Ramadan, an important Islamic holiday, is a month-long period of fasting from pleasures to mark when the prophet Muhammad first received the beginning chapters of the Quran. During Ramadan, Muslims participate in dietary fasting between dawn and sunset and moral fasting, allowing for the Muslim community to experience a strong sense of unity and an even closer relationship to God during this time. 

This year, Ramadan extends from April 23 through May 23. Amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, tradition has altered to safely continue through the holy month. In an interview with NPR, Imam Rizwan Ali of the Islamic Center of Naperville spoke to Michel Martin, the show’s host, regarding recent changes in prayer to an online format. 

“So if you look at Ramadan, there’s the fasting aspect of it, and which we’re still able to do but not in a communal setting. There’s a prayer aspect, which we can’t do really in a communal setting, in a virtual setting.” Ali said. “But one other very important aspect of Ramadan is the community. So we’ve basically taken all of our programs and shifted them online… I think we’re probably more active this year than we would have been on site, which is really amazing for me to say.” 

While this time does promote growth and learning for religion in an online format, unfortunately, the in-person charity and kindness from friends, family and the surrounding Muslim community must be postponed for the time being due to safety concerns amidst the current pandemic. According to USA Today, Sarah Sultan, a mother of two residing in Texas, has felt this lost aspect of community, specifically at mealtimes. 

“There’s something special about people gathering around food, that’s across cultures and across religions,” Sultan told USA Today. “I think a lot of times people convey love through food. And so I think that’s a big part of why we’re going to be missing it so much.” 

Even with many missed opportunities for spending close time with family and friends, this unusual period of self-isolation allows for a unique opportunity for the Muslim community to truly dive into their faith without interruptions. Often, when faced with a crisis such as the one we are facing now, priorities seem to rearrange, allowing for intense focus and whole-hearted commitment to the things held most important to us, such as faith. 

According to The Baltimore Sun, Earl El-Amin, resident Imam of the Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore finds that there is always a silver lining.

“Coronavirus has brought so many things to a standstill, but that gives us an opportunity to really come to grips with who we are as human beings,” El-Amin said. “I think we’ll all learn some humility. People are going to come out of this with a great spirit.” 

“Sea of Strangers,” written by Lang Leav and published in 2018, is a collection of Leav’s trials attempting to grasp her own process of loving someone. In one of her most recent poetry and prose collections, Leav focuses on love within the realm of the time and distance the vastness of the sea supplies, unveiling reflections upon a past relationship in a cool, blue recollection. 

Reading along the same vein as “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kapur, this collection requires only a moderate sum of emotional investment, as Leav’s poems and prose only lets the reader glimpse the surface of her headspace. It serves as an easy introduction to reading poetry without the worry of misunderstanding or putting in a time commitment longer than an afternoon.

“Sea of Strangers,” with the progression of infatuation, loss and guilt, extending through the addition of pockets of revenge later on, appeals to those who have loved before, though surely those who have not will still take away the heartache and healing Leav expresses in her short narratives. Throughout, Leav attempts to justify her feelings and affirm her emotional journey, validating the tug of war between love and hate when traveling what seems the distance of a sea. Both time and the infinite come into question — when alone, seconds seem like hours, and with the shadow of her love interest, hours seem too short, highlighting regret and her fall from happiness.

Surprisingly, although the collection is titled “Sea of Strangers,” there is only a smattering of ocean and water imagery, almost not enough to make a firm connection between the poems themselves and the theme presented by the title. Additionally, literary devices such as metaphor and simile sometimes appear weak and obtuse among her writings, such as “love is a dormant volcano,” among images of a “red balloon” and a “drowsy kitten.” Though it is hit-or-miss, some phrases appear cliche. If this serves as an introduction to poetry, this won’t seem like an issue, but for avid readers, the cliche will stand out and become grating when progressing through the end of the book.

