Home of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book · at the recommendation of Josephine Detmer Judy...
Transcript of Home of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book · at the recommendation of Josephine Detmer Judy...
Hom
e of
th
e H
arri
et P
. Hen
ry C
ente
r fo
r th
e B
ook
2 0 0 6 - 2 0 0 7 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T
CONTENTS Special Program Updates from around the State 2
Inspiring a Love of Reading:Programs that bring books and ideas to life for audiences new to reading Born to Read 4 New Books, New Readers 6
Learning from Literature in the Workplace:Programs for professionals
Literature & Medicine: 8 Humanities at the Heart of Health Care® MHC Teacher Programs 10
Including One and All:Programs that enrich the lives of general audiences
Let’s Talk About It 12
MHC Grants 14
Special Programs
Taxing Maine 18
Letters About Literature 20
Reaching across Maine in 2006 & 2007
Financials 21
Mission back cover
I need to add 2007.
Front cover: bottom left, Allen Sockabasin storytelling during the Humanities Fest; bottom right, a rapt audience at the Humanities Fest.
photos: diane hudson
BORN TO READ
LET’S TALK ABOUT IT
LITERATURE & MEDICINE
NEW BOOKS, NEW READERS
TEACHER PROGRAMS
COMMUNITY SEMINARS
TAXING MAINE (2006)
GRANTS
POPULATION DENSITY
bothyears
2006 or2007
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GRANT
AND PROGRAM
ACTIVITY
*schools served
*
It is with pleasure that we present this report to our friends, partners, and contributors.
We hope that you will find it interesting to see the breadth of the MHC’s work, and the
extent of our impact around Maine in 2006 and 2007.
This year, we are trying something new as we move from an annual to a biennial report
format. This will not only conserve paper and energy, but by saving almost 40% over
the cost of two annual reports, will free more of our resources to support our programs
and services, the real work of the MHC.
And that work is exciting indeed! The last two years have been extraordinarily busy,
as we’ve had a leadership transition, celebrated our 30th anniversary, and mounted
a number of new programs, including public symposia on literature and history. We also
commissioned Taxing Maine, a play about the history of taxation in our state, that traveled
to 34 venues in Maine and won three national awards. In addition, we’ve maintained our
full range of ongoing community-based programs and grant-making activities. I think
that this report will provide at least a snapshot of these activities, what they are, and how
they link together in our effort to bring the power and pleasure of ideas to audiences
of all kinds in every corner of Maine.
The strength of this programming has translated to strength in our fundraising, and
we’re grateful that the MHC continues to attract support from one of the most diversified
funding bases of any of our 56 sister organizations across the country. In this report, you’ll
find lists of the many individuals, families, foundations, and corporations who have chosen
to support our organization. We want to particularly acknowledge the many people who
contributed in 2006 to the Dorothy Schwartz Opportunity Fund, developed in honor
of Deedee on the occasion of her retirement. That new fund has already begun to provide
us with resources for some exciting new ventures, now in the planning stage.
Thanks to all of you for your support, your involvement, and your commitment
to our work.
Erik Jorgensen
Executive Director
674 Brighton Avenue Portland, Maine 04102-1012 T 207-773-5051 F 207-773-2416 [email protected] www.mainehumanities.org
A LETTER
FROM THE
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
GR
AS
SR
OO
TS
G
IVIN
GM
aine
Hum
aniti
es C
ounc
il A
nnua
l Fun
d
mem
bers
mak
e a
diffe
renc
e fo
r pe
ople
ac
ross
Mai
ne, s
hari
ng t
he g
ift o
f ide
as
and
book
s in
com
mun
ities
with
sca
rce
re
sour
ces.
The
y in
spir
e th
e ex
chan
ge
of p
ersp
ectiv
es t
hat
lead
MH
C c
onst
ituen
ts
to a
bet
ter
unde
rsta
ndin
g of
the
mse
lves
, on
e an
othe
r, an
d th
e w
orld
. MH
C m
embe
rs
enri
ch t
he s
tate
by
supp
ortin
g th
e pr
ogra
ms
de
scri
bed
in t
his
repo
rt. W
e ar
e gr
atef
ul
for
thei
r ge
nero
sity
. If y
ou w
ould
like
to
beco
me
an
MH
C m
embe
r, pl
ease
fill
out
the
encl
osed
en
velo
pe, o
r co
ntac
t D
iane
Mag
ras,
D
irec
tor
of D
evel
opm
ent,
at 2
07-7
73-5
051,
or
dia
ne@
mai
nehu
man
ities
.org
. To
all
of o
ur m
embe
rs: T
hank
you
. Yo
u re
ally
do
mak
e a
diffe
renc
e.
The
list
tha
t fo
llow
s re
pres
ents
gift
s
to t
he M
HC
rec
eive
d in
the
200
6 &
200
7
fisca
l yea
rs (
Nov
embe
r 1,
200
5, t
hrou
gh
Oct
ober
31,
200
7).
Key:
* D
onor
s w
ho s
uppo
rted
New
Boo
ks, N
ew R
eade
rs**
Don
ors
who
sup
port
ed B
orn
to R
ead
20
06
A
NN
UA
L FU
ND
MH
C C
ircl
e ’0
6A
nony
mou
sPe
ter
J. A
iche
rR
icha
rd E
. Bar
nes
& S
andr
a A
rmen
trou
tC
arol
M. B
eaum
ier
The
Gen
e R
. Coh
en C
hari
tabl
e Fo
unda
tion
Div
ersi
fied
Com
mun
icat
ions
at t
he r
ecom
men
datio
n of
Jose
phin
e D
etm
erJu
dy &
Al G
lickm
anBa
rbar
a G
oodb
ody
Dou
glas
Gre
enM
arth
a S.
Hen
ryT
he Je
wis
h C
omm
unal
Fun
dT
heod
ora
J. Ka
likow
Mr.
& M
rs. W
illia
m K
now
les
Linc
oln
F. &
Glo
ria
Will
iam
s La
ddLo
is S.
Lam
din
Rob
ert
McA
rthu
rSa
rah
S. M
each
amM
ertz
Gilm
ore
Foun
datio
n
at
the
reco
mm
enda
tion
of P
atri
cia
Ram
say
2 M H C
IS IT WORTH
LOSING YOUR SOUL
TO WIN
AN ELECTION?
FALL WEEKEND
Offered with support from We the People, a program
of the National Endowment for the Humanities
This question seems particularly relevant in 2008, but was just as important in 2007 when the MHC presented A Good Book on a Fall Day in October. This new lecture and discussion program revolved around Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men. Inspired by Louisiana politician Huey Long, the story follows Willie Stark, a smooth-tongued populist obsessed by his ambition to become President. Distinguished scholars presented on a variety of topics. Speakers included Ray Arsenault (University of South Florida) on the connection between Huey Long and Willie Stark, Tricia Welsch (Bowdoin College) on American politics in films, and Joseph Wensink (Brandeis University) on the limits of political idealism. The day ended with a bourbon tasting and a gala Southern dinner overlooking Portland from the University of Southern Maine’s Glickman Library. These talks and more are available as podcasts on www.mainehumanities.org.
