019 Letters About Literature awards
Jun 12, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Letters About Literature, News & Announcements
Level 1 (grades 4-6) First Place: Maya Faulstich, Bangor, about Echo Second Place: Nestor Powers, Windsor, about The Parker Inheritance Finalists: Faizan Ahmad, Bangor, wrote about the book Harry Porter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Jack Brune, Windsor, wrote about the book Wonder Ethan Castonguay, Poland, wrote about the book Where the Red Fern Grows Lydia Desrochers, Alfred, wrote about… Read more
2019 Read ME libraries
Jun 6, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Library programs, News & Announcements
Over 70 libraries are participating in this summer’s Read ME, our statewide community read offered in partnership with Maine State Library. For 2019, recommending author Tess Gerritsen has chosen Paris Was the Place by Susan Conley and After the Eclipse: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Search. Participating libraries Alice. L. Pendleton Library Auburn Public Library Bangor Public Library Berwick Public… Read more
Audio | Gov. Mills honors Monica Wood
Jun 6, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, News & Announcements
On May 7, 2019, Maine author Monica Wood was awarded our 2019 Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize. In attendance was Governor Janet Mills, who honored Monica by delivering the event’s opening remarks. Hear the Governor’s remarks below. Read more
Book Registry
Jun 4, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Book Groups, Let's Talk About It, Library programs, News & Announcements
Search the book registry For over two decades, Let’s Talk About It has been at the core of the Maine Humanities Council’s library-based initiatives. A scholar-led reading and discussion program, Let’s Talk About It reaches at least 35 libraries throughout Maine each year. It’s a program known for delighting, inspiring, and educating participants. As one… Read more
Arts & Humanities Grant awards | Spring 2019
May 29, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$1,000 for “Design for Permanent Exhibit on Saint John Valley Folklore“– Association culturelle et historique du Mont-Carmel, Lille The Association culturelle du Mont-Carmel is creating a permanent exhibit focusing on the folk traditions of the Saint John Valley. Funds will be used to design the physical space for the exhibit which will be completed… Read more
2019 Veterans Book Group sites
Apr 17, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Veterans
For Women Veterans at University of Maine Augusta, Katz Library Fridays at 11:45am | February 1 – March 8 | Facilitated by Sarah Firth In the Maine State Prison Veterans Housing Unit Tuesdays at 1:30pm | February 5 – March 12 | Facilitated by Dr. Ellen Taylor Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick Wednesday at 6pm | … Read more
Book club a place for Veterans to open up
Apr 17, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Veterans
Originally published on March 28, 2019 by the Baltimore Sun By Patti Restivo “Coming together to read and discuss literature is healing, but it isn’t clinical. It’s social; but it isn’t merely social,” Bindas-Tenney wrote in an email. “For the veterans of Maine, this program is a unique and important opportunity to connect deeply with… Read more
Veterans Book Group awarded NEH grant of $98,779
Apr 12, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Veterans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For More Information: Jan Bindas-Tenney, Maine Humanities Council, 207-773-5051 April 12, 2019 PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Humanities Council has been awarded $98,779 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support Hard Journeys Home, a multi-session facilitated reading and discussion program for justice-involved Veterans in Maine. Beginning in August 2019, the… Read more
2019 Poetry Express sites
Mar 29, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Poetry Express
Belfast Free Library with Belfast’s new Poet Laureate Arielle Greenberg June 18, 2019 Themes: Home, Shelter, and Development New Vineyard Public Library with poet Margaret Yocom August 14, 2019 Themes: Natural landscape, Community, and Abandonment Liberty Library with poet Ellen Taylor September 23, 2019 Themes: The Natural World, Tools, and Small Town Life Auburn Public… Read more
NEH Announces $28.6 Million for 233 Humanities Projects Nationwide
Mar 28, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, News & Announcements, Veterans
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced $28.6 million in grants for 233 humanities projects across the country. “These new NEH-supported projects will help shore up the nation’s most valuable assets: its history, literature, historic sites, regional traditions, and cultural institutions,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede. “NEH is proud to support the advancement… Read more
2019 Major Grant awards