This is not to say the collection is tedious. Leav switches form throughout the book, transitioning from poetry to introduce the themes and main ideas, to loose form to extend upon those concepts. She also reflects using a prose format, creating vignettes for the reader to leap into her world for a brief moment. Leav expertly captures many angles of the same view without the content becoming overly repetitive, which particularly shines in her prose.

Often, these excerpts are vignettes between herself and her mother, lover or her past self, offering advice or posing questions to get at a greater, common truth. Leav offers more detail in prose than in any other form featured in this collection, allowing the reader to take in the narrator’s five senses. It is evident that Leav either feels the most comfortable writing in this form, or has put in the time to make it seem the easiest. Since two of Leav’s more recent works are young adult novels exploring the topics of love, friendship and coming of age, readers can look forward to immersing themselves in rich, vibrant stories through those works.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, downtown Bangor and its businesses are having to adapt to new regulations while trying to stay open to the public. As many downtown locations serve as walk-up shops where customers may enjoy browsing at their leisure, due to a recent regulation enacted on March 24, small businesses are limiting their face-to-face interaction with the public and turning to phone and online sales, or curbside take-out and walk-up orders.

To try and adjust to these new types of sales, businesses have acquired 15-minute parking for customers, a few spots of which are immediate to Bagel Central, a staple casual downtown eatery.

Scott Bryson, the owner of Bagel Central, notes both the struggles of planning for the future and the importance of working hard for small victories now that regulations are changing so quickly. 

“Every day has been different. Our general business model is community dining — all of our tables are put together to force different demographics to sit with each other, which was a key element of our business that was eliminated overnight,” Bryson said. “We’ve gone to curbside, takeout, delivery and lowered our delivery charges, and adopted more of a grocery-store mentality — our production of loaves of bread and bagels, advertising deli meats and cheeses … we’ve been trying to implement that more. Luckily, we have the flexibility to do that.” 

By using Facebook as one of their larger social media platforms, Bagel Central has made daily posts to keep customers up to speed, advertising various types of bread, pastries and daily specials, and warmly thanking those who have contributed to downtown businesses during this unusual time. 

Regardless of this support, businesses have needed to make difficult calls for both the sake of their employees and the future of their establishments. Bryson noted that, though legislation has passed, the government aide has not immediately followed the written word. 

“I’ve worked here 25 years, and most of my staff [have] been here over ten years,” Bryson said. “We’re not the typical restaurant where people are here three months and then they leave … Those [people] are your family — you spend more time with them than your own family. You care about them, they all have families, mortgages.” 

Of course, these changes in downtown commerce affect not only the restaurant scene but also the arts and educational programs in the downtown area. 

Just a few doors down from Bagel Central, Gibran Graham, the owner of The Briar Patch bookshop, realizes the impact his business has on the family and educational spheres of downtown Bangor, taking advantage of online sales and opportunities for community engagement. The Briar Patch is currently offering phone orders, curbside pickup and delivery to Bangor homes, all while continuing orders from their online store. 

“We’re trying to make sure there [are] different options for everybody to be able to serve the community. There are obviously quite a lot of parents thrown into homeschooling situations, and some families need more material than others. We have teachers that are also trying to get their hands on books for read-alouds online for their classrooms,” Graham explains. 

Along with posting regularly on Facebook and updating his online store, Graham has incorporated his regular read-aloud events online, allowing for families and their children to have access to enriching entertainment during this time of self-isolation and social distancing.  

“We really just wanted to be able to continue interacting with our customers. We have a lot of people that come for our storytimes in the store and knew that people were looking for some options. It definitely gives people a little bit of a break, to have some interactivity. For kids that would normally come to our storytimes, they know our faces — it’s a little bit of normalcy for [them],” Graham says. 

Soon, The Briar Patch is looking to offer live author events featuring Q&A sessions, virtual showcasing of new releases and more window display showcasing for those traveling through downtown to continue reaching out into their community. 