INTENSE
HUMANITIES
EXPERIENCES
COMMUNITY SEMINARS & WINTER WEEKEND
Scholar-led discussions can be powerful, and two MHC programs make the most of what a small group and big books can offer. Not all the books offered in Community Seminars (held in Portland, Falmouth, Augusta, Bangor, and Camden for 25 participants) are physically big, but they are, more often than not, challenging in other respects. Participants find this delightful, and discussions examine books with vigor and insight. Dinner before the discussion adds to the experience.
Winter Weekend has been a tradition for more than a decade. Over 125 people gather at Bowdoin College in Brunswick for a two-day extravaganza of lectures around a very big book (in 2006, it was Swann’s Way; in 2007, The Canterbury Tales). Speakers include experts in their fields on some aspect relating to the book, including translation, art, a history, and music. The diversity of presenters rounds out the experience.
Left
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ities
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| R
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B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 3
A CELEBRATION
HUMANITIES FEST
In 2006, for its 30th anniversary, the MHC went all out and offered, in addition to its regular programs, a one-day lecture series and humanities celebration at Bates College in Lewiston: the Humanities Fest. The 25 presenta-tions included such diverse topics as Walt Whitman and the Civil War, Power and Idealism in Imperial Greece and Rome, Money and the English Novel, and Ordinary People or Willing Perpetrators: Free Will and Coercion in Nazi Germany. The speakers were scholars from Maine’s universities and colleges who had participated in MHC programs in the past, and who kindly donated their time for this event. In addition, the MHC offered a storytelling program with Ashley Bryan and Allen Sockabasin at the Franco-American Heritage Center—and a free, authentic Somali lunch. At both sites, birthday cake for the MHC closed activities and delighted children and adults alike.
HUMANITIES
ON DEMAND?
YOU BET!
HUMANITIES PODCASTS
Humanities on Demand started as a dream several years ago as staff members pondered how to share MHC programs with a wider audience, and capture the exciting but otherwise ephemeral experience of these humanities events.
In 2006, the National Endowment for the Humanities made this dream a reality for the MHC with a Digital Humanities Start-Up grant. In 2007, the MHC was poised to go ahead with an exciting new initiative that would place humanities-based talks and lectures on www.mainehumanities.org. This would let Mainers in all communities have a powerful humanities experience…on demand.
With the click of a button, Humanities on Demand now puts the humanities at your fingertips. Available as audio files that work on any computer, the first programs included interviews with Maine writers from the MHC’s Maine Writers Speak compact disc (released in 2006 in celebration of the MHC’s 30th anniversary, it includes interviews with Richard Ford, Richard Russo, and Monica Wood, among others). The Portland Public Library’s Brown Bag Lecture Series, featuring popular, fascinating, and unusual authors swiftly followed. Humanities on Demand offers talks on books, writing, history and more, and is updated every month.
Left
: Aud
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e m
embe
rs a
t th
e H
uman
ities
Fes
t. R
ight
: Alle
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son
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& Jo
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Cam
& B
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Old
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| D
anie
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| P
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Dr.
& M
rs. H
arol
d O
sher
(T
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Fun
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Mai
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Mar
cy &
Leo
nard
Pla
vin
| St
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n J.
Podg
ajny
Kenn
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Rea
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Ric
k R
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Ric
hard
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tric
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. Rile
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Pet
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chw
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M. J
ane
Ros
enfie
ld |
Sus
an R
usse
llSc
ott
& Jo
an S
amue
lson
| P
atri
cia
Sanb
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Susa
n S.
Sau
nder
s |
Edw
ina
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onro
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Ann
Sch
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| J
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lizab
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4 M H C
A LOVE OF READINGPROGRAMS THAT BRING BOOKS AND IDEAS TO LIFE FOR AUDIENCES NEW TO READING
Above: Lisa Nadeau and two children in her care enjoy a morning read. photo: diane magras
Opposite: Illustration by Lisa Jahn-Clough from the Peaceable Stories Activity & Resource Guide.
Offered with support from Anthem Blue Cross and
Blue Shield, Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust, Frances R.
Dewing Foundation, Female Samaritan Association,
Maine Office of Child Care & Head Start, Mainestream
Fund at the Maine Community Foundation, Mertz
Gilmore Foundation, Frances Hollis Brain Foundation,
Hudson Foundation, Helen & George Ladd Charitable
Corp., Morton-Kelly Foundation, Orchard Foundation,
Rines/Thompson Fund at the Maine Community
Foundation, Simmons Foundation, Target Charitable
Foundation, and TD Banknorth Foundation…
In 2007, Borders, Inc. contacted the MHC with an offer
to promote Born to Read with a book drive in its three
Maine stores. Staff at Borders stores in South Portland,
Brunswick, and Bangor explained what Born to Read
does and encouraged customers to add a children’s book
like The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf to their
purchases. Thanks to this generous effort, and to the
enthusiasm of Borders staff, Born to Read received
3,220 books for its Peaceable Stories initiative, as well
as a $1,837 gift from Borders in support of the program!
BORN TO READ
“Looking very carefully at books, especially the few that did not appeal to me at first, helped me to see things
in new perspectives in order to facilitate learning for myself and the children
in my classroom.”– an early childhood educator who
attended a Peaceable Stories training.
Born to Read provides valuable early literacy experiences for children birth through age five through programs for the professionals who provide their care. Born to Read ’s goal has always been to ensure that Maine children five and under are read to daily by a caring adult. To that end, Born to Read holds training sessions, seminars, and conferences for early childhood educators, volunteer readers in child care programs, and others who work closely with young children. Born to Read ’s programs put great emphasis on preparing children not just for school, but for lifelong learning.
In 2006 & 2007: Born to Read trainings reached 1,262 caregivers in 535 childcare classrooms, and gave them 12,972 books to share with more than 12,000 children.
INS
PIR
ING
Geo
rge
L. S
hinn
, PhD
| I
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mal
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| H
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Mr.
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rs. A
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blen
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reg
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lin |
Kar
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arro
w, M
D |
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Eric
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Her
bert
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owe
| D
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unt
| Ir
a, Je
ssic
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Hym
off
B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 5
FOCUS: South Portland
Lisa Nadeau describes Tall Pines Family Child Care, the program she runs out of her home for children up to four years old, as “very small and homey.” The many windows are full of light, and welcoming stuffed animals, toys, and books are everywhere. Lisa has partici-pated in Born to Read trainings since 2005. She has always seen Tall Pines as a literacy-based program where stories can be valuable jumping-off points for discussion and teaching. This makes her a natural for Born to Read because using books to stimulate conversation is one of the program’s chief goals. And using books to start conversations is no problem for Lisa. “My kids love books.”