Mar 27, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$3,800 for “A Celebration of Local Native American History, Culture, and Heritage“– Presque Isle Community Development Association In recognition of National Native American Heritage Month, Presque Isle Community Development Association is partnering with the Arookstook band of Micmacs, the City of Presque Isle, and other local organizations to celebrate the local Native American Tribe with a… Read more
Imagine Maine’s Story
Mar 12, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Library programs, News & Announcements
Inspired by the Collaborative Summer Library Program, Imagine Maine’s Story is a collection of Maine bicentennial program ideas and resources for all ages to support libraries of all sizes in their goals to bring the celebration of Maine’s statehood into their communities. MHC and the Maine State Library have partnered in representing Maine’s libraries as… Read more
Honoring Monica Wood
Mar 5, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize, News & Announcements
Monica receives the 2019 Constance H. Carlson Public Humanities Prize for her commitment to Maine communities, her support of Maine libraries, and all that she does to support and nourish the literary and cultural life of the State. Read more
Read ME 2019
Feb 28, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Library programs, News & Announcements
Read ME is a statewide community read that gets Maine adults all reading two books recommended by a well-known Maine author. For 2019, recommending author Tess Gerritsen has chosen Paris Was the Place by Susan Conley and After the Eclipse: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Search by Sarah Perry. The season will culminate on August 29 with an… Read more
2019 New Books, New Readers sites
Feb 6, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | New Books, New Readers, News & Announcements
Ellsworth Adult Education- Shoes of Another February 27, March 27, April 24 at 9:30AM SAD 1 Adult Education, Presque Isle- What It Takes March 12, April 9, May 14 at 9AM RSU 19 Adult Education, Newport- Shoes of Another February 26, March 26, April 30 at 5:30PM Kittery Adult Education- Caught Between Cultures February 26, March 26, April 30 at 6PM… Read more
Bicentennial or Bust
Jan 28, 2019 | By Maine Humanities | Maine at 200, News & Announcements
2020 marks the 200th anniversary of Maine’s statehood. This bicentennial moment provides a unique opportunity for communities all over the state to think about their history, how it has shaped the way we live here now, and how we might collectively envision the future of our state. Thank you for joining us in Hermon… Read more
Journalism Grant awards | Fall 2018
Nov 13, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$1,825 for “All the President’s Men: Discussions on Journalism and Democracy”– Center Theatre for the Performing Arts, Dover-Foxcroft Supports book and film discussions of All The President’s Men for adults and high school students in Dover-Foxcroft. Three high school classes at Foxcroft Academy and an adult reading group from Thompson Free Library will each discuss the book independently… Read more
Arts & Humanities Grant awards | Fall 2018
Nov 13, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$1,000 for “Content and Context: Connecting Art to Time and Place“– Maine Jewish Film Festival, Portland Speakers will lead discussion on two films at the 2019 Maine Jewish Film Festival, focusing on the relationship of the arts to the social and historical context in which it was created. $1,000 for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in… Read more
Audio | Tim Peltason | The Way We Live Now
Nov 7, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, News & Announcements, Readers Retreat
Professor of English at Wellesley College, Timothy Peltason writes and teaches on nineteenth and twentieth-century British and American literature and Shakespeare. His essays on Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, focuses on its relationship to Wilde’s life, its origins in earlier Victorian literature, and its extraordinary afterlife in 20th and 21st century literature and culture. He… Read more
Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith shares her poems with Lewiston
Nov 6, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
Originally published on November 1, 2018 in the Sun Journal. By Jon Bolduc, Staff Writer “Smith visited the Lewiston library as part of her project ‘American Conversations: Celebrating Poems in Rural Communities.’ She read personal poems from her newest book, ‘Wade in the Water,’ and several poems that she selected from her new poetry anthology titled ‘American… Read more
U.S. poet laureate to visit Maine
Oct 31, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements
Originally published on October 30, 2018 in the Portland Press Herald By Bob Keyes, Staff Writer “Smith, the 22nd U.S. poet laureate, will visit Maine this week as part of her ongoing project ‘American Conversations: Celebrating Poems in Rural Communities.’ She will talk about the power of poetry at 1 p.m. Thursday at Norway Memorial… Read more
