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The Maine Humanities Council site lets people listen to events when it is convenient for them.

From staff reports February 10, 2008

Have you ever missed an event because you were away on business, or because it was snowing, or because you live in Fort Kent and the event was in Portland?

Perhaps you considered attending the Maine Humanities Council's October symposium on "All the King's Men," but it conflicted with the county fair you attend every fall.

There's no substitute for shaking hands with the audience member sitting next to you at an event, or getting an author to sign a book. But attending events in person is not always feasible. That's why the council has launched a podcast that makes it possible for humanities enthusiasts to experience the pleasure of ideas on demand.

If the mention of a podcast fills you with trepidation, you're not alone. Many people assume podcasts are off-limits to anyone who doesn't own an iPod.

The origins and legal status of the term "podcast" are clouded by debate, but you definitely do not need an iPod, or any other portable media player, to listen to a podcast. The vast majority of podcast fans report that they listen to podcasts directly on their computers.

So here's how to turn any computer with an Internet connection into a radio that broadcasts exclusively humanities content, available whenever you want it:

1. Go to mainehumanities.org and click on the Humanities on Demand link.

2. Read through the list of recordings with descriptions. You can choose from a series of interviews of Maine writers, author readings from their partners at the Portland Public Library, and selections from the archive of council events.

New content is being added all the time, but some of the speakers already represented are Richard Russo, Cathie Pelletier and Huey P. Long (the inspiration behind "All the King's Men").

3. Once you've found a recording that interests you, either click on the play button to listen to it right away, or download it to play later.

4. After listening, you may wish to respond by posting a comment or question to the Humanities on Demand blog. You'll find a link to the blog underneath the description of each recording.

If you are comfortable with the technology, but don't care to spend any more time online than necessary, consider these added enticements:

Composer Elliott Schwartz created and performed the short sound "intros" and "outros" that bracket the podcast recordings.

Recordings are forthcoming from institutions such as the Maine Historical Society and Portland Stage Company.

If you subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or a similar "podcatcher," the new recordings will come to you automatically as the podcast is updated.

The project is supported by a Digital Humanities Start-Up grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.