EVENT: Spooky Zoom talk! October 13 w/Portsmouth Public Library

 Hi everyone! I'm giving a fun spooky Zoom talk with Portsmouth Public Library in October!! If you (or someone you know) would like to attend, here's the link!

This event requires registration. To register visit: portsmouthpl.librarycalendar.com/event/strange

 

WHAT: "There's Something in the Woods" Zoom talk

WHERE: Online via Zoom, hosted by Portsmouth Public Library!

WHEN: Thursday, October 13, 2022 @ 7 PM – 8:30 PM

COST: Free!  Open to the public via pre-registration here:
portsmouthpl.librarycalendar.com/event/strange

 

FMI:  cityofportsmouth.com/library/news/onlineprograms 

 

Join Portsmouth Public Library as they host Maine author Michelle Souliere for an evening of creepy local stories from Maine and New Hampshire! Michelle is the author of the books Strange Maine and Bigfoot in Maine, and is the owner of The Green Hand Bookshop in Portland, ME.

Cozy up on your couch or in your favorite reading chair and tune in via zoom for accounts of the "York County Poltergeist," "Bigfoot in Maine and New Hampshire," and more! At the end of the night, you will be absolutely convinced ... there's something in the woods.

This event requires registration. To register visit: portsmouthpl.librarycalendar.com/event/strange

EVENT: Virtual talk June 24 at the Thompson Free Library

 

WHAT: A virtual author talk about the book "Bigfoot in Maine"

WHERE:  Via Zoom https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/84699881006

Event info is also posted on their Facebook page:  https://fb.me/e/LYOeioe2

Hosted by the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft, ME.

WHEN: Thursday, June 24 at 7:00pm

FMI:  Contact the library at 207-564-3350 or via email at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com

Come join us!  Jon Knepp is going to interview me and I will discuss the book (and more!) with him.  We'll wrap up with some audience Q&A at the end.

EVENT: Bigfoot in Maine virtual talk June 10!

 Hi all!  Both myself and Nate Brislin will be part of a virtual talk at Falmouth Memorial Library the evening of June 10th. Hooray! You can register to attend here:

https://falmouthmemoriallibrary.evanced.info/signup/eventdetails?eventid=14518&lib=999

 

It should be fun!  Come for a great conversation, stay to ask questions.  😃

Tomorrow (FRI)! Black Bear coffee chat

 Do you live near black bears in Maine?  Probably.  Wouldn't you like to know more about them?  I know I do!

Join MDIFW's Black Bear + Canada Lynx Biologist, Jen Vashon, for coffee tomorrow morning (Friday)! Jen will be discussing Maine's robust bear population and how to avoid conflicts with bears.

 Click here to watch, or set a reminder to participate in this live video chat on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBx7Pj_D79w

WHAT: Coffee chat with Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Biologist Jen Vashon about Black Bears and how to avoid conflict with our big neighbors

WHERE:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBx7Pj_D79w

WHEN: 9:30am on Friday, Mar 26, 2021

COST:  Free!

EVENT: Strange Maine at Wells Library for Halloween Eve!

Whoohooooo! I'm giving a spooky-season talk down at Wells Library soon! Come on by if you're in the neighborhood. 👻💕 Cross your fingers there's no hurricane this time!!! ;)

For more information visit the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/404884133377856/
or call Wells Library at (207) 646-8181.

EVENT: International Cryptozoology Conference 2018!

A note for those of you interested in cryptozoology in general, and Maine Bigfoot -- I will be joining the star-studded line-up of speakers at the International Cryptozoology Museum Conference for its 3rd annual event here in Portland, Maine, at the beginning of September! Last year tickets sold out in advance, so if you really do want to attend, please be aware that it is better to buy your tickets sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment.  😉

I'm really excited to talk about my research on Maine Bigfoot, and to hear the other speakers, including Jeff Meldrum, Todd Disotell, Paul LeBlond, and of course Loren Coleman himself! It's also a great opportunity to visit the International Cryptozoology Museum (practically right next door to the conference), never mind being able to stock up on the latest cryptozoology books and films, plus pick up some fantastic artwork, all available right from the source in the vendors room!

