LIVERMORE – Join other history lovers, researchers, authors, independent scholars, and the general public for the 12th annual Humanities Conference on Northern New England.

This year the conference will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 2, Friday, June 3, and end on Saturday, June 4, at the Washburn Memorial Library, Norlands Living History Center, in association with the University of Maine at Farmington. Evening meals will be at the North Livermore Baptist Church. This year’s theme is: “Northern New England: Does it Have a Unique Identity?”

The conference will begin Thursday with registration and end Saturday with a closing luncheon. This is a relaxed and informal event with plenty of opportunity for interaction with presenters and members of the audience. Conversations continue at the noon luncheons Friday and Saturday, and at dinners Thursday and Friday.

Public programs will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday evening at the North Livermore Baptist Church including presentations on a number of topics including, “Big Trees,” “Strong Man,” and “The Black Fly,” Maine Stories by Margaret Yocom.

On Thursday, Jane Curry from Minneapolis, Minnesota, will present “Samantha “Rastles” the Woman Question.” Curry is a noted historian, widely-known storyteller, actor and author. Her program is educational, entertaining and humorous. Her presentation is based on the writings of Marietta Holley, popular 19th century American writer. Holley was from upstate New York, but her writings is the same kind of dry wit, nave innocent perspective on Down East vernacular humor.

On Friday, Michael Parent from Portland will present his one-act play, “One More Thing.” Parent is an internationally-known storyteller and singer, as well as actor and playwright. He portrays Jean-Paul Boisvert, a retired Franco-American mill worker who is trying to get “back into the ballgame” of his life after the death of his beloved wife, Marie Louise. Now, on his 67th birthday, Monsieur Boisvert sings old French songs, fields phone calls from his children and other family members, and ponders his fragile health and mortality. He also tells stories, some funny, others poignant, as he struggles to resolve a major piece of unfinished emotional business