NORWAY – Oxford Hills residents are being asked to “talk local” at a forum aimed at finding the good life in the Oxford Hills.

The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the Norway Memorial Library on Main Street. It is sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council in conjunction with Norway Memorial Library and Oxford Hills/Buckfield Adult Education.

The library has been selected as one of 10 locations across the state to participate in the first Let’s Talk Local program.

“Norway was chosen because of the strong collaborations both the Oxford Hills/Buckfield Adult Education and the Norway Memorial Library have had with (the Maine Humanities Council) over the years,” library Director Beth Kane said.

Kane said the discussions are sparked by a text or texts selected locally. In Norway, a poem titled “Flock,” by local poet Lisa Moore, and a slide show of images depicting the past, present and future of the Oxford Hills, will be used, she said.

Kane said the Maine Humanities Council is trying to gather people to discuss common concerns as a community.

The council assists people of all ages and educational levels to deepen their understanding of themselves, their communities and the world through programs that start conversations around books, and grants that reward local innovation, according to the council website.

Lets Talk Local is one of the many programs initiated by the council.

“How Do You Do It? Old and New Stories of Finding a Good Life in the Oxford Hills will provide the opportunity to learn how our neighbors answer that question for themselves,” Kane said in a statement about the program.

The facilitator will be Anna Bartel.

“She has been working with us locally to select the topic and plan the event,” she said.

“There is no planned outcome for this kind of discussion other than the participants learning from and about each other. That’s not to say something may come of it or that future discussions might develop from what comes up at this event,” said Kane.

The event is free to the public and requires no registration.

To learn more about the program, visit the Maine Humanities Council’s website (http://www.mainehumanities.org) or call Lizz Sinclair or Julia Walkling at the council at 773-5051.

[email protected]