I'm including a few pics below from last year's conference, featuring artist Stephen Bissette speaking on Vermont's Pigman and other creatures, Bruce Champagne's discussions of sea serpent types, Robert Schneck's revealing illumination of the dark corners of the historic Ape Canyon episode, Linda Godfrey's research on dogmen/wolfmen (including the Palmyra, ME, encounters), and one of many amazing creations from Kim Parkhurst at Toadbriar.com found in the vendor room.

FMI: http://www.cryptozoonews.com/icc2018-x/

EVENT: Sea Serpents AHOY!!!

Do you love SEA MONSTERS? Then head over to the Masonic Civil War Library at 415 Congress Street here in Portland for a talk by local historian Herb Adams about the "Summer of Sea Serpents"! It's the 100-year anniversary of this epic rash of Maine and New England sea serpent sightings -- time to CELEBRATE!!!

This event is hosted by the folks at the Maine Masonic Civil War Library and Museum.

WHEN? Saturday April 12, 2018 at 12:00 noon
WHERE? 415 Congress Street, Portland, Maine
FMI: call (207)294-1152 or email mmcwlm@gmail.com
portlandmasonic.com/library.html

THURSDAY: A celebration of Rick Hautala

Please join the crowd at Southern Maine Community College later this week, when the campus will host an evening Celebration of Rick Hautala, closely following the one-year anniversary of his death in 2013.

WHEN: March 27, 2014 starting @ 7:00pm
WHAT: Friends, fans, students, and faculty will get together at the campus community center to read and reminisce about Rick, and discuss the many contributions he made to the community and to the horror genre.
WHERE: Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) -- The Campus Center is located at 2 Fort Rd, South Portland, ME 04106, and the event is being held in the Learning Commons, which is on the 2nd floor of the Campus Center.

More information about Rick and the event can be found online here:
http://portlandme.ourcityradio.com/uncategorized/celebration-rick-hautala

A PDF map of the SMCC campus is here:
http://www.smccme.edu/images/stories/campuses/south_portland/Campus_Map_Sout
h_Portland.pdf

Anyone who wishes to read the post I wrote on this blog following his death last March can do so here:
http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2013/03/rip-rick-hautala-lifetime-is-not-long.html

Rick at NECON 2006

EVENT: Fort Knox Ghost Hunters premiere

SyFy Channel’s "Ghost Hunter" TV program will air the results of its February investigation of Fort Knox, in Prospect, Maine, on Wednesday, April 6 at 9 p.m.! Shown here is Leon Seymore, of the Friends of Fort Knox, sitting with Amy Bruni and Grant Wilson of TAPS, ready for the "reveal" segment of the episode.

A live public screening of the "Ghost Hunters" Fort Knox episode, which is titled “Residual Haunts,” will take place Wednesday, April 6 from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. at the Bucksport Golf Club on Route 46.

The special event fundraiser, sponsored by the Friends of Fort Knox, will provide viewers an opportunity to meet people who have reported paranormal experiences at the fort and watch the show on a big-screen TV.

Advanced tickets for the Bucksport event are $7 in advance, $10 night of the event, and may be purchased by calling (207)469-6553 or stopping by the Friends’ office at Fort Knox. Attendees will receive snacks, and a cash bar will be available.

Source: http://waldo.villagesoup.com/ae/story/fort-knox-ghost-hunters-to-air-april-6/388049

Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180247668687843&ref=ts

MONDAY: New Hampshire vampire movie!