In 2007, Lisa attended “Children and Conflict in a Changing World,” one of Born to Read ’s Peaceable Stories seminars. Peaceable Stories encourages early childhood educators to use books to help children understand the many meanings of peace in their lives and in today’s world. Lisa found the facilitators and discussions fascinating, and especially enjoyed learning from Maine author and illustrator Lisa Jahn-Clough about how a book is created from initial idea to finished product. Hearing how other educators work with children in different child care settings was also of interest to Lisa, who runs Tall Pines by herself. Born to Read trainings offer a rare opportunity for educators to discuss child care issues with colleagues.
Lisa also found the seminar’s read-aloud sessions inspirational. “It was so comforting, so pleasant to be read to,” Lisa said with a small laugh. “It was really one of the great aspects of the class. We could just drop everything and let those words come on us.” Being read to, and shown pictures, helped Lisa experience the twelve books distributed as part of the series from a child’s perspective before reacting as an adult. She appreciated the variety of books, especially the unique approach of the “twisted fairy tale” The Three Little Wolves and the Big, Bad Pig. “The books present the types of conflicts kids have and share examples of ways to resolve them— but without being right in your face.”
In the big picture, the books helped Lisa, whose home child care program is licensed for just six children, think about diversity on a larger scale. “These trainings have given me an awareness of diversity—and I mean both how it appears in children’s literature and also how, in our classrooms, we can open kids to understanding. Born to Read reminded me that even with our small classrooms, the way the world is now makes it important to teach about diversity.”
A LOVE OF READINGPROGRAMS THAT BRING BOOKS AND IDEAS TO LIFE FOR AUDIENCES NEW TO READING
�
Mar
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Y. I
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6 M H C
A LOVE OF READING
Offered with support from The Sam L. Cohen
Foundation, Edward H. Daveis Benevolent Fund,
Davis Family Foundation, Nellie Mae Education
Foundation, Maine Community Foundation’s
Western Mountains Fund, and The Vincent B.
& Barbara G. Welch Foundation
NEW BOOKS,
NEW READERS
“The way that NBNR removes the discussion from being about the participants them-
selves to characters in a book gives them the opportunity to reflect on their own opinions
without being defensive; this gradually leads them to self-reflection and even the
willingness to verbalize this self-reflection.”– Scholar/Facilitator
of the Biddeford 2006 group
New Books, New Readers partners with adult basic education and literacy volunteers to share a powerful humanities experience with adults just learning to read, beginning to read and speak English, or working to improve reading skills. Using children’s literature at a variety of reading levels, a scholar/facilitator leads discussions and ensures that every participant is listened to. For many low-literacy adults, this kind of encouragement is new, and the books are the first books they have ever read all the way through.
In 2006 & 2007: New Books, New Readers offered 125 four-session series in 31 communities across Maine, reaching nearly 2,000 people and giving away close to 20,000 books. Many sites host two programs each year, finding that such regular access to New Books, New Readers builds success among adult learners.
INS
PIR
ING
Engaged participants at Sanford Adult Ed. photos: julia walkling
John
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B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 7
FOCUS: Houlton “I’ve been a reader since the time I was tiny,” muses Bernadette Farrar, Instructor and Adult Basic Education Coordinator at the Houlton Higher Education Center. She recalls the importance of books early in her life, and how difficult it was to gain access to them in a rural community where the nearest library was 20 miles away. The bookmobile, which came every two weeks, was, Bernadette remembers, “a highlight.” Bernadette credits her mother, who loved to read, for her own love of books. She hopes to see this love blossom in her students, who face many of the challenges she did as a rural resident.
Feeling that this program is crucial for students who are parents, Bernadette works hard to encourage them to attend New Books, New Readers. “The spill- over for this program is incredible,” she says. Books commonly end up not only in the hands of students’ children, but in the hands of their nephews or a girlfriend’s child.
Houlton Higher Education students include people of all ages. Some are long-time adult basic education learners, and some are working toward GEDs. Others are taking classes as part of a college transition program—and Bernadette tells these students that the discussion they are experiencing in New Books, New Readers is equivalent to the quality of discussion they would have in a college classroom.
For all of its participants, the program has made a difference. “I’ve seen students who were really quiet and would not speak up in a group setting become comfortable. These are quiet people who I didn’t think would ever speak out in a group.” It also offers people a valuable connection with stories that they may not get in any other part of their lives.
“People still like to be read to,” Bernadette says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a child or an adult. You still like to hear stories. It takes you outside of yourself. It allows you to think of something else beyond your own troubles. It teaches self-awareness, that you’re not the first person, or the last, to go through this.”
A LOVE OF READING
Sarah Lovejoy and Bernadette Farrar share some of their New Books, New Readers titles.
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Han
nah
P. F
ox |
Hop
e &
John
Hau
gPh
ilip
C. H
augh
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et H
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& V
erno
n M
oore
Mar
cia
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How
ell |
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andy
Jack
son
Mic
hael
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nnin
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gens
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Tam
ara
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essl
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l Mor
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Dor
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| Bi
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Sylv
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Joan
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| Jo
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Jud
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ark
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Mar
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Jane
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Dev
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Ano
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8 M H C
FROM LITERATURE IN THE WORKPLACEPROGRAMS FOR PROFESSIONALS
Enoch Albert enjoys a good book in his home. photo: sharon knopp
Major support from the National Endowment
for the Humanities (Public Programming),
the Maine Community Foundation Fund,
the Morton Family Foundation,
and the Hawai‘i Humanities Council
LITERATURE &
MEDICINE:
HUMANITIES
AT THE HEART OF
HEALTH CARE®
“My take away after four years of participation and observation is that
[these] seminars begin with illustrating the differences we all have in opinion, perspec-tive, style and background…but we leave
with greater understanding, tolerance, respect and a personal bond for each other.”
– Literature & Medicine participant, 2006
Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care uses a deceptively simple yet unique approach to serve health care professionals and, in consequence, their patients. Health care professionals from all levels of the hierarchy gather as equals to participate in a reading and discussion program, facilitated by a humanities-trained scholar. They talk about literature that helps them gain new perspectives toward themselves, each other, and their patients. Formal evaluations show that this program works: medical professionals report improved morale, greater empathy, increased cultural sensitivity, and improved interpersonal and communication skills.
In 2006 & 2007: Literature & Medicine reached 17 hospitals/medical sites in Maine and 59 nationwide, serving over 2,000 health care professionals, and affecting many thousands of patients each year.