As a space where physical community presence is crucial, the University of Maine Museum of Art (UMMA) is finding new ways to spread art and education to the downtown audience upon several closures within the University of Maine System. As a result of these closures, UMMA followed suit but allowed for the installation of weekly virtual tours and bi-weekly instructional videos showing how art is possible, if not essential, during this time. 

Focusing on current visiting artists, Kat Johnson, UMMA’s senior museum educator, explains how UMMA is choosing how best to represent their current exhibitions during a time where virtual tours may be the only canvas for viewing artwork until future notice, as well as how canceled programs scheduled through April 30 will be supplemented with educational videos curated toward materials found at home. 

“The galleries are focused on the visiting contemporary artist because they are only showing for a [certain] duration of time. Our permanent collection may cycle back through the public at some time, but we may not get Theresa Dunn’s solo show anytime in the near future [for example].” Johnson explained. “We want to make sure people have access to that work. As far as educational content, we want to deliver alternative content outside of a virtual tour — how we can extend the educational mission of the museum by offering up art lessons for people to be able to engage with from their home using everyday household items to be making art in a time where kids and families need to be able to have accessible art-making lessons.”

The first two videos include a gallery tour, “Teresa Dunn’s ‘Cover the Waterfront’ Virtual Tour,” covering one of four visit artists exhibiting their work, and “Studio Sessions: Lesson 1 – Coffee & Tea Ink Painting in the Sumi-e style,” featuring a Japanese technique based on meditative quick strokes and mindful observation, both found on the UMMA website with more soon to come in the following Fridays. 

For more information regarding downtown Bangor businesses and the changes they have implemented to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Discover Downtown Bangor offers quick insights on how best to support local commerce. 

On March 4, Erin J. Kepler, a visiting professor from Tulane University, gave a talk on Native American poetry and innovation of language titled “Mary Austin’s Time Machine: Modernist Poetics and Settler Time.” Introduced by Margo Lukens, the director of the McGillicuddys Humanities Center, the talk furthered this year’s theme, “Society, Colonization, and Decolonization” by introducing the importance of Native American language regarding our modern perceptions of time and rhythm.

Beginning with a lecture and followed by a relaxed Q&A, Kepler introduced free verse as an ideal of white America’s identity rather than a strictly aesthetic movement, highlighting her current book project, as abbreviated, “The Secret History of Free Verse,” unpacking how translations of Native American oral expressions are commonly understood without sufficient context. Kepler adds that she doesn’t want to reconcile the past, but recognize the significance of native literature among settler ideals. 

“I don’t think reconciliation is a good paradigm for this kind of work but rather I’m interested in getting all of us to acknowledge the way that settler, colonial racist thinking shapes the study of native literature,” Kepler said.

She went on to explain her research within the context of Mary Austin, an author and activist who claims that free verse poetry was a poetic expression designed to be perfected by white poets. Through her activism, Austin may have buried the true expressions of Native American poetry and song. Exemplified by Austin’s analysis of poetic rhythm in Native American poetry, Kepler extrapolated problematic “settler time,” or the white interpretation of a native form of rhythm.

“Free verse was a poetic expression of an emerging modern white race,” Kepler said. “The idea that race and poetic form are connected had a profound effect on the development of Native American poetry as an object of study … my work on Austin seeks to understand Austin’s major contributions to modernist poetics and to the formation of Native American poetry in all of their contradictory fullness.”

Kepler discussed transcription later in the lecture, emphasizing Austin’s idea that Native American poetry was written song, or written spoken culture, leaving Austin to attempt the translation of available narratives. Kepler described how Austin mistakenly equates forms of textual literacy to stages of civilization development, believing Native American songs to be a “pure” form of poetry later to develop as based on a white narrative. Although there certainly were Native American poets by the time of Austin’s transcriptions, the white narrative analyses of earlier poems prove to be either convoluted or, at the very least, requiring a second eye.

