Maine Calling

Maine playwrights who’ve seen national success discuss what it takes, and what it means, to write for the contemporary stage. This discussion will air as Portland Stage Company stages John Cariani’s “Almost Maine,” which has become among the most-produced plays in America.

Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Farnham has served as Commissioner for the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management since 2016, and was re-appointed by Gov. Janet Mills in 2019. Farnham also serves as the adjutant general, Maine National Guard. Farnham will discuss his priorities, from the National Guard to veterans issues to how to deal with weather emergencies and other crises facing Maine.

The term “adulting” refers to learning how to behave as a responsible adult. While it’s often used in a joking way, it’s no joke that many young people today must learn basic daily skills, from writing checks to cooking to dealing with a flat tire. We talk with someone from one of the country’s first “adulting schools,” and we’ll hear about what young people today lack in functional skills—and what societal trends have led to this phenomenon. This show is part of Maine Calling focus on topics

In 1820, the U.S. passed an act that made participation on the slave trade an act of piracy. Yet, dozens of Maine vessels engaged in the slave trade illegally during this period. Thousands of enslaved people were transported and traded, leading to huge profits for slave traders--some of whom were Maine sea captains who are remembered as leading citizens of the day. Much of the millions of dollars from the slave trade funded the growth of New England's economy. We will learn about this troubling

This show is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date October 10, 2019); no calls will be taken. The Poor People’s Campaign, a movement originally organized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968, comes to Maine on Oct. 10, as part of a 20-state tour. The Poor People’s Campaign aims to change the national conversation and seriously address systemic racism, poverty, the war economy and ecological devastation.

There’s a new lab focused on parenting at the University of Maine: the Parenting Relationships Research Lab. One of the areas of focus there is on understanding the different forms of co-parenting, which can include everything from divorced couples sharing parenting duties, to grandparents raising their grandchildren, to other blended family situations. We will learn about what makes these kinds of parenting relationships work or not work well, and their effects on children.

Maine ’s legislature will consider three bills this session aimed at improving Maine ’s system for representing criminal defendants who can’t afford to pay for a lawyer. The system is currently under investigation by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, after allegations of fraud, waste and lack of responsible oversight. Maine is the on ly state without any public defender system. Instead, defendants who can't afford a lawyer get on e appointed from a pool of 420

It's the time of year when many of us try to clean house and get rid of clutter. Yet we tend to forget about the digital clutter that leads to disorganization and loss of productivity, as well as increased security risk. From emails that never get deleted to photos that take up valuable storage space, our panelists discuss ways to tackle digital decluttering, and why it matters.

A new study by the New England Journal of Medicine finds that half of America will be considered obese within this decade. We’ll discuss the prevalence of obesity in Maine among adults and children, as well as how it’s defined and what treatments and support services are available to those dealing with obesity.

Best-selling author Peggy Orenstein joins us to discuss her new book that explores issues surrounding boys and sexuality. She interviewed boys and young men from all over the U.S. to learn about their attitudes and behaviors regarding male identity, consent, and intimacy. Peggy Orenstein , New York Times best-selling author whose books include "Don’t Call Me Princess," "Girls & Sex," "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" and "Waiting for Daisy" as well as "Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Kids, Love and