WHAT: Fun Box at the Movies presents: God of Vampires
WHEN: Monday, September 20, 8:00pm - 11:00pm (Doors open @ 8pm, film starts @ 9pm)
WHERE: Geno's, 625 Congress Street, Portland, ME
COST: Suggested Donation of $5 to support the film maker, Rob Fitz
FMI: Call the Fun Box Monster Emporium at (207)329-5385
God of the Vampires website: www.godofvampires.com

This flick looks awesome, especially if you've been a fan of the old school Hopping Chinese Vampire movies in the past -- this is the new breed!  Come support independent New England horror cinema!   If you'd like to read more about it (warning, there may be spoilers), there's a great write-up over at Dread Central:
http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/god-vampires-2006

Synopsis: Professional Killer, Frank Ng, has been contracted to murder a Chinese crime lord. The routine hit goes awry when Frank discovers his mark is actually a vampire.

Suddenly, the tables have turned. The professional killer – the hunter – has become the hunted. This is no ordinary vampire of myths and legends, however. Frank has come face to face with the vengeful Kiang-Shi (Chinese vampire), and it vows to inflict upon Frank such unbearable pain that death will be his only sanctuary.

Cursed, Frank is condemned to helplessly witness the horrific and merciless deaths of those he loves, everyone he knows, and anyone he merely brushes by. His anguish intensifies when he dooms his younger brother to this terrible fate.Enlisting the help of a Chinese herbalist, knowledgeable in the ways of ancient lore, and an unlikely team of vampire hunters, Frank strikes out in a final battle against the Kiang-Shi and his minions of the dark.

Tonight, Frank Ng will discover that to destroy the monster, one must become the monster!

View the Trailer at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN_GiaxVCkQ



Facebook event page

Wood Island lighthouse ghost tour!

This photo is the earliest known photo of Wood Island (c. 1858).
 Source: http://www.woodislandlighthouse.org

Join author and paranormal investigator Ron Kolek and members of the New England Ghost Project for an overnight investigation of Wood Island Lighthouse, Biddeford, on Saturday, Sept. 11th, 2010.

Ghost Hunt at Wood Island Lighthouse with the New England Ghost Project
http://neghostproject.com/
September 11th-12th

Have you ever wanted to go on a ghost hunt? Now is your chance! On the night of September 11th and the morning or the 12th, join author, radio personality and paranormal investigator Ron Kolek and members of the New England Ghost Project for an overnight investigation of Wood Island Lighthouse. This lighthouse was featured in their book Ghost Chronicles and has a history of unusual occurrences.

Former keepers, Coast Guard personnel and others have witnessed strange events associated with the island and lighthouse. In 1896, a tragic murder-suicide took place on the island. Do their spirits still inhabit the island? Or is it that of a former lighthouse keeper? Or is it something more sinister?

Join Ron and the rest of the NEGP crew for an unbelievable night as they attempt to unravel the mystery of Wood Island. The price of this overnight investigation is only $100. The Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse will be providing free transportation to the island. (All funds will be donated to the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse for preservation of the facility).

Do you have what it takes to become a ghost hunter?
Sign up and find out! CALL 207-468-8057

In addition, the New England Ghost Project will be offering two tours of the lighthouse on Saturday, September 11th, at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM. The cost will be $20/person. FOWIL will be providing free transportation. Reservations are required. Call our reservation line 207-286-3229

Readers may also be interested in "Maine Open Lighthouse Day," September 18th, 2010, when FOWIL will once again be participating in the 2nd annual Maine Open Lighthouse Day. Weather permitting, FOWIL will host tours of Wood Island Lighthouse. This event is sponsored by the State of Maine, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the American Lighthouse Foundation. Reservations are required and may be made after October 1st by calling the reservation line at 207-286-3229.

