Portland Public Library

"The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman -- these are the names of the elusive beasts that have caught the eye and captured the imaginations of people around the world for centuries. Recently, tales of these "monsters" have been corroborated by an increase in sightings, and out of these ... (more)legends a new science has been born: cryptozoology -- the study of hidden animals. ..."

"The Reverberations of Moby Dick"

"This collection of essays offers a comprehensive examination of Ford's life and career, revealing the frequent intersections between Ford's personal life and artistic vision, including his roots in Portland. Stoehr is associate professor of humanities at Boston University and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. ... (more) Connolly teaches history and political science at Saint Joseph's College of Maine. He is the author of They Change Their Sky: The Irish in Maine."

"It’s Christmas Eve in Brooklyn and sexy real estate exec Dot Racine is dead. Once upon a time, she was the first runner-up in the Miss Ohio pageant. Now, Dot’s bullet-riddled body is in the trunk of Dick Miller’s car. Miller – an A-list handsome ex-con, and Dot’s former lover and employee, ... (more)has no idea how the body got there. All he knows is he will do nearly anything to make it to go away. Dot’s other former lover, freelance cocaine trafficker and murderer Nestor Garcia, is on the run from the cartels. He’s interested in Dot’s keys to safe deposit boxes in the Bahamas with more than a million dollars tucked away inside. Cool Breeze is a survivor and a warrior. Sex and deception are her weapons of choice. Breeze plans to let all Dot’s lovers and business partners kill each other off. After they’re dead, Breeze will walk away with the money. Nothing will happen as planned. The Takedown is a roller coaster ride of a novel that twists and turns toward a stunning showdown readers won’t soon forget."

"Jen Johanssen is a former porn actor trying to fit into the world of academia. Her sister, Lolly Johanssen, is a cancer survivor. Nicole Parks is in prison for loving the wrong guy. And Sonya Yakowski, also in prison, is a member of a family of traveling criminals, desperately missing her young son. ... (more)The lives of these four women converge in a Florida prison, where Jen and Lolly have joined forces to put on a grant-funded drama production. Despite their divergent histories, these women come together in unexpected ways, each beginning to confront and forgive her own past. ... "

"The Kotzschnmar Organ was the first organ in the United States to be designated a "municipal organ." It was a gift in honor and memory of Hermann Kotzschmar, a German immigrant who enriched the musical life of Portland for more than fifty years. On April 15th, FOKO presents A Celebration of Hermann ... (more) Kotzschmar at Merrill Auditorium. This program is made possible through the generous support of the Edward H. Daveis Benevolent Fund."

"Meg Wolff of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is a two-time cancer survivor. She lost a leg to bone cancer at age 33, and had a mastectomy for invasive breast cancer at age 41. After radiation and chemo, she was so close to death that doctors offered no hope. By a life-saving chance, she learned about the macrobiotic ... (more)diet (based on whole grains, vegetables and beans), and got to work trying it. Many family members and friends considered her pathetic for believing that dramatically altering her diet could save her life ... yet nine years later, at age 50, she is far healthier than most people. ..."