UMM’s Merrill Library offers ‘Let’s Talk About It’ book group

Merrill Library at the University of Maine at Machias has been selected by the Maine Humanities Council to offer “Let’s Talk About It,” a free public reading and discussion group, with copies of books available for loan through the library.

The program is provided by the Maine Humanities Council’s Maine Center for the Book, in cooperation with the Maine State Library.

The theme of the UMM program is “Entering Nature: Contemporary Views of the Human Self in the Natural World.” It begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 13 at Merrill Library and continues for four sessions, culminating Dec. 6.

Books to be read and discussed in the series include: “Lives of a Cell” by Lewis Thomas; “The Tree” by John Fowles; “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard; and “Arctic Dreams” by Barry Lopez. A Maine Humanities Council scholar will facilitate the discussions.

“Exploring ideas and issues through literature has a unique and fun way of creating community,” said Nicole Rancourt, director of Let’s Talk About It. “We find that there is great interest among people in getting together to discuss what they’ve read with others. Having a discussion leader such as Penny Guisinger, who is both excited about the readings and skilled in facilitating, can help to deepen this experience.”

To register, request a disability accommodation or pick up a copy of the first book in the series, contact Merrill Library, 255.1234 or 255.1254. The library’s summer hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday. Beginning Aug. 28, the library will be open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday–Thursday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

More information about Let’s Talk About It and the Maine Humanities Council is online.