For information about the other Maine lighthouses participating in this event, go to http://www.visitmaine.com/attractions/sightseeing_tours/lighthouse/lighthouse-day/

---------
The New England Ghost Project (http://neghostproject.com/) is based out of Dracut, Massachusetts. This paranormal investigation group is led by Ron Kolek, their Executive Director/Lead Investigator. According to their website:

Ron Kolek is the founder and lead investigator of The New England Ghost Project. With a degree in Environmental Science, he was the ultimate skeptic. However, a near death experience changed all that. No longer blinded by his skepticism, he now uses scientific background to seek the truth about the paranormal. In addition to hosting Ghost Chronicles on Ghostvillage Radio and ITunes, he hosts a weekly internet radio show on Toginet.com, and writes monthly paranormal newspaper columns in The Stateline Review and Food and Spirits.

[Source: http://neghostproject.com/team.htm]

The group also releases two regular podcast series: Ghost Chronicles and Ghost Chronicles International.

TONIGHT: Adelle - Maine horror film showing

Come check out the latest version of Adelle, new ending and all, at Geno's tonight, August 16th, 2010. Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm, admission by donation, must be 21+.

WHAT: Screening of Maine indy horror film Adelle, part of the Fun Box at the Movies series
WHEN: TONIGHT! Monday, August 16, 2010. Doors @ 8:00, showing at 9:00pm
WHERE: Geno's at 625 Congress Street, Portland, ME
FMI: The Facebook event page for RSVP is here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=141561715877058&ref=mf, or call the Fun Box Monster Emporium at 329-5385

Adelle tells the tale of a young deaf girl who is left in the middle of nowhere by her parents in the 1930′s. Adelle is forced to try and survive based on her very limited life skills. Along the way, her voyage turns into a very dark, horrifying trip.

The film echoes the dark themes presented in stories like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, and presents a visual smorgasbord for viewers. “We set out to make a very trippy, scary film from the perspective of the child. We came out of production very happy with the work we accomplished.” said co-writer/director Andy Davis.

Adelle was written by children’s poetry author Sandy McKeon and horror filmmaker Andy Davis. Adelle marks the seventh film for Davis as director. Strange Maine readers may remember our extensive coverage of some of his prior films, including the zombie apocalypse movie 2 (see production photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/darkbrilliance/sets/72157594554822363/). The main body of Davis's work with Emptyhouse Film was collected in the DVD set "Twisted Tales from Maine" which we reviewed back in February 2009 (here). Adelle has the proud honor of being slated for release and distribution by Elite Entertainment very shortly.

Fort Knox Paranormal & Psychic Faire 2010!

While I am unable to make it to the Faire this year, that doesn't mean you should stay at home! Far from it. Please see my article about last year's faire here: http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2009/09/not-your-normal-fort.html Needless to say, I highly recommend a visit to the Fort, faire or not.



The annual Psychic/Paranormal Faire returns to Fort Knox on Saturday and Sunday, July 31st and August 1st, 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM. This unusual event features presentations from ghost hunters, UFO enthusiasts, an exorcist, speakers on the legacy of Edgar Cayce and a practicing psychic. Psychics/card readers will be on hand for those wishing to purchase a reading and vendors will be present to sell unusual items.

Melissa Gaspar will be presenting a talk on one of America’s most famous psychics, Edgar Cayce. Cayce was alo known as the sleeping prophet, because many of his revelations about the future came about when he was in a trance-like state.

Christopher Gardner and Cindy Proulx, will lead discussions on the topic of Unidentified Flying Objects. They will be facilitating discussion on the topic with audience members.

The Bangor Ghost Trackers will be on hand to talk about their investigations at Fort Knox and other sites around Maine. The Ghost Trackers will exhibit the tools, techniques and results found in their paranormal investigations.

Former President of the American Dowsing Society, Gordon Barton, will speak on his decades of experience in the filed of dowsing. Barton will reveal that there is far more to the art of dowsing than simply looking for underground water.

Local psychic, Sky Taylor, will speak on her life experiences as a psychic and how people might tap into their own psychic abilities. Cindy Proulx, a long-time UFO enthusiast will lead discussions on the possible existence of Unidentified flying Objects.