Audio | Declan Kiely | The Way We Live Now
Oct 1, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, News & Announcements, Readers Retreat
Declan Kiely is the Director of Exhibitions at New York Public Library where he oversees exhibitions at the iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. He was most recently the Robert H. Taylor Curator at the Morgan Library and Museum and Head of its Department of Literary and Historical Manuscripts. During this time he curated major exhibitions focusing… Read more
Mini Grant awards | Fall 2018
Sep 13, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$867 for “Exploring the Complexities of Racism” – York Public Library, York $867 for “Intersections of History and Community” – Maine Jewish Film Festival, Portland $867 for “A Doll’s House Part II: What Does the Door Slam Heard All Around the World Sound Like Now?” – Everyman Repertory Theatre, Rockport $900 for “Animal Farm Presentation and Workshop” – Chocolate Church Arts Center,… Read more
The sterling silver path to philanthropy
Sep 5, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Blog
Seventy is one of those “zero year” birthdays that sneaks up and surprises! Many find 70 a freeing age with more time to focus on cherished life goals such as family, friends, pursuing passions, and supporting causes that inspire us. Yet, while life in the “silver lane” can be grand, for many it is downright… Read more
2018 Letters About Literature awards
Jun 5, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Letters About Literature, News & Announcements
2018 Awards Level 1 (grades 4-6) First Place: Jasmine Lockwood, SeDoMoCha Middle School, about Too Tought to Hurt Second Place: Aelia Russell, Center for Teaching and Learning, about Because of Mr. Terupt Semifinalists: Olivia Bean, Daniel F. Mahoney Middle School, about Out of My Mind Abigail Bergmark, Mary Snow School, about Hello, Universe Ruth Burchstead, Center for Teaching and Learning, about I… Read more
2018 Letters About Literature: Sylvette Dupé-Vété-Congolo
May 18, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Letters About Literature, News & Announcements
Entry from the 2018 Letters About Literature competition Dear Ms. Angie Thomas, I am a fourteen-year-old Maine ninth grader. Since elementary school, I have heard comments about who I am intrinsically: “Can I touch your hair?”, “What the heck do you ha ve on your head?” Even a teacher told me once that he could… Read more
2018 Letters About Literature: Olivia Martin
May 18, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Letters About Literature, News & Announcements
Entry from the 2018 Letters About Literature competition Dear Shannon Hale, Reading the book Dangerous was like riding a roller coaster of emotions. One book allowed me to pursue dreams, survive danger, have hope, grieve losses, and endure pain. All of these things I felt by embodying Maisie Brown through your words. Before reading your… Read more
2018 Letters About Literature: Jasmine Lockwood
May 18, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Letters About Literature, News & Announcements
Entry from the 2018 Letters About Literature competition Dear Mary Lou Carney, “She must hate me. Really hate me.” I have parent problems, just like Garren. If you are anything like me you know life can be hard at times, but you can always get through them. If you have ever been abused like I… Read more
Arts & Humanities Grant awards | Spring 2018
May 14, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$750 for “Bridgton at 250: Music of the Times“– Bridgton Historical Society, Bridgton As part of its season long commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Bridgton’s settlement, the Bridgton Historical Society is partnering with the Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival to present an informal concert of music from the period of settlement. The concert will be held… Read more
Audio | Grappling with questions
May 8, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, News & Announcements, The Big Question, The Big Question
Each year, on the third Saturday of October, The Big Question brings people together with expert guides to grapple with question. In 2017, we asked the question “How can we know?” Listen to MHC Program Officer Meghan Reedy talk to folks about how they know things in the work they do. As you listen, you may… Read more
Mini Grant awards | Spring 2018
Apr 13, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$500 for “Beholdings: Making Connections with Collections” – Mount Desert Island Historical Society, Mount Desert Through an assortment of objects representing different eras, events, and personae in the island’s history, Mount Desert Island Historical Society will engage the public in an exploration of cultural history extending from southern New England to the outer islands in the Gulf of Maine…. Read more
