Maine

Before rock 'n' roll, jazz dominated the music scene in America.

In the decades since Elvis and the Beatles changed the face of music, jazz has remained a steady, if somewhat diminished, uniquely American art form.

A panel of jazz lovers, including Maine Public’s own Rich Tozier, join us to talk about their love of jazz and the Maine jazz scene. We’ll also hear some live jazz during the show.

This show is being broadcast live from the Bangor Library.

Read ME is a statewide community reading program that encourages every adult in Maine to read two books recommended by a well-known Maine author. Dozens of Maine libraries participate in this special event. This year’s Read ME culminates on Aug. 29. Best-selling author Tess Gerritsen chose "Paris Was the Place" by Susan Conley and "After the Eclipse: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Search" by Sarah Perry as the books to be discussed. We will talk with all three authors about their books, their careers, and what it takes to succeed as an author in Maine.

Maine’s 65 lighthouses are visible symbols of our state’s history and nautical heritage. Many of them are still in operation as beacons for guiding ships at sea. They bring in tourism, and they’re scenic accents to our landscape. We explore the history and role of lighthouses, how they work, why they are so important to our state—and we’ll hear from a longtime lighthouse keeper about his unusual lifestyle and job. This show is timed to coincide with the September issue of Down East magazine, ranks Maine lighthouses.

This topic is part of Maine Calling's ongoing coverage of what is iconic in Maine.

Gov. Janet Mills called the Legislature back into session to consider four bond proposals totaling $163 million in borrowing for the November ballot. The bonds would fund transportation projects ($105 million), economic development aimed at high-speed internet expansion ($23 million for pollution clean up; $15 million for energy efficiency loans) and $20 million for conservation projects under the Land for Maine’s future program. The session went into a deadlock, then three bonds were defeated. We'll learn more about the future of funding for the state.

Puffins were once on the brink of extinction, but efforts by Maine scientists have succeeded in bringing the population back. There are now 1,300 nesting pairs on five Maine islands. We’ll talk with puffin experts about the threats facing this unique seabird, and how conservation efforts continue to protect puffins and their habitat in the face of climate change as well as other threats.

This show is being done in conjunction with Maine Public's recent reporting on puffin conservation, and is part of Maine Calling's ongoing coverage of what is iconic in Maine.