More talks concerning the theme “Society, Colonization, and Decolonization” will continue throughout the rest of the semester, run by the McGillicuddy Humanities Center, some of which have included: “Innocence Unprotected: The Cinema of Colonization and Decolonization” and “Cancion/Cancao, a recital of art songs from Cuba, Brazil and Argentina featuring mezzo-soprano Caitlin Felsman.” The next event will be a free movie viewing on Monday, March 9 from 6-8 p.m. featuring “Coffy: The Cinema of Colonization and Decolonization” in the Barrows Hall Hill Auditorium.

Along with the busy schedule that being a wife and mother of three entails, Rochelle Lawrence carves out time to heavily involve herself in the University of Maine’s art department by being a graduate student of the Intermedia Master of Fine Arts program, a graduate assistant in the IMRC Center’s equipment room and an intern of the Lord Hall Gallery mentored by Laurie E. Hicks, helping with curatorial processes, set-up and the running of the shows themselves.

One of the more significant events that takes place in the department of art is the Student Art Show at Lord Hall Gallery, and Lawrence is busy with preparations.

“Next week we meet with one of the artists showing next fall, so we’ll actually be picking up the artwork that will go up on the walls,” Lawrence said. “The student show for the art department is happening in [early] April, and it’s a really big deal because on the 23rd and 24th, we go through all the artwork that students submit. We have to look at it all, get the paperwork in line, and then on the 25th, it’s juried. We look at all the artwork that’s been submitted and [determine] what’s going to be put up in the show, [and] what gets monetary awards.”

Following is the set-up process which includes framing, hanging and lighting the work. Then, of course, the show itself, including an opening reception and juried awards — something the art department does to congratulate those who have done great work during the semester.

“My second semester, I had two pieces that were in the show; one of them got picked to be in the dean of students’ office, which was a cool thing,” Lawrence explained, noting that there’s also a monetary award that comes along with it. “Then I got two art ed[ucation] financial awards … so it’s a really neat thing that the art department recognizes the students that are working hard.

Besides the Student Gallery Show, Lawrence is working on a project for the art department’s Earth Day exhibit, “In Remembrance,” showing on April 22.

“It’ll be right here in the IMRC on Earth Day,” Lawrence said. “I’m working on a series of prints for that [event] that are related to endangered and threatened species in Maine. It’s a collaborative show, so we’re [currently] trying to figure out what our big theme is that we work on together — but environmental issues [is the premise].”

In the future, Lawrence hopes to shift her practice to more socially engaged work, such as collaborating with students and teachers to create works of art in their community. As the semester comes to an end and summer allows for more opportunities for personal endeavors, Lawrence has many things to look forward to.

“One thing I’ve always wanted to do was find a building in Hampden where kids can paint a mural,” Lawrence said. “I’m really hoping to find ways that I can be in the community and help with projects where other people make work, or to create awareness around issues.”

On Friday, Feb. 21, the University of Maine’s Lord Hall Gallery hosted an opening reception for its Featured Faculty show, with the work of eight faculty members of the University of Maine Department of Art on display. New work is showcased by John Eden, Michael Grillo, Susan Groce, Laurie E. Hicks, James Linehan, Ed Nadeau, Gregory Ondo and Ellen Roberts. The showcase included three-dimensional works, such as wood-fired ceramic pottery and sculpture, as well as two-dimensional works, such as laser-cut monoprints and photography. The exhibition will be on display Feb. 17 through March 13.

Upon entering Lord Hall, the first artist displayed is Roberts, showcasing several of her most recent laser-cut monoprint works. Alive with color, exhaling intricate pattern and detail, Roberts paints a scene in each of her prints.

“My work is from nature and I look at things [closely],” Roberts said. “I’ve always been interested in texture, and my background is in textiles. [Additionally], I teach two-dimensional design, and one of the assignments is on pattern … by looking at nature.” 

The combination of these factors, Roberts’ background in textiles and interest in nature and pattern, allows for the audience to observe almost a patchwork quilt of naturalistic vignettes.