LE
AR
NIN
G
Tin
a &
Bill
Bak
er |
Rita
Kay
Ber
gero
nSa
lly &
Jim
Car
igna
n |
Geo
rgea
nne
M. D
avis
Kath
leen
Dun
n |
Edith
M. G
allo
way
Jane
A. G
ibbo
ns |
Sue
Jorg
ense
nKa
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Kusi
ak |
Ric
hard
& S
andr
a La
wre
nce
Lee
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eri L
owry
| R
ober
t &
Mar
lene
Mai
lloux
Hel
en K
. & T
hom
as M
cBre
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hen
& B
arba
ra M
elch
iske
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Dap
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S. M
eyer
Mir
iam
L. M
urph
y |
Stev
en &
Sha
ron
Saun
ders
Arl
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C. S
chw
artz
| C
harl
es &
Joan
ne S
cont
ras
Kare
n D
. Sm
ith |
Pat
rici
a D
. Sny
der
Jane
& Ja
ck W
are
| M
elin
da &
Bar
ry Z
itin
New
Bo
oks
, New
Rea
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Dor
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Mr.
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s (e
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spo
nsor
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| S
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& M
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B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 9
FOCUS: Togus
A suggestion from a friend brought Enoch Albert, a nurse at Togus Veterans’ Hospital, into the Literature & Medicine fold. He was interested in the concept of a program “designed to promote discussion among a diverse group of people who work together but don’t often get the chance to talk and share ideas and emotions informally,” and this turned into a commitment that lasted throughout his years at Togus before his retirement. Enoch became a co-liason with physician assistant Dan Hamilton, the friend who introduced him to the program, coordinating as well as participating in the group at Togus.
Enoch’s group mirrored the diversity of other Literature & Medicine groups: it included administrators, secretaries, social workers, physician assistants, nurses, and physicians. Literature & Medicine aims to help participants understand and empathize with their patients and their colleagues. This was especially important at Togus as medical staff ’s experiences often differed dramatically from their patients’. When he joined the group, Enoch realized that most of the staff were not combat veterans and “had no idea what those who were in combat experienced.”
The attempts of health care profes-sionals to open communication with veterans can also be difficult because many veterans don’t want to talk about their experiences. This made readings, especially those about combat experiences, critical in helping staff gain a perspective on their patients without pressing patients to enter into an uncomfortable conversation.
“I think the readings, but more importantly the discussions, gave those of us who have not experienced combat a slightly better understanding of the relationship between those veterans and the VA as an institution, as well as some of the extreme situations combat vets experience,” Enoch said. Our facilitators were not from the hospital, and their outside perspectives led to “some new understanding of the problems that vets and the Togus staff have.”
Many of Enoch’s colleagues found the program extremely powerful. “I have heard more than one physician state they have a new appreciation of veterans’ experiences and would look on them from a different perspective as a result, and I believe the readings and discussion helped me and others better serve veterans at the end of their lives as a result of Literature & Medicine.”
The program itself has been so meaningful to Enoch that after he and his wife moved to Bar Harbor four years ago, they joined a Literature & Medicine group at Mount Desert Island Hospital. They have been part of it ever since.
FROM LITERATURE IN THE WORKPLACEPROGRAMS FOR PROFESSIONALS
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Oth
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pons
ors
Jean
A. B
ott
| Jo
hn S
. Em
erso
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Ano
nym
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(13)
Susa
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Pet
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sPe
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J. A
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Ran
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Elai
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. Alb
righ
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Jona
than
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ancy
Ald
rich
Cha
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B. A
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| S
andy
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Dan
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Mr.
& M
rs. J
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W. A
mbr
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Mr.
& M
rs. C
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ton
H. A
mes
| D
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Joan
Am
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Mr.
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rs. T
hom
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stro
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Jef
frey
B. A
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| J
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twoo
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| R
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ild B
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Rob
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& R
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Babc
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| Lo
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Bach
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, MD
Eliz
abet
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. Bai
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Ann
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. Bal
l & D
enni
s W
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Pete
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Lyn
Bal
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| Sa
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Ron
Ban
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C. B
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Ric
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Arm
entr
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Cha
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Bas
sett
| P
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Cat
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Bax
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Soci
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| C
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M. B
eaum
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Dav
id P
. Bec
ker
| M
r. &
Mrs
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shal
l Bia
losk
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Bar
bara
Bic
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Kath
arin
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. Bill
ings
Lynn
e K
. Bla
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Con
stan
ce B
loom
field
& W
illia
m M
cFar
lane
Ted
& R
uth
Book
ey |
Jea
n A
. Bot
tM
arjo
rie
A. B
oyd,
MD
| C
arl E
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atri
cia
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spet
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| C
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row
n |
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Geo
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Burn
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o Em
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C. C
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un &
Mic
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lana
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arig
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Lorr
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seph
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line
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vin
Coh
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Coh
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s |
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Dav
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phin
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Mar
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Will
iam
R. &
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M. D
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Mor
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| M
rs. E
mer
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hn &
Mar
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hn S
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n |
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eldm
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Dav
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lana
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Ale
xand
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10 M H C
FROM LITERATURE IN THE WORKPLACE
David Farrington engaging a model U.N. group at Yarmouth High School. photo: diane hudson
LE
AR
NIN
G
Major support from the
National Endowment for the Humanities,
the U.S. Department of Education,
the Freeman Foundation’s National Consortium
for Teaching about Asia, and UnumProvident
MHC TEACHER
PROGRAMS
“An extremely knowledgeable, organized, dynamic speaker took me
[on an historical tour] sequentially through the [origins of] the Middle East
right up to ‘our’ present quagmire.” – a teacher who took part
in the America in the Middle East day-long program March, 2006
MHC teacher programs offer intense professional development in humanities topics for Maine teachers K through 12. From day-long seminars to week-long institutes and programs that meet frequently throughout the year, MHC teacher programs give educators the chance to think and work as scholars. This translates to tremendous learning for both them and their students.
In 2006 & 2007: MHC teacher programs reached 248 teachers from 149 schools, affecting hundreds of students.
Elai
ne F
ord
& A
rthu
r Bo
atin
| B
enso
n &
Pat
rici
a Fo
rdM
arga
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W. F
reem
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t H
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l Soc
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Phyl
lis &
Al F
uchs
| S
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Don
Fur
thBi
llie
Gam
mon
| G
isel
a &
Dav
id G
ampe
rBe
tty
& B
ill G
eogh
egan
| M
ary
C. G
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Gilm
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ank
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Gla
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Judy
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sen
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lan
| M
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Lou
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Ken
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Kent
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ounc
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F. K
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King
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yan
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B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 11
FROM LITERATURE IN THE WORKPLACE
FOCUS: Yarmouth
David Farrington, who teaches social studies at Yarmouth High School (his classes include “World to 1600” and “Intro to Government”), has been a Maine educator for 14 years and calls the MHC’s teacher programs “far and away the most intellectually stimulating and rewarding form of professional development that I’ve experienced.” He finds his opinion shared by many colleagues, all of whom highly value the serious scholarship that is at the center of MHC teacher programs.
