Finding Poetry in the Past: The Historical Societies of Lincoln County
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
5:30 PM 8:30 PM
Historical Societies of Lincoln County (map)
A 5-Week Poetry Workshop
Wednesdays, October 21 - November 18, 5:30 - 8:30 PM
Have you ever driven by a small, secluded historical society and wondered what’s inside? But it never seems to be open. For this workshop, it will open for you and your literary treasure hunting. Imagine the opportunity to sift through photographs, letters, and diaries in search of your muse. The past is fertile ground, and it gets no better than local historical societies, the repositories of a community’s unique identity. Participants will be supported by a selection of readings from a variety of creative projects that have harnessed history, especially those that have drawn on small, local history. In-class time will be divided between individual research opportunities, guided writing exercises, and participant workshopping of pieces written for class. The class will be beneficial to those looking for a shot of inspiration or for their next project, and while the class will lean towards poetry, all genres are welcome. Required: an adventurous spirit to travel around the Midcoast. Classes will meet at a selection of small, Lincoln County historical societies including Newcastle, Nobleboro, and Old Bristol; other sites TBA.
$275 Members/$355 Nonmembers/$235 Members of both THE COALITION OF HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS OF LINCOLN COUNTY & MWPA
NOTE: IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF ANY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETIES IN LINCOLN COUNTY, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT, AND IF YOU ARE BOTH A MEMBER OF A HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE MWPA, YOU RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT.
Jefferson Navicky is the author of four books, most recently Head of Island Beautification for the Rural Outlands, which was a Finalist for the Big Other Book Award in Fiction, as well as Antique Densities: Modern Parables & Other Experiments in Short Prose, which won the Maine Literary Award for Poetry. His work has appeared in Smokelong Quarterly, Electric Literature, Fairy Tale Review, Southern Humanities Review, and Beloit Poetry Journal. He is the recipient of grants from the Maine Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation, as well as two additional Maine Literary Awards for poetry and drama. Jefferson has taught writing as a long-time adjunct faculty member at Southern Maine Community College, as a visiting professor at Bates College, and as a frequent instructor for the MWPA. He lives in Midcoast Maine.