The next artist on display, Eden, showcases his work, which consists of several of his stoneware teapots. Ranging in firing methods, Eden highlights two teapots in the center of his display, which were wood-fired, a process that comes with a sense of community along with the opportunity to create beautiful pieces.

“It’s quite a big event. I have friends in Pennsylvania … we [gather] and take turns stroking the kiln,” Eden said. The woodfired teapots in particular have a sense of unpredictability. The artist allows the flame to take over, giving his pieces a unique speckled look.

Hicks, another featured artist, is also the curator of the Lord Hall Gallery. Her work consists of multiple digital photographs on display, each featuring “up-close” plant forms that Hicks found while traveling in Hawaii, Scotland and North Carolina. Her work brings a sense of life back into the midst of a gloomy Maine winter and tends towards the documentary side of photography, striking a balance of capturing the natural world, while catering to design, aesthetic and pattern.

At Friday night’s reception, Grillo, whose photography is featured at the gallery, had a “photo booth” set up with his camera, lights and a stool for guests. Grillo took four portraits at a time of whoever wanted to participate. He took the opportunity to explain to participants the development of his photographer persona, led by taking photos on the street and compared it to that of a beginning journalist.

The artists were available at the event to speak to anybody who had questions about their work. Each discussed the goals of their artwork, the messages they hope to send with it and how they aim to connect it to others or themselves. They also discussed the process of their work and how they perfect it, tweaking and changing their ideas as they go.

Nadeau, Ondo, Linehan and Groce also were available for discussion of their work, each taking time to talk to visitors at the reception about each of their pieces. For more information regarding upcoming, current and previous exhibitions, check out the University of Maine’s Lord Hall Gallery page under the Department of Art, https://umaine.edu/art/lord-hall-gallery-page/.

Mark your calendars for March 6, because West Market Square Artisan Coffeehouse in Bangor will be hosting one of their regular story slam events, occurring on the first Friday of every month, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This month’s theme is “Food Fiasco,” where anyone can share a crazy tale about food, ranging from how you actually found a fly in your soup to a terrible event at your waitressing job.

At West Market Square, story slam attendees arrive around 6:30, grab their drinks and take a seat on one of the couches or tables around the shop.

“Generally, what tends to happen is people want to be warmed up, so we usually have a couple regulars that come and get up and give a couple slams … if needed, our MC, Blaine Shaw, warms the audience as they go along — he’s fantastic. Usually, though, as each person gets up and tells a story, it gives courage to the next person. We don’t put names in a hat as a rule — we just let people raise their hands,” shop owner Cheryl Michaud says. 

Attendees will share a total of eight to 10 stories a night when there are robust crowds. The slams are open to people of all ages, though the audience tends to be comprised of people between 18 and 50 years of age, making this the perfect event for college-aged students looking for a fun night out or a venue in which to perform.

Once all the stories have been told, a panel of judges reviews the stories based on criteria traditionally followed by story slams, but, since it’s a casual event, it isn’t as difficult as one may think. The winning story receives a $25 Buoy Local gift card underwritten by Bangor Savings Bank that can be used at most local businesses in Bangor.

“[We judge on] just a few things: How you connect to the audience, that could be how you made them happy, made them sad; presentation, if it’s hard to hear you, [it] makes it hard to connect with the story; and the story itself, how it hits people. We usually have Blaine Shaw and one other person [as judges], though people volunteer. You have to stay within five minutes, but Blaine takes some liberties as long as it’s under seven,” Michaud says.

Currently, West Market Square is going on two years of hosting story slams, originally starting as a part of the downtown Bangor New Year’s Eve Celebration and Winterfest with the intent of bringing the local community in to gather, share and enjoy a quality cup of coffee.

“Story slam is an extension of our community involvement. When we originally started, we tried having music on Sunday mornings, game night … neither took off. The idea was for the kids that didn’t want to drink or the young adults that didn’t want to drink to have a place to go,” Michaud says.

