Podcast of the Day

I was browsing the Maine Humanities Council's collection of podcasts this afternoon and came across Kevin Belmonte's 23-minute talk on the late Maine writer Robert P.T. Coffin.

-John C.L. Morgan

Related: How Real Maine Men Sleep (February 5, 2009)
Related: Quote, Unquote: Robert P.T. Coffin (January 21, 2009)
Related: Quote, Unquote: Robert P.T. Coffin (December 3, 2009)
Related: On Location: Presumpscot River (June 3, 2008)

Longfellow in Everyday Life

Maybe it's just because I just read the excerpt from his poem "The Lighthouse" etched in a monument at Portland Head Light this weekend, but it seems like I'm seeing references to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Rainy Day" everywhere today.

This morning, I noticed Dieter Bradbury's wink at the hometown bard's poem in the lede of his story about how it feels as though winter just won't see itself out ("Into every life a little snow must fall."). And this afternoon I flipped to Golf magazine's lifestyle section, where, whaddya know, the whackers contribute its own riff on the apparently very famous line in a write-up on golf-specific umbrellas ("Unto all golfers a little rain must fall.").

- John C.L. Morgan

Book Clubs

The PPH's "Read Around Maine" virtual book club is tackling E.B. White's 1942 collection of essays One Man's Meat this month. After you catch up (here and here) and grab the book, you can jump into the discussion here.

Speaking of book clubs, I'd be remiss to mention two upcoming book club meetings that require, you know, face-to-face interaction. Warren Memorial Library's book club talks about Bill Bryson's Sunburned Country this Wednesday at 6:30p. And Walker Memorial Library's book club meets on Tuesday, February 17 at 12p to discuss Nancy Horan's Loving Frank.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Putting Maine Literature on the Map
Related: Quote, Unquote: E.B. White
Related: Quote, Unquote: E.B. White

Am I Missing Something?

Via Vacationland:

Burns Night--a big to-do in the state of Maine--celebrates the fame, exploits,
and poetry of Robert Burns, the man responsible for gems like "Auld lang Syne"
and "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose."

[snip]

First, there is the presentation of the haggis. After all, what Scottish
celebration would be complete without some leftover cuts of sheep that have been
boiled in sheep stomach for a couple hours.

[Emphasis mine.]

Now, I don't have an ounce of Scottish blood in me, so maybe I'm out of the loop. But is an annual celebration of Bobby Burns really a "big to-do" in the Pine Tree State?

- John C.L. Morgan

Introducing Movies at Riverbank

The Westbrook Historical Society, in conjunction with the City of Westbrook, will be screening the film The Palm Beach Story (1942) at Riverbank Park on Friday, August 22.

Featuring an award-winning performance by Westbrook native Rudy Vallee, The Palm Beach Story (88 minutes) is the inaugural showcase in the Movies at Riverbank series of public film screenings in Westbrook. (Future dates and movies are unspecified, though more frequent showings next summer are expected.)

Anyway, the projector will begin flickering at 8:30p; admission is free; and seating, snacks, and bug spray are the responsibilities of the moviegoer.

The hosts will provide the whimsical movie, the beautiful park, and the snapping stars overhead.

- John C.L. Morgan

P.S. Westbrook's Fourth Friday Art Walk also takes place Friday, August 22 from 5-8p, so this event was scheduled to dovetail with that event.

(Disclosure: I was involved in the planning of Movies at Riverbank.)

Top 10 Local CDs: May 5- May 11, 2008

Here are the Top 10 Local CDs for the week of May 5-May 11 (the album's spot in last week's Top 10 is in parentheses, much like this fyi note), courtesy of the Portland Phoenix:

1. Dead Season, "Rise" (3)
2. Various Artists, "Greetings from Area Code 207, Vol. 7" (1)
3. Rustic Overtones, "Long Division" (2)
4. As Fast As, "Destroy the Plastique Man" (4)
5. Cambiata, "To Heal" (8)
6. Civil Disturbance, "The Battle Within" (10)
7. Sly-Chi, "The Space" (6)
8. Time for Change, "Apocalyptic Fantasy" (5)
9. Cambiata, "Into the Night" (9)
10. Dave Mallett, "Midnight on the Water" (-)

The list was compiled from Bull Moose Music.

- John C.L. Morgan

Easy Listening

"A Prairie Home Companion", one of my favorite radio programs, broadcast live from Bangor Saturday night. And though I recommend you listen to the entire show, I command you to listen to segments two and five.

About 22:30 into segment two, my new hero Lucien "Lou" Mathieu of Westbrook graces the microphone. And the fifth segment begins with an instrumental version of the University of Maine's fight song, "The Maine Stein Song," which was arranged by Westbrook's favorite son, the late Rudy Vallee.

And while I'm getting all elitist on y'all, I might as well recommend you check out Maine writer Richard Ford's reading of John Cheever's short story "Reunion" in a The New Yorker podcast. I've listened to it at least five times and can't seem to get enough of it.

- John C.L. Morgan

P.S. Once I start, I just can't stop. Check out the Maine Humanities Council's collection of podcasts. Hmm, these would fit it in nicely with a certain idea I had a while ago.