Conversations From the Pointed Firs

Conversations from the Pointed Firs is a monthly series of discussions between host Peter Neill and Maine-connected authors and artists about new books and creative projects that invoke the spirit of Maine, its history, its ecology, its culture, and its contribution to community and quality of life. Authors and artists interviewed live in Maine, work in Maine, or otherwise derive their creativity from its essence.

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Conversations From the Pointed Firs

Carol Gardner

April 07, 2026 • Peter Neill

0:00 | 58:00

This month on Conversations from the Pointed Firs: Carol Gardner, author of "The Divided North, Black and White Families in the Age of Slavery" (2025) written as part of a series, "Black New England." Divided North is a beautifully researched history of two families from Portland, Maine, one black, one white, who represented two multi-generational paths through the history of slavery in Maine, one as a founder of the abolitionist movement and underground railroad, and the other as captains and traders of slaves between Africa, Cuba, and the United States. These parallel histories are astonishingly evocative of the history of race in Maine, the north, and the larger USA from the mid-19th century to present day.