One City, Many Stories

Over the last few centuries Lewiston has welcomed many groups, from the original Native Americans through successive waves of Irish, French-Canadian, Lithuanian, Greek, and African immigrants. While all of these ethnic groups have stories to tell, we decided to invite two talented performers on successive Friday evenings in May to provide a window into the respective cultures of our two largest communities.

 

Friday, May 2nd, 7 p.m. Somali-American Storyteller & Poet Farah Mohamed

 

 

Friday, May 9th, 7 p.m. Franco-American Storyteller & Musician Michael Parent (accompanied by Maine fiddler Greg Boardman)

 

 

 

 

Farah Mohamed is a short story author, graphic novelist, and poet who writes in both English and his native Somali.  In addition, Farah tells traditional tales from Somalia which for centuries were transferred orally from generation to generation.  In his LPL performance he will be sharing his poetry along with a range of stories, some traditional and others re-written for a new generation of Somali-Americans.

Michael Parent, a native Lewistonian of French-Canadian descent, has performed as a storyteller and singer in both English and French, throughout the United States, and beyond, since 1977. In this special One City, Many Stories performance Michael will be sharing a mixture of his stories, songs, and vignettes, providing a window into the Franco-American experience.

Both of these events are family-friendly, free and open to the public. For more information, contact the LPL Reference Desk at 513-3135 or via email at LPLReference@LewistonMaine.gov