2018 Major Grant awards
Mar 20, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | Grants Program, News & Announcements
$2,300 for “Community Conversations“– Center for Small Town Jewish Life, Waterville “Community Conversations” will bring together Waterville’s faith and community leaders with Colby College faculty and students to talk about political and social issues of common concern. The format will feature two thought leaders, one from the field of Jewish Studies and one from another civic leadership… Read more
War veterans use ancient epics to cope
Mar 15, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Veterans
Originally published on March 14, 2018 by the Associated Press By Wilson Ring “Homer isn’t just for student veterans. Discussion groups are also being offered at veterans centers in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The Maine Humanities Council has sponsored sessions for veterans incarcerated at Maine’s Kennebec County jail, as well as for other veterans.” Full… Read more
Audio | Birds and citizen science
Feb 6, 2018 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, The Big Question, The Big Question
Each year, on the third Saturday in October, The Big Question brings people together with expert guides to grapple with a question. In 2017, the question we asked ourselves was ‘How can we know?’ One of the most exciting things about asking this question was getting to talk with all sorts of people about how… Read more
Audio | Violence & Belonging series
Oct 3, 2017 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, Library programs, News & Announcements
“Violence & Belonging: The 14th Amendment and American Literature” is a Let’s Talk About It book and discussion series that addresses issues of diversity, identity, and inequality. For many Americans, the promises of citizenship fall short of reality, and the books in this series remind us that the more expansive version of American citizenship brought… Read more
Audio | 20th anniversary Winter Weekend
Jul 5, 2017 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, News & Announcements, Readers Retreat
In this audio story we visit the 20th annual Winter Weekend, held March 10-11, 2017, at Bowdoin College. Read more
Audio | Khaled Fahmy | Palace Walk
Jun 6, 2017 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, News & Announcements, Readers Retreat
Khaled Fahmy is a Professor of History at the American University in Cairo. With a BA in Economics, an MA in Political Science from AUC and a DPhil in History from the University of Oxford, Fahmy taught for five years at Princeton University, then for eleven years at New York University before joining AUC in… Read more
Sharing the Poetry of Maine’s Unheard Voices
May 1, 2017 | By Maine Humanities | 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
Audio | Buckfield Civil Rights and Street Art
Apr 21, 2017 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, News & Announcements, Schools and Students
In this story, we visit Buckfield Junior-Senior High School. Supported by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council, their Civil Rights Team hosted Portland-based artist Pigeon for a discussion on identity, belonging, and street art. Read more
Don’t Let Anyone Tell You the Humanities Aren’t Worth the Cost
Mar 6, 2017 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, News & Announcements
This Maine Voices op-ed by MHC Executive Director Hayden Anderson appeared in the Portland Press Herald on March 4, 2017. The National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities are again under fire in Washington, reportedly targeted for elimination in the Trump administration’s upcoming budget proposal. Let’s be clear: this move… Read more
Looking Back on “Civil Rights Through Art & Law”
Jan 31, 2017 | By Maine Humanities | 14th Amendment, News & Announcements
Portland’s Knack Factory has produced a series of videos on Civil Rights Through Art & Law, our summer 2016 partnership with the University of Maine School of Law and Portland Museum of Art. As part of The 14th Amendment in American Life and Imagination, the MHC’s statewide programming that explored concepts of equality, citizenship, and… Read more
Audio | Reza Jalali | Palace Walk
Jan 27, 2017 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, News & Announcements, Readers Retreat
A Muslim scholar, educator, and writer, he is the coordinator of multicultural student affairs at the University of Southern Maine and advises Muslim students at Bowdoin College. His most recent work includes the 2013 book Homesick Mosque and Other Stories as well as the 2015 play The Poets and the Assassin, which offers historic and contemporary… Read more
The Trickle-Down of Winter Weekend
Dec 20, 2016 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Winter Weekend
