Good Morning Colleagues,

We would love to invite you to a whole host of upcoming free, in-person and
Zoom webinar events put on by the University of Southern Maine and
community partners via the *National Endowment for the Arts BIG READ,
Portland, Maine <https://www.neabigreadportlandme.com/>* grant.

*We would particularly like to draw your attention to the following
upcoming events that might be of interest to you and your colleagues:*

*New Mainers: A Panel Discussion*
*Tuesday, October 4th, 6pm-7:30pm (Via ZOOM WEBINAR)*
*Register here
<https://maine.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Poccc67HTW2E8jkTdO3n9g> for the
Zoom Link*

Join us for an interdisciplinary panel discussion on New Mainers featuring
local scholars whose work addresses topics related to immigration in the
Maine context. Moderated by Reza Jalali, Executive Director, Greater
Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, and featuring:

-Dr. Lance L.O. Gibbs, Lecturer, Race and Ethnic Studies and Talbot Fellow,
Gerald E. Talbot and African American Collections, USM
-Dr. Andrea Stairs-Davenport, Professor, Literacy, Language and Culture,
and Associate Dean, School of Education and Development, USM
-Dr. Vaishali Mamgain, Associate Professor, Economics and Director, the
Bertha Crosley Ball Center for Compassion, USM

______
*Children's Read Aloud and Writing Workshop (Someone New)*
*Saturday, October 1, 10am-11am*
*Portland Public Library, Rines Auditorium (In-Person)*

*Register here
<https://www.portlandlibrary.com/highlight/childrens-read-aloud-and-writing-workshop/>(space
is limited)*
Join us in the Rines Auditorium at the Portland Public Library as we host a
read aloud of Anne Sibley O'Brien's *Someone New,* a children's book about
welcoming new students who are immigrants. The read aloud will be followed
by a workshop with The Telling Room. In this fun and interactive workshop,
participants will explore storytelling through art and writing. This event
is for children ages 7-10. Dr. Jackie Edmondson, USM's President, will be
doing the read-aloud.
______
*Infinite Country by Patricia Engel Virtual Book Group*
*Hosted by the Portland Public Library (Via Zoom)*

*Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27 & Nov. 3, 2022,  6-7:00pm*

Join us for ongoing virtual book discussions of the Big Read: Portland
title, *Infinite Country*, with Johan Alexander. Each session will cover
different themes of the book, so you do not have to attend every discussion
to participate.
Johan Alexander was born in Medellin, Colombia. The recipient of an Ashley
Bryan Fellowship from the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance in 2021, he
is a member of the 2022 Periplus Collective cohort, as well as a Maine Lit
Fest Fellow for 2022. A musician and community organizer, he lives in
Portland, Maine. *Please complete this form
<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=IzM2CU7XJ0u8BHK8kKgACuJeREldt8ZDlYNWVxI4ZfxUN0IwN01PNlRDWFY5UkhEMlRUQldNV0RQVy4u>
or call 207-871-1700 ext. 728 to register for this free event made possible
through partnership with the Portland Public Library*
*_____*
*Free Performance by the Pihcintu Multinational Girls Choir*
*October 22, 2022, 4pm*
*Hannaford Hall, Abromson Center, University of Southern Maine (Portland)*
*Parking Available in the Bedford Street Garage*

Join us for a free performance by Pihcintu, an all-girls choir of New
Mainers that has received international acclaim from Yo-Yo Ma, The UN High
Commission for Refugees, Maine’s NAACP, and others. USM’s Department of
Theatre, the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education,
and Office of Equity, Inclusion, & Community Impact are co-hosting this
event. The performance will take place on USM's Portland Campus at
Hannaford Hall and be followed by a reception. *No registration needed.*

*You can read more about this fall's events, including performances at the
Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine and register for them
here: https://www.neabigreadportlandme.com/s-projects-side-by-side
<https://www.neabigreadportlandme.com/s-projects-side-by-side>*

We hope to see you in person or online!  *Please share widely! *

On behalf of the USM Big Read Portland Team,

Libby Bischof

*For questions related to any Big Read Portland events, please contact Dr.
Kathleen McGovern, Department of Literacy, Language and Culture, USM:
[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> *

*NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in
partnership with Arts Midwest.*
_____

Libby Bischof, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic
Education
Professor of History
Office: 113 Glickman Library, Portland Campus (inside the Osher Map Library)
Office Phone: 207-780-4281
Email: [log in to unmask]
Pronouns: she/her/hers
http://www.oshermaps.org

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