Forwarding the following from Maine author Mark Alan Leslie.

Please contact Mr. Leslie directly FMI.

Cheers,
Julie

Julie Sawtelle, Director
Cumston Public Library
P. O. Box 239
Monmouth, ME  04259
207-933-4788


Dear Maine Librarians,

    In 1923 the Ku Klux Klan took major steps to control the  
governments of the State of Maine, wielding a strong hand in the  
election of Governor Ralph Owen Brewster, State Senate President  
Hodgdon Buzzell, the mayors of Auburn, Bath, Westbrook and Saco, and  
numerous other public officials.

    This year marks the 100th anniversary of that period when,  
according to the Washington Post, some 150,000 of Maine?s 792,000  
residents belonged to or supported the KKK. That?s 19 percent.

    When the Klan held its first annual state convention in the forest  
outside Waterville in September 1923, 15,000 Klanners attended from  
around Maine and ?the woods were ablaze with burning crosses.?

    This story isn?t taught in our schools, but it is one that needs  
to be told and remembered. I've give a 45-minute to one-hour  
Powerpoint presentations at numerous historical societies and  
libraries around Maine. My historical novel, The Crossing, published  
in 2018, is a sweeping and ultimately uplifting novel at the KKK?s  
impact on a small Maine town in 1923.

    Following are comments from several persons who have attended my  
presentations.

? ?As a member of the Curriculum Committee for UMA Senior College. I  
am always on the lookout for potential lecturers. I attended a  
presentation on the Underground Railroad in Maine by Mark Alan Leslie,  
sponsored by the Cumston Public Library in Monmouth, and was so  
impressed by his depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for this subject  
that I invited him to speak to our group. Our members were fascinated  
with the information Mark presented. This is a little known, but  
important piece of Maine history and Mark has a marvelous way of  
making it come alive!? ? Kay Fiedler, University of Maine-Augusta  
Senior College



? ?The extensive research that author Mark Alan Leslie has done in the  
writing of True North: Tice?s Story is evident in his writings and  
also how passionate he is in sharing the story of the Underground  
Railroad in Maine. Many of us have heard rumors over the years on how  
Maine residents assisted in assuring freedom, but his account brings  
it alive.? ? Corley Anne Byras, Past President of Mid-Coast Retired  
Educators Association and Past President Maine Educators  
Association-Retired



? ?Mr. Leslie?s presentations are excellent.  Well-researched,  
suitably paced, clearly articulated.? ? Peg Newberg, retired history  
teacher



? ?Mark Alan Leslie is an excellent, well-informed communicator of the  
history of The Underground Railroad, both at the national and local  
level here in Maine. Our packed audience thoroughly enjoyed his  
well-thought-out presentation enhanced by slides of this popular and  
pertinent historical exploration of the facts, as well as the courage  
and risks involved in confronting differing perspectives of this time  
in our nation?s history.?  ? Jan Hill, President, Buxton-Hollis  
Historical Society



? ?Mark Alan Leslie recently came to the Berwick Public Library to  
present on his book, The Crossing. Mark?s presentation was  
exceptional! His research on the KKK of Maine is extensive and his  
presentation was interesting, engaging and so very enlightening. This  
is a program that you will not want to miss!? ? Sharon Kelly, Berwick  
Public Library



? ?Mark?s talk [on the KKK in Maine]was so interesting and  
educational, and yes, shocking. I appreciated his ability to inject  
humor about a very sobering topic.? ? Leslie Mortimer, Patten Free  
Library, Bath



If interested, you may contact me at any time.
Mark Leslie

Mark Alan Leslie

Author:  A Cause Most Splendid: The Battle for the Bible
              Torn Asunder ? An End Times Novel
              Operation Jeremiah?s Jar: Book 3 of Thrill of the Hunt Series
              The Last Aliyah
              The Three Sixes: Book 2 of Thrill of the Hunt Series
              The Crossing
              Chasing the Music: Book 1 of Thrill of the Hunt Series
              True North: Tice?s Story (A Publishers Weekly Featured Book)
              Midnight Rider for the Morning Star
              Putting a Little Spin on It: The Design?s the Thing!
              Putting a Little Spin on It: The Grooming?s the Thing!

T. 207-933-2480

E-mail: [log in to unmask]

Web: www.markalanleslie.com