Here is the schedule for the two-day faire:
Saturday, July 31st

All-Day Events
10:00 – 4:00 Psychics and vendors in the Fort Officer’s Quarters
10:00 – 4:00 Lecturers will be available in the Visitor Center

Lectures
Lectures take place in the amphitheater at Visitor Center.
10:00am Paranormal Investigation Process, Equipment and Techniques (Bangor Maine Ghost Trackers)
11:00 The Legacy of psychic Edgar Cayce (Melissa Gaspar)
12:00 UFOs? What Do You Think? (Facilitated by local UFO enthusiast Cindy Proulx)
1:00 Exorcism (Ahura Z)
2:00 Paranormal Investigation Process, Equipment and Techniques (Bangor Maine Ghost Trackers)
3:00 Developing Your Sixth Sense (Sky Taylor)

Sunday, August 1

All-Day Events
10:00 – 4:00 Psychics and vendors in the Fort Officer’s Quarters
10:00 - 4:00 Lecturers will be available in the Visitor Center

Lectures
Lectures take place in the amphitheater at Visitor Center.
10:00am Paranormal Investigation Process, Equipment and Techniques (Bangor Maine Ghost Trackers)
11:00 The Legacy of psychic Edgar Cayce (Melissa Gaspar)
12:00 UFOs? What Do You Think? (Facilitated by local UFO enthusiast Cindy Proulx)
1:00 Exorcism (Ahura Z)
2:00 Paranormal Investigation Process, Equipment and Techniques (Bangor Maine Ghost Trackers)
3:00 Developing Your Sixth Sense (Sky Taylor)

Admission to the Psychic/Paranormal Faire is the standard Fort admission plus a requested $2 event donation to help defray costs and fund fort restoration projects. For further information on Friends’ of Fort Knox special events go to their web site at fortknox.maineguide.com. Fort Knox is owned and operated by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands for the people of Maine.

----------------------------------
This two-day event, sponsored by the Friends of Fort Knox, is one of many special events this summer at the State Historic Site. The following week, Friday/Saturday, August 6 and 7, at 6:00pm, Shakespeare Comes to Fort Knox featuring the presentation of Romeo and Juliet, performed by Ten Bucks Theatre Troupe (http://www.tenbuckstheatre.org). Ticket prices for the Shakespeare event are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Fort Knox gift shop, by telephoning 207-469-6553 or by emailing FOFK1@aol.com

EVENT: Hidden History of Maine, SATURDAY!

WHAT: Author appearance
WHEN: Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 12:00 noon
WHERE: The Green Hand Bookshop, 661 Congress Street, Portland, ME
FMI: call (207)450-6695 or email michelle.souliere[at]gmail.com

Come to the Green Hand Bookshop for a reading and signing of the Hidden History of Maine by Harry Gratwick!

The history of the Pine Tree State would be bare but for the contributions of hardy and impassioned individuals—generals, governors, settlers and activists whose lives of leadership make up the story of Maine’s “hidden history.”

Author Harry Gratwick creates intimate and detailed portraits of these Mainers, from the controversial missionary of Sebastien Rale to Woolwich native William Phips, whose seafaring attacks against French Canada earned him the first governorship of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Gratwick also profiles inventors who “challenged the assumptions of [their] time and place,” such as Robert Benjamin Lewis, an African American from Gardiner who patented a hair growth product in the 1830’s, and Margaret Knight, a York native who defied nineteenth-century sexism to earn the nickname “the female Edison.”

Discover over four hundred years of Maine’s history through the tales of its unique residents, from soprano Lillian Nordica, who left Farmington to become the most glamorous American opera singer of her day, to slugger George “Piano Legs” Gore, the only Mainer to have ever won a Major League batting championship.

Harry Gratwick is a lifelong summer resident of Vinalhaven Island in Penobscot Bay. He is an active member of the Vinalhaven Historical Society and has written extensively on maritime history for two Island Institute publications, the Working Waterfront and the Island Journal. Harry and his wife, Tita, spend the winter months in Philadelphia. Hidden History of Maine is his second book.