Educators today face pressure to seek training in assessment and reporting techniques—necessary, David calls this, but hardly inspirational. “Teachers like me,” David said, “respond to the MHC teacher programs with such enthusiasm because these programs focus on the history and literature that we love.” MHC teacher programs open dialogues between educators and prominent scholars “who challenge us to deepen our understandings and pursue our questions.” In this context David, like many others, “welcome[s] the chance to deal with big ideas and intellectual challenges.”
David is what he calls a “serial participant” in these programs. He has taken workshops on the Middle East, American consumerism, the Harry Potter phenomenon, American Studies, and Asian Studies, the latter through a week-long program called “Views of the East.” He is also a participant in one the MHC’s largest and most ambitious programs, “Teaching American History,” which is composed of a series of summer institutes requiring intense study and a significant commitment of time, energy, and imagination.
“Teaching American History” has had an immediate effect on David’s classroom. This ranges from placing a “Teaching American History” handout, text, or idea in his curriculum, to the research and use of textual and visual primary documents, which “Teaching American History” scholars show how to find and use in order to tell the story of history directly.
“My students now work with primary documents ranging from Muslim accounts of the Crusades, to African-American slave narratives, to 1950s political advertisements on television,” David said. “I find that when students understand a primary document’s context and begin to learn the skills of interpretation, there is no more powerful tool for teaching history.”
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ONE AND ALLPROGRAMS THAT ENRICH THE LIVES OF GENERAL AUDIENCES
Patricia Parker photo: richard barron parker
Major support from
the Maine Community Foundation,
the Maine State Library,
and the National Endowment
for the Humanities
LET’S TALK
ABOUT IT
“Last fall our two libraries shared Ethic Americans in Maine. It was
the first time either library had offered a Let’s Talk program. We were
somewhat apprehensive as both libraries are small and staff time is limited.
However, we found that offering the program was a very positive experience
thanks to the way the program was organized for us, and the help that
we received from MHC.”– The Harrison Village Library
and the Waterford Library, who jointly offered a series in 2007
Since 1985, Let’s Talk About It has served a dual purpose in Maine: strengthening the state’s small libraries and their communities by bringing people together in open conversation around books. Scholars facilitate this free program and help create new series. Series are comprised of five topically grouped books that are loaned to program participants. Themes suit all tastes: 20th century detective fiction, literature of post-war Japan, the Gilded Age, or the experience of wilderness. Go to www.mainehumanities.org/programs/talk.html for a complete list.
In 2006 & 2007: Let’s Talk About It reached over 30 libraries each year, serving hundreds of participants.
INC
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12 M H C
Dav
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B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 13
ONE AND ALLPROGRAMS THAT ENRICH THE LIVES OF GENERAL AUDIENCES
FOCUS: Cornish After Let’s Talk About It created the series “The Japanese Family in the 20th Century,” staff sought facilitators with an in-depth knowledge of Japanese culture. A suggestion sent us to Patricia Parker, who had been a literature professor in Hiroshima and had led reading and discussion groups there for seven years.
“What has been really interesting to me is that the small town of Cornish was the first to request this particular Let’s Talk About It series, and many of the participants were not actually residents of Cornish but drove sometimes 20-30 minutes to get to their library. That speaks admirably for the people in small Maine communities!”
In some ways, the differences between the people in Pat’s Japanese groups and her current participants in Maine were not great: “Those Japanese women, like the Let’s Talk About It participants, were educated, good readers, and eager to learn. They wanted someone qualified to lecture on American literature but they also wanted to talk and tell each other what they themselves thought about the books under discussion.”
But the cultural differences provided fascinating insights in the Let’s Talk About It series, which was, after all, about families, individuals, and rela-tionships. In Japan, “the group members had known each other for years and had established their pecking order, had set up competitions between themselves, and they did not want me to upset their relationships. I had to figure out who were the ‘leaders,’ who felt she had to talk more than anyone else at each session, who preferred to sit quietly and say little. The American Let’s Talk About It participants came as strangers to each other, felt little or no competition, and were far more open to the idea of listening to each other and to me.”
Let’s Talk About It participants began the series with little knowledge of Japan (none had ever even known a Japanese person). They initially interpreted stories based on their own experiences, finding commonalities between the Japanese characters and people in their own lives. But as the series went on, Pat saw participants begin to view the novels through their emerging understanding of Japanese culture. By the end of the series, “participants felt much more comfortable interpreting the novels, I think. They enjoyed the last novel, partly because they felt that finally they had enough background to really understand.”
It is that understanding of different worlds and different perspectives that Let’s Talk About It aims to encourage with series like this.
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off
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Ang
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J. C
onno
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Joh
n &
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ly K
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eldo
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Aud
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Sus
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14 M H C
MHC
GRANTS
“My foreman at the time was a very good fella, but he didn’t quite know
what to do with me because I was a woman… And so he put me sweeping the floors. I s’pose he figured, well, that’s
what women do. But eventually they got to figure out that I could do just about
anything the rest of those guys did.”– Dola Hinckley, interviewed
in “The Writing on the Wall”; hired in 1974, and the first woman to work
on the mill floor at Eastern Fine Paper
The Maine Humanities Council began life in 1976 as a granting organization, redistributing funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities to nonprofits statewide. Since then, the MHC has expanded its work, creating and implementing the many programs described in this report. Since 1976, the MHC has invested more than $4,000,000 in grants to Maine communities— with amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000 (averaging $1,000).
Small grants can make a difference. For many nonprofits, the simple applica-tion and rapid turnaround of the MHC’s rolling deadlines fills an important niche. Funded projects include historical exhibits, lecture series, book discussions, school-based programs, and cultural presentations, each helping to enrich communities across the state, especially in rural areas.
In 2006 & 2007: 159 MHC grants were awarded, reaching more than 100 towns and thousands of Mainers.
INC
LU
DIN
G
Women sort rags to be used in the paper-making process inside the Eastern Fine Paper Mill in Brewer, Maine, early twentieth century. This image is one of the many available on the Maine Folklife Center’s DVD, “The Writing on the Wall: Oral Histories of Eastern Fine Paper Company Workers.”
ONE AND ALL
Sylv
ia K
atha
rine
Kra
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| D
iana
Kra
uss
Nei
l & C
athy
Lam
b |
Chr
is &
Sue
Liv
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Eliz
abet
h J.
Mac
Inne
s |
Edyt
he R
. Man
zaN
ancy
N. M
aste
rton
| R
ober
t E.
