LEWISTON – The 2008-09 Great Falls Forum lunchtime lecture series will begin Thursday, Sept. 18, and will continue through May.

“We’re very excited about this year’s forum lineup,” Lewiston Public Library Director Rick Speer said. “The subjects covered range from the election and the economy to memory loss and man’s best friend. And we’re particularly pleased to be starting the season off with two acclaimed authors, including this month’s speaker, Kate Braestrup, whose book ‘Here If You Need Me,’ was selected by Time Magazine as one the 10 best nonfiction books of 2007.”

Braestrup, a Maine Warden Service chaplain, will kick off the season with a discussion titled “From Tragedy to Grace.”

Other speakers include:

• Wednesday, Oct. 8: Neil Shubin, paleontologist and author, on “Evolution & the Fish Within Us All;”

• Thursday, Nov. 20: Stephanie Kelley-Romano, Bates College professor of rhetoric, on “Election ’08: Lessons Learned;”

• Thursday, Jan. 15: Christopher St. John, executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, on “Pocket Tremors: The Growing Chasm Between Maine’s Rich & Poor;”

• Thursday, Feb. 19: Deborah Lipsky, an educator who was diagnosed with autism in her early 40s, on “Living with Autism: An Insider’s View;”

• Thursday, March 19: Lavina Shankar, Bates College English professor and dog-lover, on “Dogs and their Humans: Bonds & Boundaries;”

• Thursday, April 16: Selma Botman, president, University of Southern Maine, speaking on “USM: The Value of a Public Higher Education;”

• Thursday, May 21: gerontologist Nancy Richeson, faculty member at USM’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, speaking on “Boomers and Their Brains: Heading Off Memory Loss into the Golden Years.”

All forums are scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. in Callahan Hall on the third floor of the library.

The format features a 30- to 45-minute talk, followed by an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and offer commentary.

The Great Falls Forum is sponsored by the Lewiston Public Library, Bates College, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and the Sun Journal. Admission is free, with attendees invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Bottled water will be available.

The library is at 200 Lisbon St. at the corner of Pine Street.

More information is available by calling the Reference Desk at 513-3135.