By Diane Magras, Director of Development Claire Moriarty and Jim Bulteel, members of Orono High School’s English Department (with Erika Dixon, Amanda Johnston, Don Joseph, and Chris Luthin), are among a group of educators who have, in various combinations, attended Winter Weekend for the past 15 years. For years, I’ve heard about these teachers… Read more
Audio | Maine’s Civil Rights Teams
Sep 13, 2016 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, Schools and Students
On Monday, May 23, 2016, over 500 students and teachers gathered at the Augusta Civic Center for the Civil Rights Team Project State Conference. Hosted by the Office of the Maine Attorney General, the conference was the first event of its kind since 2010. In addition to schools attending from across the state, the event… Read more
How I Learned to Read the Odyssey
Aug 29, 2016 | By Maine Humanities | News & Announcements, Veterans
A colleague of mine once claimed that an epic poem is best understood as an extended meditation on a theme. I liked the idea and immediately tried to identify the themes of my favorites. Homer’s Iliad was easy: it’s an extended meditation on war. Virgil’s Aeneid can be read as an extended meditation on empire…. Read more
Audio | Isabel Alvarez-Borland | One Hundred Years of Solitude
Jun 3, 2016 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, Readers Retreat
Isabel Alvarez-Borland, Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities in the Department of Spanish at the College of the Holy Cross, examines of the role of language and identity in One Hundred Years of Solitude at Winter Weekend 2016. Her books include Cuban-American Literature of Exile: From Person to Persona (1999) and Discontinuidad y ruptura en Guillermo… Read more
The conversation about equality in Maine is just getting started
May 16, 2016 | By Maine Humanities | 14th Amendment, News & Announcements
Originally published in the Bangor Daily News on May 15, 2016 By Hayden Anderson “Equality is a bedrock American value, yet somehow it feels like we’re not very good at it. From the founding to the present day, we have always talked pretty well about equality while falling well short of the ideal. It’s worth… Read more
Audio| Matthew Pettway | One Hundred Years of Solitude
Apr 13, 2016 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, Readers Retreat
Matthew Pettway completed his doctorate in Hispanic Cultural Studies at Michigan State University in June 2010. Dr. Pettway joined the faculty at Bates College in August of the same year where he serves as Assistant Professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies and is affiliated with the African-American Studies program. Professor Pettway examines the African… Read more
Audio | Allen Wells | One Hundred Years of Solitude
Apr 4, 2016 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, Readers Retreat
Allen Wells discusses “Interpreting the Past through the Prism of the Present: The Banana Strike, La Violencia, and the Cuban Revolution’s Impact on García Márquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude”. Allen Wells is the Roger Howell, Jr. Professor of History at Bowdoin College. His scholarship focuses on modern Mexican history, especially Yucatán, the history of… Read more
Audio | Ilan Stavans | One Hundred Years of Solitude
Mar 22, 2016 | By Maine Humanities | Audio, Readers Retreat
Professor Ilan Stavans was the keynote speaker at Winter Weekend 2016. He is the Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College where his teaching interests include popular culture in Hispanic America, world Jewish writers, and the cultural history of the Spanish language. Read more
Audio | Reza Jalali | Muslim in America
Dec 30, 2015 | By Maine Humanities | Audio
MHC Board Member Reza Jalali discusses the lives of Muslims in the U.S. and gives an overview of Islam, a faith practiced by many of our neighbors. This talk was recorded on December 16, 2015 at Portland Public Library. A Muslim scholar, educator, and writer, he is the coordinator of multicultural student affairs at the University… Read more
Inspired Design: Fabrics and Fashion at Victoria Mansion
May 29, 2015 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Grants Program
Picture the sumptuous, elaborate decorations that you associate with Victorian-era architecture and design. Now, picture work by modern designers. These two worlds seem vastly separate—in materials, motives, and tastes. But a recent partnership between Victoria Mansion and the Maine College of Art’s [MECA] Textile and Fashion Design department proved that one era of art can… Read more
“Maine Indian Basketry” at Maine Fiberarts
May 29, 2015 | By Maine Humanities | Blog, Grants Program
Housed in what was once a 1840s bank, the Maine Fiberarts gallery in Topsham forms a beautiful setting for their current exhibition, “Maine Indian Basketry,” supported by the MHC through an Arts & Humanities grant and a Community Outreach grant. Executive Director Christine Macchi described this exhibition as a departure from the usual fiber artwork… Read more
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
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
