Franco-American Pathways

28/12/2023

Hello Francophonies!
Look at these numbers! We are so thankful for your support this year. We have grown 18% (that's a lot!) and we are five listeners number 1 podcast! (That's so sweet) If you are one of those 5 listeners, get in touch!

We will be taking a break until the Spring semester when we will be back at it with oral histories, archive dives, long walks, surprise meetings, and Franco-American History as brought to you by the University of Southern Maine system special collections.

Thank you again for a great year, we couldn't have done it without you.

Happy Holidays, et bonne année!

02/11/2023

Bonjour, Francophonies! Ça va?

Hello, and how’s it going? This month we have the distinct honor to present our interview with Franco-American poet Jeri Theriault! The episode discusses themes such as life, gender, work, mourning and the passage of time.

In this month’s Archivists Corner, we are featuring the journaling, songs, and poems of Marie-Jeanne Laurendeau, found here: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/fac-marie-jeanne-laurendeau/3/

For more information about Jeri and her work, follow these links:
https://www.jeritheriault.com/
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31/10/2023

At the Franco-American Collection, we stand with our community here in Lewiston, and wanted to share the University of Southern Maine's response to the tragedy of last week:

Maine is extending a heartfelt embrace to the Lewiston community. We're holding our loved ones close and sending an abundance of support your way. In recent days, we've felt the pain of losing cherished friends and family. Our Maine and university communities stand strong, united, and filled with unsung heroes who make a difference in times of need.

31/08/2023

Hello Fellow Francophones! Bonjour et bienvenue!

We have made it to the end of this monster series, and we are so lucky to have listeners like you who go on these journeys with us. You can look forward to more deep dives in the future. For now; the Chasse’. We aren't saying we saved the best content for last, but… we will let the episode speak for itself. Marc and Priscilla Chasse are wonderful story tellers whose individual life experiences weave expertly together. This month we are settling into the Chasses' unique Franco-Acadien personal histories. Grab a cuppa' and prepare to be charmed.

Thank you to WMPG FM, University of Maine at Fort Kent, Patrick Lacroix and Madeline Soucie, the Chasse' and University of Southern Maine we literally couldn't do this without all of you.
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28/07/2023

We are back with another installment in our Fort Kent series. Today we are exploring the archives of the University of Maine at Fort Kent with Patrick and Madeline. We will cover a range of topics in this episode, including but not limited to the historical location of St. John Valley as liminal space: Not technically in Canada, but not like the rest of Maine either; & discussion on how to make French language/local French culture “relevant” to young students?
We want to extend a special thank you and farewell to our very special host, producer and favorite librarian Julia. She is moving on to another great opportunity at the Auburn Public Library as a teen librarian. We are so grateful for the time and dedication that Julia has put into our podcast. Good luck with your new adventures, Julia! We will miss you.
A big special thanks to WMPG for letting us use your studios. Literally couldn't do it without you.

Thank you for listening and see you next time!

10/04/2023

Thank you again to Norm Marcotte and Larry Charest, Jr. for donating these items to the Franco-American Collection–and for agreeing to be interviewed for this episode! Here are the items we talked about during the “Archivists Corner” segment in episode 13: The Bates Fabriques.

Photo one:
Team with trophy after winning Amateur Hockey Association (AHA) Senior national title, 3.19.51.

Photo two:
Bates team in Times Square, 1951.

Photo three:
Ray Marcotte’s ticket on the Cunard White Star line to Europe the day they left from NYC, 1.20.1951.

Photo four:
Larry Charest, Sr. Bates Manufacturing Magazine Cover Feature

Photo five:
Le Messager photos and article 3.20.50

Photo six:
Walter Brown congratulations telegram

06/04/2023

This month we are so excited to present you with our archivist Anna and her findings regarding the Lewiston, Maine Ice Hockey team at Bates Manufacturing Company. I can personally attest to Anna's devotion to the project by collecting, curating and researching the Franco ice hockey team. I want to present you with some archival material about local hockey in honor of the episode release. More to follow!

Do you want more? Come visit our page here. Do you recognize anyone in these photos, are you in one of these photos? Let us know! [email protected]

24/03/2023

At long last, despite covid, family emergencies, and a nonstop semester, we have finally finished our Voices of Fort Kent episodes! Keep an eye on your feed and on our blog for more.

31/03/2022

Episode 9 is live!

This month, we take you back to the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education with Dr. Libby Bischof, as well as another special guest: Emma Bouthillette, a Biddeford native, yoga teacher, and writer. Emma is the author of A Brief History of Biddeford, a book about this historic mill town that was shaped by the Franco-American exodus at the turn of the century.

Be sure to check out our blog (francopathwayspod.wordpress.com) to take a look at the documents we viewed together as you listen along.

Part 2 of our Mapping Franco Biddeford series will air next month!

This month, we present you with the first part of one of the larger projects we tackled in 2021: a second Mapping episode, this time focusing on the city of Biddeford. Today, we take you back to the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education with Dr. Libby Bischof, as well as anot...

02/11/2021

Update: this screening is for the Bates and Lewiston-Auburn communities only!

Bates College is hosting Le Carrefour for viewing this week! There will also be a Q & A on Zoom on 11/8, from 7-9pm. Click below for more information! https://watch.showandtell.film/watch/the-intersection

The Intersection (Le Carrefour) is presented by the Department of French and Francophone Studies with the support of the NEH Language Teaching Support Fund of Bates College.

29/10/2021

Episode 6 is here! Check out the blog for more info on our conversation about poetry with Steven Riel!
Also included are images from the Nandette poetry book, discussed in the Archivist’s Corner!

28/10/2021

Hello/Bonjour!