EVENT: Strange Maine book release party!

It's finally here! "Strange Maine: True Tales from the Pine Tree State" by Michelle Souliere is available and for sale at The Green Hand and other fine local bookshops. Join us on the evening of May 27th for a release party and book signing!

WHAT: Book release party
WHEN: Thursday, May 27 from 6:00-9:00
WHERE: The Green Hand Bookshop @ 661 Congress Street, Portland ME

I'll do a short reading at the start, and sign books following that. We'll have refreshments, and Curtis Clark will be playing some music live, so it should be fun!!!

On Facebook, you can view the event page here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124774294204694&ref=mf

If you are interested in reading a review of the book, the folks over at the Talk Stephen King blog have posted a great one, the first one out so far, here:
http://talkstephenking.blogspot.com/2010/05/strange-maine.html

EVENT: Help spring clean Eastern Cemetery

Hello from Spirits Alive!

If you have a hankerin' to get some cemetery dirt under your fingernails, we've got a proposition for you!

WHEN: Saturday, May 8, 9am - 12pm
WHERE: Eastern Cemetery, Congress & Mountfort Streets, Portland, ME
FMI: http://spiritsalive.org/events.htm#workdays

Come help us plant, prune, tidy, and trim on Saturday before lunch! Enjoy a sparkling soda courtesy of Shipyard Brewing while you're there.

We are happy to train new cemetery gardeners -- hope to see you there!

EVENT: Documenting New England Ruination

If you are as big a fan of books like Abandoned New England as I am, you'll be sure to show up for this upcoming Maine Historical Society event!

-------------------------------------

WHAT:The Maine Historical Society invites you to... Ruin: Photographs of a Vanishing America by Brian Vanden Brink, Photographer
WHEN:Tuesday, October 20, 12:00-1:00pm
WHERE: Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street, Portland, ME
COST: Free and open to the public.
FMI: For more information call (207)774-1822, or e-mail info@mainehistory.org, or visit www.mainehistory.org

Join the photographer to explore his newly published collection of images. Vanden Brink's photographs capture the gradual demise of churches, mills, bridges, grain elevators, storefronts, and other iconic American structures that were built - and ultimately abandoned. His collection considers the value and significance of these sites, past and present, and grants permanence to places that may soon vanish forever.

Vanden Brink is an award-winning architectural photographer whose work regularly appears in Down East Magazine, the New York Times Magazine, Architectural Digest, Coastal Living, and New England Home Magazine, among many other publications. This is his third book.

EVENT: Strange Maine artshow opens Friday!

WHAT: The Art of Strange Maine exhibition @ Sanctuary Tattoo
WHEN: Opening Reception: Friday, October 2nd, 6:00-9:00pm
WHERE: Sanctuary, 31 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
FMI: (207)828-8866, chris[at]sanctuarytattoo.com or sanctuarytattoo.com

Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11-7
Show runs October 2nd – November 4th, 2009

Sanctuary Tattoo is pleased to present THE ART OF STRANGE MAINE from October 2ND to November 4TH, a group show curated by Michelle Souliere, editor of the Strange Maine Gazette, with a special focus on the work of eleven artists: Tom Brown, Michael Connor, Jay Cornell, Brendan Evans, Morbideus Goodell, Jason Gorcoff, Frank Navarro, Zac Perkins, and Dave Stelmok. A small selection of other artists will also be participating. Work ranges from pen and ink drawings, to oil paintings, to carvings made from found wood, and beyond.

The theme of this show is the unique strangeness of Maine in all its forms.

What is Strange Maine?
Weirdos. Unmapped roads. Whispering rocks. Deadening fog. Ghost pirates. Lonely islands. THINGS in the WOODS. Home of Stephen King & Glenn Chadbourne. A place where the four seasons really know how to live. Maine: the way life should be! Strange Maine is made up of Maine's unique strangeness, people who love it, people who have experienced it, & people who are intrigued by it. History, mysteries, legends, cryptozoology, & more.

