Fall Library Talks Target Iran, Taiwan, Afghanistan, the Law of the Sea and Poetry

From Middle East conflict to war and peace in Taiwan, from late-Cold War support for the mujahideen to a long view of the Law of the Sea, and finally to poems about endings and beginnings, Camden Conference talks circle the globe this fall.

These talks, usually held in Maine public libraries, are free and open to residents of many Maine communities in the lead-up to the 2027 Camden Conference, Beyond the American Century: A New World Order? The Conference will be presented live in Camden February 19–21, 2027, and livestreamed to the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Lunt Auditorium in Falmouth, and homes and classrooms across Maine and beyond.

On Wednesday, October 21 in Rockport, Camden Conference Vice President Stephen Harder, recently returned from practicing law and teaching for NYU in Shanghai, will draw on his time in Taiwan to delve into the island’s history of war and peace and its options for the future with Taiwan in War and Peace.

On Wednesday, October 28, Yarmouth Library presents Charlie Wilson’s War, the 2007 Mike Nichols film that Roger Ebert called “a sharp-edged political comedy.” It is based on a 2003 book subtitled “the largest covert operation in history”: unprecedented U.S. support for Afghan fighters, some of whom later sheltered bin Laden.

Then on Friday, October 30, Ezgi Yildiz, assistant professor at Bowdoin, asks Who Governs the Oceans? and what the answer could mean for the Strait of Hormuz and other chokepoints in world trade. This talk is presented by the Waterville Public Library and the Mid-Maine Global Forum at noon at the Chace Center at Colby College in downtown Waterville.

Finally, on Sunday, November 1, at 1:30 p.m., poet Ellen Goldsmith leads On the Brink: A Poetry Session at the Cushing Public Library. Participants will read and respond to ten poems about endings and beginnings, from Shelley’s “Ozymandias” to “Praise Song for the Day,” Elizabeth Alexander’s inaugural poem.

Click HERE for our full calendar of events.

Image by Vic Goldsmith