7:00 PM
EVENT DETAILS: Thursday, November 6, 2025 7 p.m. ET on Zoom Free and open to the public. Registration required.
Drawing from Sharon’s two recent works—Stephen King’s Maine: A History & Guide and The Murder of Dorothy Milliken: Cold Case in Maine —this session dives deep into the real places, people, and stories that have shaped both chilling fiction and unresolved truths. From the small-town corners that inspired King’s legendary horror to the tragic, unsolved 1976 murder of Dorothy Milliken in Sabattus, Maine, participants will explore the process of investigative writing, historical research, and the delicate balance of storytelling when fact and fear intersect.
About the presenter: Sharon Kitchens has lived in Maine for a few decades. Her first book, Stephen King’s Maine: A History & Guide, was published by The History Press in 2024. Every week, she can be seen carrying an armload of library books. She loves hanging out in cafés eating chocolate croissants and sipping lavender lattes. Her fondness for Patti Smith’s poetry is matched only by her love of Taylor Swift’s lyrics. She is a cat and dog person. Sometimes she writes at deliciousmusings.substack.com.
Hannah Wilber is a writer, photographer, and freelance marketer based on the unceded Tewa lands we know as Santa Fe, New Mexico. She uses she/her pronouns and identifies as white, queer, and cisgender. A true storytelling nerd, Hannah will happily talk your ear off about how our brains are hardwired for narratives and how to craft them in ways that are both compelling and delightful. She’s spent the majority of her decade-plus career helping colleagues in Marketing and Communications learn how to better connect with their audiences through stories that are relevant and resonant. Hannah collaborated with Sharon Kitchens as a developmental editor for Sharon’s two books, Stephen King’s Maine: A History & Guide and The Murder of Dorothy Milliken: Cold Case in Maine. This program is part of our series Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye, 1690–1940, and offered in conjunction with the exhibit of the same name.