What inspires Strange Maine?
It is the MYSTERY of Maine that sends a reanimating frisson through our veins and lights our eyes to see in the dim ruins again. Mystery – the perfume of “strange.” Mystery is, by its very nature, that which cannot be fully understood. We need this. We need mystery in our lives. Mystery is our elixir. The job of these artists has been to draw this elixir out and present it in a visual form for viewers to explore on their own.

FURTHER ARTIST INFORMATION and IMAGES:

--Tom Brown: Copper Age Comics, New England Gothic comic
-- Michael Connor: Coelacanth zine
-- Jay Cornell: recently seen in “The Funnies” show at Whitney Art Works
-- Brendan Evans: http://www.kraag.org/strange/
-- Morbideus Goodell: http://morbideusgallery.tripod.com/
http://www.postmortem-prod.com/
-- Jason Gorcoff http://jgorcoff.blogspot.com/
-- Frank Navarro found wood sculpture
-- Zac Perkins http://www.zacperkins.com/

EVENT: Ghost story reading

Thanks to the Sun Journal for printing this author's letter and letting us know about this event:

WHAT: A night of ghost stories, read by David Pitkin, author of "Ghosts of the Northeast"
WHEN: 7:00 p.m., Saturday, August 19, 2009
WHERE: At the old Town Hall gym on Route 207, and in the parking lot with the Fire Station and Sebago Town Hall
COST: $3 suggested donation
FMI: pitkinaurora@aol.com

Author seeks ghostly experiences
Published: Jul 26, 2006 12:00 am

Dear Sun Spots' readers: Have you ever lived with a ghost?
I'm an author seeking true experiences. Anonymity guaranteed. I am a retired teacher and historian and author of the best-selling "Ghosts of the Northeast," which contains many Maine stories. I am now gathering ghost stories for a 2008 book covering the entire world, though most stories will be from the northeastern United States. I am starting my research here in Maine. I have investigated more than 800 haunted sites since hearing a ghost walking on a floor that wasn't there in 1968. Readers may e-mail me at pitkinaurora@aol.com or write to me at P.O. Box 690, Chestertown, NY 12817. - David J. Pitkin, Chestertown, N.Y.
[...]
Pitkin also notes he is a regular, year-round visitor to Maine. He will offer a night of ghost stories, a special presentation of the Spaulding Free Library in Sebago at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19. Please note the event is being held at the old town hall gym on Route 207 and in the parking lot with the fire station and Sebago Town Hall. There is a suggested $3 donation for the event.

Read full article here: [Source]

Illustration by Michelle Souliere, (c)2005.

EVENT: Dead Poets for fun!

From the Maine Libraries Discussion List comes the following cool event...

For Librarians and Patrons who enjoy Maine's Past Poets:
Maine poets and poetry-lovers are invited to come celebrate the completion of an historic literary adventure by reading at Maine's first Dead Poets Bash.

After a 63-day, 90-grave, 25-State journey to document the poetry and graves of America’s dead poets, the Poemobile is rolling back into Portland for a celebration at the North Star Café, from 3:30 to 5 this Sunday, August 16.

Participants should come prepared to read one or two poems about death, cemeteries, or elegy by one of Maine’s dead poets, such as: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Longfellow, Sarah Jewett, E. A. Robinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Robert Tristram Coffin, May Sarton, Leo Connellan, Louis Bogan, and Elizabeth Coatsworth.

The event will be filmed for possible inclusion in the documentary film of the trip, as well as made part of the official trip archive which will be given to the Library of Congress. For more information write Walter Skold, of the Dead Poets Society of America, at chiefleaf@deadpoes.org

The North Star Café is located at 225 Congress Street, Portland, ME., and is a popular venue for musicians and poets. The event is free and good food and drinks are available for sale at the Café.

Illustration by Michelle Souliere, (c)2006.