McA
fee,
MD
Flon
ny &
Al M
orri
son
| Pe
ter
C. O
’Con
nor
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ryn
J. O
lmst
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| D
r. D
anie
l K. O
nion
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Nor
umbe
ga F
und
of t
he M
aine
Com
mun
ity F
ound
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n
at
the
rec
omm
enda
tion
of D
r. &
Mrs
. Har
old
Osh
erJa
mes
& Jo
Pen
dlet
on |
Mar
cy &
Leo
nard
Pla
vin
Jo R
adne
r |
Ric
k R
ecto
rD
avid
Ric
hard
s |
Patr
icia
A. R
iley
& P
eter
Sch
win
dtJo
el R
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thal
| M
r. &
Mrs
. Clif
ford
S. R
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llSu
san
S. S
aund
ers
| Je
an P
. Ser
rie
Mr.
& M
rs. P
eter
L. S
held
on |
Mr.
& M
rs. H
arry
B. S
heph
erd
Geo
rge
L. S
hinn
, PhD
| M
ered
ith S
.S. S
mith
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How
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FOCUS: Orono
The Eastern Fine Paper Company’s mill in Brewer began as a single brick paper machine built in 1895, and operated until 2004. Shortly after the mill closed, Dr. Pauleena MacDougall, Director of the Maine Folklife Center, toured the abandoned space with engineer Richie Smith, Brewer city official Drew Sachs, and photographer Bill Kuykendall. MacDougall admired the machinery, but as a folklorist, she was even more intrigued by the signs, pictures, and graffiti on the walls—vestiges of the human side of a century of labor. Therein, MacDougall saw the potential for an oral history project to preserve the rich knowledge and heritage of the paper workers.
“As I began planning the oral history project,” MacDougall says, “I seized upon the phrase ‘the writing on the wall’ as a title, partly because of the pictures and partly because many former Eastern employees said they ‘could see the writing on the wall,’ fearing that the mill would soon close.” Their instinct was reasonable, based on the nationwide trend of out-sourcing manufacturing jobs.
When a factory closes, there is a narrow window of opportunity in which to capture the stories of workers with specialized experience before they are retrained into general, service-related industries. The Folklife Center received a planning grant from the MHC in 2005 that allowed MacDougall to seize that opportunity. She formed a partner-ship with the City of Brewer and held an initial meeting with eighteen former mill workers.
In 2006, MacDougall and her colleagues received a major grant from the MHC to expand the project. By the middle of that year, they had recorded oral history interviews with 40 mill workers and scanned more than 500 historic photographs.
As the project grew, the grant from the MHC helped the Folklife Center leverage other funding. A “Women in the Curriculum” grant from the University of Maine led to a special project and online book, Women in Maine’s Paper Industry, 1880-2006. A “Save Our History” grant from The History Channel allowed Brewer Middle School students to take a field trip to the mill, conduct video interviews, and make their own “Mill Town” DVD.
All of the mill buildings have since been razed, so the stories preserved in the student work, online book, and “The Writing on the Wall” docu-mentary DVD are all that remain. But in 2007, the Folklife Center prepared a promotional video for Cianbro Corporation’s new business at the mill site, using historical photos collected during the project. They are currently working with WBRC architects in Bangor to add historical content from the mill project to renovations of Brewer City Hall. The work continues.
B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 15
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MHC GRANT
SAMPLER
What follows is a small sample of the 159 grants awarded to Maine organizations by the MHC in 2006 and 2007, arranged by town. (Visit the MHC web site at www.mainehumanities.org for a complete list.) Many of these projects were made possible in part by the MHC’s funding partners: the Maine Arts Commission and the Betterment Fund. The MHC is grateful for the support of these funding partners who allow us to extend our resources into an increase number of Maine communities.
bucksport
Film Screening with Karen Shopsowitz
$500: Northeast Historic Film celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006. In celebration, Toronto filmmaker Karen Shopsowitz screened “My Father’s Camera,” her Peabody Award-winning documentary on the cultural history of home movies. Shopsowitz conducted research for this project, which looks at how amateur movies engage the audience differently than professional films, at NHF. She writes, “One of the things that I look at is the way history creeps into the frame inadvertently and becomes really interesting in terms of the context that it takes on.” Excerpts from NHF’s newest footage—early color film of Gandhi, Senator Cohen on NSA phone wiretaps in the 1970s, and old Portland commercials—were also screened. Over 100 people attended the screening in May. > Northeast Historic Film
calais
One River, Two Cities, One Story
$1,000: The St. Croix Historical Society collabo-rated with the St. Croix River Valley Arts Council, Charlotte County, the New Brunswick Museum, the Calais Free Library, the Calais Fire House Restoration Committee, Friends of the Observatory, the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, and Friends of the Moosehorn to create One River, Two Cities, One Story. This community-wide exhibit of historic images, art, and artifacts portrayed the unique and closely woven past of Calais, Maine and St. Stephen, New Brunswick—located on opposite sides of the St. Croix River. The primary exhibit location was Calais; a satellite exhibit was located at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. > St. Croix Historical Society
chebeague island
Schooling on Chebeague: The Relationship of Community and Island Schools
$1,000: The 2007 summer exhibit at the Museum of Chebeague History was entitled “Island Schools: Sustaining our Community from the 1750s into the Future.” Through teacher grade books, textbooks, class photographs, town records, teaching certificates, transportation information, graduate lists, newspaper articles, report cards, and oral histories, the exhibit revealed how its schools contributed to Chebeague Island’s vitality and—most recently—independence. The museum is located in the District 9 Schoolhouse and is open through August 2008. > Chebeague Island Historical Society
hinckley
Gerd Heinrich: 20th Century Explorer, Collector, and Writer
$1,000: The L.C. Bates Museum presented an exhibit and accompanying programs dedicated to the unique life story of Gerd Heinrich (1896-1987). Heinrich was an explorer, collector, and writer who grew up in Germany and later traveled worldwide from his home in Wilton, Maine. The exhibit used natural history materials, illustrations and translated excerpts from Heinrich’s writings (including his autobiography), and interviews with family members to document his collecting trips. Raffael Scheck, a professor of history at Colby College, devoted significant scholarly support to this project. Scheck spoke, along with members of Heinrich’s family, at the exhibit’s opening in September 2006. The successful exhibit was extended through April 2008. > L.C. Bates Museum
16 M H C
Desks from the old District 9 School House featured in the 2007 Chebeague summer exhibit.PHOTO: CARLY KNIGHT
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new gloucester
The Human and the Eternal: Shaker Art in its Many Forms