Along with hosting slam every first Friday of the month, West Market Square holds additional slams for groups who want a venue, such as Equality Maine during Bangor Pride Week, and the Mabel Wadsworth Center for a closer, more intimate storytelling event. Michaud also says groups at the University of Maine would be more than welcome to reach out and plan similar events at the coffeehouse.

As for upcoming events, West Market Square is having a “Swipe Right: Cookies and Couples” event extending through the month of February, where if you’re on a first date and you let one of the baristas know, you and your date get two free cookies with your drinks. On Feb. 29 from 9-10 a.m., the shop will host a coffee tasting and pour-over demonstration free to the public, followed by a psychic reading by Amy Burgoyne, where it’s $10 for a 10-minute psychic reading along with a cup of coffee or tea.

If you’re interested in following West Market Square Artisan Coffeehouse for upcoming events, deals and coffee tips and tricks, you can find them at @WestMarketSquareArtisanCoffeehouse on both Facebook and Instagram. 

On Friday, Feb. 15, the Collins Center for the Arts (CCA) hosted the 16th annual International Dance Festival (IDF) The afternoon show began at 2 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. performance, both with free admission.

Prior to the first act, University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy introduced the IDF and supporters of the showcase, including UMaine’s International Student Association and the Office of International Programs, as well as sponsors who helped bring the performance to fruition. President Ferrini-Mundy then passed the microphone to the two charismatic hosts, Trina Trein and David Valls, who began the performance by recognizing the passion every student in the program. 

The first act of the performance included the representation of eastern and central countries and their cultures, ranging from China to Ethiopia. Beginning with a “Da Yu” (Big Fish) dance from China by Enoch Lin and Byron Winslow, a ribbon was tied between two characters to tell the story of letting go. The dance was emotional and slow, priming the audience for the beauty of the succeeding performances. The act then moved to duets and group numbers such as “South Asian Steps,” representative of both the traditional and modern cultural dances of India and Bangladesh, and “Sibling Rivalry,” a number from the United States which featured two siblings, Owen and Ruby Bean, who battled it out on the dance floor to “Starships” by Nicki Minaj and Star Wars’ “Imperial March.”

The second act focused more on group numbers, opening with a “Vietnamese Fan Dance,” featuring petal-like pink fans, with which the dancers told the story of springtime. A Brazillian group then performed “Capoeira,” showcasing musical instruments and a mixture of dance and martial arts. A solo number, “The Blossoming Moment After the Rain,” by ZhiWei Liu followed, in which the dancer perfectly aligned to the rhythm of the music, appearing to take flight on stage. The second act closed with two group numbers: “From the Daughters of Mama Africa,” from the multinational African group, and “Desi Beats” from the Indian group, which had the audience clapping along to the beat.

IDF started as a student-led dance festival, Sarah Joughnin, the organizer of the event, explained.

“Students start rehearsing [in the] fall semester and get their groups together. Come spring semester, we have a rehearsal every week, [where performers] come in, and show me what their progress is. We do about three of those,” Joughnin said. “This week, we had Thursday and Friday tech and dress rehearsal. They’ve put a lot into it. Some of them have a lot of dance in their culture — dance is part of their tradition, and from a young age, they’re dancing and taking lessons … [though] some people are brand new. There’s a really wide range, and we don’t turn anyone aside — everyone is welcome.” 

Dancers come from many places to both attend and be in these performances, though they do not necessarily have to be of a specific culture to take part in dances from across the world. The IDF plays a special part in cultural education in the local area, allowing the audience and members who take part in the performance to submerge themselves in cultures that they may never see otherwise.

“It’s a really nice change to learn about another culture through dance,” Joughin said. “When you’re an audience member, you’re watching and learning, but when you’re in an Indian dance and from rural Maine, you get to know them a little better.” 

Admission for the IDF is free, easily allowing both students and families to attend, benefitting the local community across a wide range of ages. The IDF is held annually on the third Saturday of February.