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BRUNSWICK – Each February in Brunswick since 2004, Longfellow Days creates events to honor the legacy of Maine poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The goal is to offer poetry in varied ways: To entice the curious. To inspire the interested. To entertain the confused or bored.
This year Longfellow Days joins Bowdoin College in celebrating the 200th anniversary of the graduating class of 1825. These were a remarkable group of young men, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Jonathan Cilley, and other statespeople and professionals. (Of course, our favorite is Henry, who later forged the paths of American poetry.).
In 1925 Bowdoin honored the 100th anniversary of this class with a Literary Festival. They hosted such poets and writers as: Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Willa Cather, Edna St, Vincent Millay, and many others. (Imagine Maine Street and the campus with such folks walking about between readings?)
Now, in 2025, experiences for this 200th anniversary include ongoing exhibits at Bowdoin College Art Museum and Special Collections at Bowdoin Library. Also, Longfellow biographer Nicholas Basbanes will speak on the lives and wives of Hawthorne and Longfellow.
Longfellow Days is collaborating with the Bowdoin Music Department to create an evening of music and poetry with pianist, Paul Sullivan and local composer, Stuart Gillespie. There will also be two events with spoken word poet, Taylor Mali.
Continuing events include Sunday Readings at Curtis, Community Readings and Henry’s Birthday with an open mic. Also, area collaborations will offer an annual tour of the Joshua Chamberlain house, a Winter Wisdom talk, and the Unitarian Universalist interfaith service.
New events include an Ekphrastic poetry workshop, Dillman’s, and exhibition tour in collaboration with Bowdoin Art Museum and Library.
For a full explanation of events and presenters please go to: https://www.uubrunswick.org/longfellow-days-2025/
All events are free, thanks to the support of sponsors.
