Maine Humanities Council

Home of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book
“In reality, every reader is, while he is reading, the reader of his own self. The writer’s work is merely a kind of optical instrument which he offers to the reader to enable him to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have experienced in himself. And the recognition by the reader in his own self of what the book says is the proof of its veracity.”

— Time Regained
Marcel Proust

1. Culture, Need, and Philanthropy

Stories for Life participants discuss a reading.
photo: Diane Hudson

Charitable giving patterns in the current economy were a topic in various media sources last month, both in national news publications and in philanthropic-specific journals. Whether to put gifts toward social service organizations serving a needy public or organizations that promote arts and culture was a major question. This issue is of particular interest to those of us who work at or with the Maine Humanities Council as so many of our programs link social service benefits with arts and culture through programs steeped in the humanities. Yet there is something deeper to think about, too, and that is the value of programs that promote the intangibles of ideas, intellectual enrichment, and thoughtful exchange.

Most authors of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature agree that they share a common mission: to enlighten and to entertain. These goals do much during difficult times, helping people gain perspective. As retirement savings shrink, property values decrease, and wallets and purses seem emptier, many will look to books as a means to find a wealth of another kind. It is not simply the pleasure of escaping but also the pleasure of discovery. Paired with a discussion, reading can blossom into a whole new place, becoming a constructive sharing of thoughts and reflections.

This has always been key to the MHC’s work. Whether the audience is the general public through such programs as our upcoming Leadership in a Time of Crisis: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Symposium, adults struggling to read finding unexpected meaning in books through New Books, New Readers, or educators introducing young children to the discovery of books in Born to Read, the underlying goal is always the same. The power of ideas helps support and direct us to change in times of crisis; the pleasure of ideas costs little but lasts long. And it is in the sharing of both that we help each other sustain hope.

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2. MHC News

Dr. Rachel Sturman
photo: Carolyn Sloan

In December, the MHC presented India and Pakistan: The History Behind the Headlines, a K-12 teacher enrichment program, at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, to an enthusiastic group of participants. More than 50 teachers attended from across the state, including Presque Isle, Oxford Hills, and many towns in Cumberland County. The daylong enrichment seminar was facilitated by Assistant Professor of History and Asian Studies at Bowdoin College, Dr. Rachel Sturman, who provided a comprehensive overview of the history of this volatile region through lectures, a discussion of short film clips and reading materials. During the day, Dr. Sturman addressed both the background and the modern situations in this region, including the most recent atrocity in Mumbai.

Bringing this complex subject to K-12 teachers will have a significant impact on Maine students throughout the state, preparing students for future understandings of ever-changing global issues.

Part of this program is available as a MHC podcast.

(Many thanks to Martina Duncan, MHC Assistant Director, who organized this program, and provided her analysis of the day.)

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“Books and Reading” are the theme for Born to Read’s January book list. Stories include ones about a little monster who desperately searches for his book only to find it hiding under the bed, a boy who eats books (literally) until he discovers the pleasure of reading them, and teachers and family members helping non-readers learn to love the world of books.

Podcast Update

New podcasts include a talk by Colin Sargent from USM’s Stonecoast M.F.A. program, school librarian Connie Burns reading excerpts from several novels, such as Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat and Revolution is Not a Dinner Party. We’ve come to realize how large this section of our website has grown, so we encourage readers to skim through and listen to anything they’ve missed.

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3. Grants and Events


Recent Grants

$1,000 to the Deer Isle-Stonington Historical Society, Deer Isle, for Deer Isle-Stonington Oral History Project
Volunteers will conduct interviews, gather oral history, and preserve and archive local folklore for this project. Results will provide a foundation for an Oral History Institute to formally guide future oral historians in the methods of conducting quality oral history interviews for future generations.

$910 to Documenting Old Maine Jewry, Portland, for Oral History Training and Interviewing
This grant will provide oral history training and the collection of previously undocumented information about Jewish history in Maine for addition to the Documenting Old Maine Jewry website (currently located here).

$500 to the University of Maine at Augusta, Augusta, for “Réveil: Waking Up French” Documentary Film Screening and Discussion
UMA will show Ben Levine’s groundbreaking documentary on the history of the French-Canadian and Franco-American community in New England, entitled “Réveil: Waking Up French.” After the film, Levine will lead an interactive discussion with the audience on issues of language and cultural identity.

Grant-Funded Events

January 27, 2009 ~~~ Augusta

Students and faculty from the French Conversation Table and several French courses at the University of Maine, Augusta, will gather for a screening of Ben Levine’s documentary “Réveil: Waking Up French,” which traces the history of the French-Canadian and Franco-American community in New England. The screening will be centrally located in the Randall Student Center, where many students congregate for lunch, so that those who’ve never been exposed to this topic may be encouraged to participate. Following the screening, Ben Levine will lead a discussion. For more information, please call the French department at (207) 621-3487.

April 3, 2009 - May 30, 2009 ~~~ Saco

A special exhibition at the Saco Museum will feature work from New England Wax, an association of artists who work in encaustic (a beeswax-based painting medium). Juried by Katherine French, Director of the Danforth Museum in Framingham, Massachusetts, the exhibition will offer the opportunity for local and regional artists to exhibit their work and exchange ideas. Programming will include a lecture by Kim Bernard about the history of this ancient medium, as well as art-making activities and school tours. Connections will be made to nineteenth century waxworks in the Saco Museum’s permanent collection. The exhibition opens on April 3, 2009, and runs through May 30. For more information, please call (207) 283-3861 or visit www.dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org.

Through June 14, 2009 ~~~ Bar Harbor

The first test of the new textile display cases at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, purchased with support from a MHC Humanities Infrastructure grant, comes with the exhibit Twisted Path: Contemporary Native American Artists Walking in Two Worlds, for which the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and American Art in Indianapolis has loaned a coat made by Mi’kmaq artist Teresa Marshall. This exhibit, along with future exhibits that take advantage of the new textile display cases, will enhance the Abbe’s contribution to Native American studies in Maine schools. To learn more, please call (207) 388-3519 or visit www.abbemuseum.org.

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4. What We’re Reading

This list of book recommendations from MHC staff includes Hush!: A Thai Lullaby, Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Beyond, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

 

 

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5. Quote of the Month

“I really enjoyed the questions that we were asked—adults don’t have many opportunities to ask/answer the ’big’ questions, and it’s great to question, argue, and stretch yourself with people you trust.”

—An early childhood educator who participated at a Born to Read training.

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