$5,000: Since the late 1700s, the Shaker Society at Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester has adapted to many changes, yet preserved its self-sufficiency, spirituality, and communal life. As the only remaining active Shaker community in the United States, Sabbathday Lake is committed to educating the public about the Shaker tradition. Every summer, its Library and Museum welcome over 12,000 tourists and dozens of researchers to its collections and permanent exhibitions. Its first major new exhibition in more than twenty years, The Human and the Eternal: Shaker Art in its Many Forms, opened in May 2008 and will remain on display through October, then re-open for the 2009 season. Examples of needlework, furniture, paintings, rugs, embroidery, boxes, and baskets (many made in Maine) will offer insights into Shaker life over the centuries, and provide visitors with a better appreciation of contemporary Shaker culture. For information on visiting the museum, please visit www.shaker.lib.me.us/museum.html. > United Society of Shakers
norway
One Book, One Community
$1,000: The Oxford Hills region’s second One Book, One Community program featured Suburban Safari by Maine author Hannah Holmes. Like the previous year’s program, which focused on Ernie’s Ark by Monica Wood, local librarians and volunteers worked together
on a series of events and discussions to promote reading and dialogue in the community. The theme of the book lent itself to discussions about the natural resources of the area and the importance of stewardship. The program drew the interest of the many outdoor and conservation groups in the area, including the Oxford Hills Nature Club and the Western Maine Citizens for Clean Air and Water. The year-long program started with a kick-off event in February, with book distribution and an appearance by the author. > Norway Memorial Library
portland
Romeo & Juliet
$5,000: Beginning in January 2006, 10-15 boys at the Long Creek Youth Development Center worked on interpreting and staging Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet under the guidance of Caitlin Shetterly of the Winter Harbor Theatre Company. Their intensive study used hip hop culture, immensely popular with Long Creek residents, to translate the play into contemporary language. At the culmination of the program in March, the ensemble performed for 200 of their peers, invited guests, families, and staff. > The Winter Harbor Theatre Company
presque isle
Presque Isle and its Main Street
$1,000: With help from University of Maine at Presque Isle history scholars and students, the Presque Isle Historical Society (PIHS) created an exhibit chronicling the development of the town and its Main Street. Six movable panels cover such events as the construction of the B&A Railroad, the fire at the Braden Theatre, and the Centennial Celebration in 1959. The panels were unveiled on University Day in April 2006, then displayed in the university library and at the Mark & Emily Turner Public Library in Presque Isle, and will be kept at PIHS on 3rd Street. > Presque Isle Historical Society
south paris
McLaughlin Garden Visitor’s Center
$500: The famous McLaughlin Garden in South Paris opened a new educational exhibit for visitors in May 2007. A permanent installation at the welcome point for visitors showcases the story of this historic site. Printed materials detail the history and horti-cultural significance of the 20th-century garden as well as the architectural features of the 19th-century farmhouse and barn. To plan a visit, call (207) 743-8820 or visit www.mclaughlingarden.org. > McLaughlin Garden
west baldwin
Snapshots of Change: The Cornish Historical Mural Project
$1,000: Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at Cornish Elementary School spent February and March researching local history through field trips and interviews with older residents. Based on their research, students designed and created a permanent mural for the school’s multipurpose room. They were guided in this project by experienced educators, local historians at the Cornish Historical Society, and graphic artist Laurie Downey. The murals, painted on five wooden panels, were unveiled in a public presentation at the school on April 26, 2007. > MSAD #55
B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 17
Kristin Perry, McLaughlin Garden’s Director of Horticulture, leading a workshop on lilacs at its annual Lilac Festival.
PHOTO: MOOSE POND ARTS + ECOLOGY
An actor in the Long Creek Youth Development Center’s production of “A Hip-Hop Romeo & Juliet” receives instruction from director Caitlin Shetterly.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BANGOR DAILY NEWS
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18 M H C
PROGRAMSS
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Supported by the We the People initiative
of the National Endowment for the Humanities 30 YEARS:
TAXING MAINE
IN 2006
“I wanted to let you know that my husband and I saw Taxing Maine this weekend
and absolutely loved it. It was funny and informative and insightful. I wish
I could package it and send it all throughout the country. Thank you
for sponsoring it. It was just wonderful.”– an audience member
from Winthrop
“Hey, Governah, my taxes are wicked high!” This memorable line came early in Taxing Maine and showed audience members in 31 towns that this Theater of Ideas performance would have a light touch. Commissioned from the Theater at Monmouth’s David Greenham and Dennis Price for the MHC’s 30th anniversary, this story of Maine taxation explored the topic from its earliest days and forms to more current issues, including the Taxpayer Bill of Rights on the Maine ballot in November 2006. Without taking a partisan position, but encouraging audience members to think about what taxes did not only to their pockets but also for their communities, Greenham and Price adopted a series of madcap characters throughout history—little-known politicians to popular grange leaders—to paint a rollickingly funny—and historically accurate—portrait of what people think about taxes. A discussion among audience members, facilitated by the actors, followed each performance.
In 2006: Taxing Maine traveled to 31 towns across the state of Maine, tickling and provoking hundreds of people along the way.
Left: An interested audience member reads up on Maine’s tax history in his program. Right: David Greenham animates his subject matter for Biddeford’s McArthur Public Library audience. photos: diane hudson
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B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7 19
PROGRAMS
FOCUS: State of Maine Taxing Maine won three national awards for the MHC in 2007: both the Award of Merit and the WOW award from the American Association for State and Local History, and the Schwartz Prize from the Federation of State Humanities Councils. The Schwartz Prize is given annually to an outstanding public humanities initiative, and has been awarded to the MHC twice previously.
Taxing Maine toured the state from May through October 2006; it was offered free of charge in partnership with libraries, schools, and other community groups. Venues and partners included:
Auburn: Auburn Public Library
Bangor: Husson College
Bar Harbor: Jesup Memorial Library
Bath: Winter Street Center
Bethel: Gould Academy
Biddeford: McArthur Public Library
Brunswick: Curtis Memorial Library, sponsored by the League of Women Voters
Camden: Camden Public Library
Dexter: Abbott Memorial Library
Dover-Foxcroft: Center Theatre for the Performing Arts
Eastport: Eastport Arts Center
Farmington: University of Maine at Farmington
Gorham: White Rock Grange
Lewiston: Bates College
Lincoln: Lincoln Memorial Library
Lubec: American Legion Post #65
Machias: University of Maine at Machias
Naples: Naples Public Library
North Haven: Waterman’s Community Center
Portland: Children’s Theater of Maine, Maine Historical Society, & Portland Public Library
Rangeley: Rangeley Public Library
Rockland: Rockland Public Library
Scarborough: Scarborough Public Library
Springvale: Springvale Baptist Church
St. Agathe: Wisdom High School
Stonington: Opera House
Van Buren: Van Buren High School Auditorium
Wells: York County Community College
West Newfield: West Newfield Town Hall
Winthrop: Winthrop Performing Arts Center
Taxing Maine was also performed at the 2006 Maine State Tax Preparers Convention and in Las Vegas, through the national program, Democracy and the Arts. Listen to an audio version via our podcast at www.mainehumanitites.org.