There have been some delays in production and this month's episode will air tomorrow, 10/29, not today. Our apologies! It'll be worth the wait 😁

26/10/2021

Working our way through this new collection of poetry by Steven Riel in preparation for our upcoming episode featuring his poetry. Truly stunning ✨ So excited for you to listen along as Steven talks about his life and his work!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/lilypoetryreview.blog/lily-poetry-review-press/lily-poetry-review-books-edgemere-by-steven-riel/%3famp

Riel draws you in with his compelling portraits in verse and then makes it a double-whammy with his intimate personal revelations. The secret ingredient of Edgemere is its voice: it's uncannily the same as when Riel reads his work out loud. ---Felice Picano, author of Like People in History

22/10/2021

‼️Spoiler alert ‼️ Mapping Franco Biddeford is in the works! Gorgeous day for an early morning walk (and plenty of coffee ☕️☕️☕️)

07/10/2021

Aaaaaand we already have a corrections corner 😂 What, you all haven't heard of the Little Canada of Lewiston circa *1981*??? It should be 1891, of course, at about the 22:35 mark 🤪 Leave it to a librarian...

01/10/2021

Episode 5 is live! Tune in to hear our conversation about Lewiston with
James Myall, and don't forget to visit our website - http://francopathwayspod.wordpress.com - to take a look at our resources and other fun stuff referenced in the episode.

29/09/2021

Thanks for the mention, French-Canadian Legacy Podcast!

This month on Franco-American Pathways, we put the spotlight on music in the Franco-American community. We’ll listen to some examples of intimate performances that appear in many of our oral histories, and talk about the diversity and importance of music in Franco culture. We’ll take a deep dive...

20/09/2021

Check out our feature on the French-Canadian Legacy podcast! If you aren’t listening to them already, follow the link below to learn more about their show.

Episodes https://anchor.fm/francopathways/episodes/Episode-3---A-Nation-Within-A-Nation-e156f0j Hello and welcome to Franco-American Pathways, a podcast dedicated to the history and culture of the Franco-Americans and the Francophonie of New England. We will work from written and audiovisual documen...

27/08/2021

Our 4th episode, Mapping Franco Lewiston, is up! We had so much to share that we had to make two parts for this one, so stay tuned next month for The Archivist's Corner and La Collection Parle. Bonne écoute !
Osher Map Library & Smith Center for Cartographic Education USM Libraries at the University of Southern Maine

Note: We had some technical difficulties while recording in Lewiston, and you'll hear a significant amount of wind interference at times. Our apologies - wind guards next time!

20/08/2021

We had lots of fun recording at a few sites in Lewiston today, with Maureen as our guide! Here’s a sneak peek of our next episode, “Mapping Franco Lewiston.” We also extend our thanks to Libby Bischof, from USM’s Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, for offering us her expertise!
USM Libraries at the University of Southern Maine Osher Map Library & Smith Center for Cartographic Education

29/07/2021

Episode 3 is here! This month, we dive into the world of French language radio and newspapers in Maine and New England. Be sure to listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Merci et très bonne écoute !

06/07/2021

Le Messager through the years 🗞📰This French language newspaper was founded in 1880 in Lewiston and ran until 1966. We have hundreds of editions available to view on our Digital Commons website. Be sure to explore our extensive collection of French newspapers ahead of this month’s episode: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/fac-le-messager/

24/06/2021

We really only scraped the surface with this month's episode on Franco and Acadian music. Be sure to check out our newest blog post for more information, music, and images!

https://francopathwayspod.wordpress.com/2021/06/24/episode-2-song-keepers/

We were really only able to show you the tip of the iceberg with this month’s episode on Franco and Acadian music. The conversations we had with Robert Sylvain and Lise Pelletier opened our e…

24/06/2021

24/06/2021

Episode 2 is live! Be sure to listen, follow, and subscribe.

Bonne écoute !

https://anchor.fm/francopathways/episodes/Episode-2---Song-Keepers-e13bveu

This month on Franco-American Pathways, we put the spotlight on music in the Franco-American community. We’ll listen to some examples of intimate performances that appear in many of our oral histories, and talk about the diversity and importance of music in Franco culture. We’ll take a deep dive...

22/06/2021

Are you ready to hear some new tunes on Thursday??
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Pictured: Raymond, Giselle and Maurice Tanguay at 250 Park St., Lewiston, in the 1940s; it is featured on the cover of a newsletter that Maureen will be reading from for this month's La Collection Parle.

20/06/2021

Thanks so much to the Sun Journal for featuring us in this Sunday's paper!

https://www.sunjournal.com/2021/06/20/new-podcast-features-transportive-franco-american-stories/

The collection at USM's Lewiston-Auburn College is the source material for the podcast, dedicated to celebrating Franco-American history and culture in Maine.

16/06/2021

We are so excited to share our next episode about Franco-American and Acadian musical traditions. Are you able to read these song lyrics? Can you place them to a tune? Anna will tell us all about where they came from in next week's Archivist's Corner!

Trop hâte de partager notre prochain épisode qui porte sur les traditions musicales franco-américaines et acadiennes ! Pouvez-vous lire ces paroles ?

16/06/2021

Trop hâte de partager notre prochain épisode qui porte sur les traditions musicales franco-américaines et acadiennes ! Pouvez-vous lire ces paroles ?

15/06/2021

Excellent segment on the French language in Maine by NEWS CENTER Maine. Next week's episode will touch on the history of the French language in Maine through the lens of music.

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/aroostook-county/the-language-connects-us-to-our-identity-franco-americans-strive-to-keep-the-french-alive-in-maine-acadian/97-92df9579-9d8c-452c-8e52-175329e98245

A ‘No French’ law passed in 1919 contributed to the diminishing of a once-thriving French language in northern Maine.