Union Church of Biddeford Pool Presents

Summer 2022 Speaker Series

We heartily invite you to join us!

Each event will be in-person, if possible, and virtually in any event.

All on Thursdays, starting at 7pm

JULY 14.   The Telling Room is a nonprofit writing center in down  town Portland, Maine, “where thousands of kids come every year . . . and write the kind of stories that don’t let you go.” (Introduction to The Story I Want to Tell). We’ll hear from some of the TTR students and learn why they are supported and applauded by so many notables. For example, Amanda Gorman, Presidential Inaugural Poet, described their writings as “brave and radiant . . . vibrant and unforgettable.” (Introduction to A New Land: 30 Groundbreaking Poems by Youth Poets). Former President Barack Obama had a Zoom visit with them. And acclaimed writers from around the world, including Lily King, Elizabeth Strout, Richard Blanco, Elizabeth Gilbert, Dave Eggers, and Richard Russo, have mentored and connected with them. 

JULY  28.   Kerri Arsenault. A writer’s pursuit of truth can lead to a precarious place. Fortunately, Kerri Arsenault is a consummate writer. In her first book, Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains, a memoir and environmental exposé, she describes a “happy childhood” growing up in a small mill town in Maine, only to discover later that generations of every family in town paid a high price for that happiness. “Mill Town is preoccupied with a poisonous irony,” and “the potential malfeasance could not be grander or more terrifying.” (New York Times)

AUGUST 11.  Susan Conley.  With five critically acclaimed books, Susan Conley’s newest, Landslide, further solidifies her position in the writing world.  Selecting it as an Editors' Choice, the New York Times writes, “In this enveloping novel, a mother of teenage boys tries to find her footing in coastal Maine after her husband is injured in a fishing accident. Little cracks have sprouted in every inch of the fortification around this family’s life.” “. . . funny, moving and deeply insightful . . .an unforgettable love story of a family on the brink.” (Lily King).

AUGUST 25.   Meg Weston. Recently retired from her position as President of Maine Media Workshops + College, Meg Weston now focuses on her own creative expression.  Her poetry reveals a passion for geological processes that shape the earth and the stories that shape our lives. Her photography celebrates her obsession with volcanoes. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University. Her poems have appeared in Hawaii Pacific Review, Goose River Anthology, Red Fez, and The Mountain Troubadour, among others. She is co-founder of The Poets Corner.

A series ticket is $60; an individual-event ticket is $20. After registering online, please pay by check made out to Union Church, with “Speaker Series” in memo line, to UC/Treasurer, PO Box 344, Biddeford Pool, ME 04006.  Or pay online using PayPal or a credit card, for which user fees will be charged to both the purchaser and church, the combination totaling up to ~ 8% of the ticket price.

Register Now!