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20 M H C
A
NATIONAL
WINNER
For Maine’s Letters About Literature, a program
offered by the Library of Congress nationally
and in Maine by the MHC’s Harriet P. Henry
Center for the Book, 2006 was a banner year.
Since 2000, the MHC has offered Maine students
grades 4 through 12 the opportunity to write a letter to an author
(living or dead) about a book that has profoundly
affected them. In 2006, for the first time, a Maine student won not just the
state’s competition in Level II (grades 7 and 8)
but the nation’s, over more than 48,000
participants nationwide. Lacie Craven of Bucks
Harbor wrote about Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’
The Yearling. Its story of loss resonated with
her own experience raising animals (cattle,
hogs, chickens, and many sheep) on her family’s
Wild Wind Farm. Lacie and her parents traveled
to Washington, DC, on September 30, 2006,
to receive the national award at the Library
of Congress, and to read aloud her winning letter,
printed here.
Dear Mrs. Rawlings,
I live near the ocean, under a mountain, on a farm. We raise a lot of different animals, but mostly sheep. We also hunt for our food. These things made me feel very close to the characters in this book. If you have sheep, you have orphaned lambs, if you have orphaned lambs, you have true friends. They get into a lot of trouble (A lot like Flag!) but it’s all worth it to have a little lamb that follows you and is dependent on you.
I remember Mattie, a lamb whose mother had refused to take her. I had heated up her bottle and fed her every two to three hours every day of her life. She would kick up her heels and run with me down the road, then push her little plush head into my hand. We would lay in the grass, and I talked to her about everything, and she listened as I felt her fragile little hoof and followed her tiny, warm curls. One day she got sick. I kept watch over her the whole day, praying hard and making her as comfortable as possible. I picked her up and held her tight, tracing a little swirl on the side of her face. I hoped to feel her lean her head against me. She didn’t. She was dead. I reluctantly put her down and looked at her for the last time, covered her with a towel, stepped back, and said goodbye through tears to my lifeless friend. Afterwards I ran to the barn in secret and cried into my sister’s lamb until it was time to feed him. After each death it feels like you lost a child. It is so devastating, I cry and feel like I did something wrong, like I could have prevented their death. I felt like I had trusted in God and he let me down, like He had forgotten about me. Why did He give me something only to take it away? Why didn’t He heal her when I asked?
The answer came in your book. When I read about Jody and his fawn at first I asked the same question. Why does this happen? Then I saw what Flag taught him. All my lambs had been working unintentionally to help make me who I am today, and who I will be. They taught me how to deal with challenges in my life, how to overcome, and when it seems like I’m all alone, I’m really not. If I could have changed the past and brought Mattie back to life, I wouldn’t. I look back now and I only smile. I continue to raise sheep, and always happiness prevails over death. In every way when it seems like there is no good left in the world, you see it displayed in indirect ways. For every sad thing, there’s a happy reason behind it and it makes us stronger people. We can find rest in this. Thank you for writing this book.
Lacie
Laci
e w
ith h
er s
heep
. ph
oto
: rh
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ven
BOARD OF DIRECTORSRobert L. McArthur, Chair Auburn
Douglas E. Woodbury, Vice-chair Cumberland
Peter B. Webster, Treasurer South Portland
Jean T. Wilkinson, Secretary Cumberland
Peter J. Aicher Falmouth
Charles B. Alexander Ellsworth
Allen Berger New Sharon
Judith Daniels Union
Jill M. Goldthwait Bar Harbor
Kathryn Hunt Bangor
Sheila Jans Madawaska
Lincoln F. Ladd Wayne
Thomas K. Lizotte Dover-Foxcroft
John R. Opperman Portland
Stephen J. Podgajny Brunswick
Patricia D. Ramsay Yarmouth
Joel H. Rosenthal Fairfield, CT
Rachel Talbot Ross Portland
Leonora Williamson Portland
STAFFVictoria Bonebakker Associate Director Director of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book
Trudy Hickey Office and Grants Manager
Erik C. Jorgensen Executive Director
Diane Magras Director of Development
Annie Medeiros Administrative Assistant
Karen Myrick Administrative Assistant/Receptionist
PROGRAMS
Denise Pendleton Born to Read
Elizabeth Sinclair Let’s Talk About It Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care®
Carolyn Sloan Let’s Talk About It Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care® New Books, New Readers
Julia Walkling New Books, New Readers Stories for Life
Brita Zitin Born to Read
CONSULTANTS
Charles Calhoun Teachers for a New Century
Mary McVey Accounting
Joan Prouty Born to Read
Design: Lori Harley
E Printed on recycled paper
During FY06, the Maine Humanities Council had operating income of $2,554,973 and operating expenses of $2,457,532; in FY07, it had income of $2,338,584 and expenses of $2,292,398.
The MHC’s overall budget in 2007 was lower than it was in 2006 due to the conclusion of some grant-funded projects, an unfilled staff position, and the end of the MHC’s special campaign for the Dorothy Schwartz Opportunity Fund.
While grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities comprise about one-third of the MHC’s budget in both years, this support has been supplemented by a diverse range of other income streams, from the individual contributions high lighted elsewhere in this report, to program income, and support from private foundations. Both the income and the expense figures reported in these charts and in the MHC’s audited financial statements include in-kind contributions of time, mileage and materials, valued at $601,996 in 2006, and $475,321 in 2007.
2006 2007
85% 85% Programs, Regrants, and Technical Assistance
6% 9% Administration
9% 6% Fundraising & Marketing
The Maine Humanities Council is the state affiliate
of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
B I E N N I A L R E P O R T 0 6 - 0 7
FY 2006: $2,554,973
FY 2007: $2,33
8,584
operating revenues
operating expenses
FY 2006: $2,457,5
32
FY 2007: $2,292,498
FIN
AN
CIA
LS
2006 & 2007La
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with
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she
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ho
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2006 2007
Base Grant and 34% 30% Other Competitive Grants from the NEH
Other Grants 21% 27%
Contributions 17% 17% and Gifts
In-kind 24% 21% Contributions
Program, 4% 5% Investment, and Other Income
MAINE HUMANITIES
COUNCILHome of the Harriet P. Henry
Center for the Book
674 Brighton Avenue
Portland, Maine 04102-1012
Return Service Requested
Home of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book
The Maine Humanities Council engages the people of Maine in the power and pleasure of ideas, encouraging a deeper understanding
of ourselves and others, fostering wisdom in an age of information, and providing context
in a time of change. The Council uses the humanities to provide cultural enrichment for all Mainers and as a tool for social change,
bringing people together in conversation that crosses social, economic and cultural barriers.
An affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book
674 Brighton Avenue Portland, Maine 04102-1012 T 207-773-5051 F 207-773-2416 [email protected] www.mainehumanities.org