Talk of the Towns 12/11/24: Alive To This… exploring a new book of essays by Maine writers

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: As co-editor, Kara Douglas shares what led to this collaboration and publication of Alive to This–Essays on Living Fully by 20 Maine Writers. Kara Douglas, Carl Little and Robert Diamante, contributors to the collection of essays, provide background on their essay and read short portions, all reflecting on what brought them to feeling most alive? Each guest also highlights an essay written by Maine writers, creating connections among all 20 essays. Each writer reflects on how these essays might help readers/listeners reflect on the year ending and a new year beginning. Guest/s: Kara Douglas—Co editor of Alive to This (along with Erin O’Mara) and contributor, also yoga and meditation teacher, Harpswell. Carl Little, contributor, Somesville, writer on the arts, latest collection of poems is entitled Blanket of the Night , Deerbook Editions, Somesville. Robert Diamante, contributor, artist, photographer, Bangor. FMI: Alive to This– littoralbooks.com/product/alive-to-this-essays-on-living-fully-tax-exempt/ find.mainewriters.org/writers/carl_little/ robertdiamante.com fishmoonyoga.com/ (website for Kara Douglas) harpswellanchor.org/2024/11/harpswell-neck-writers-collaborate-for-alive-to-this-essay-collection-exploring-connection-and-possibility/ About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.