Alissa Hessler Submitted photo

FARMINGTON — Helen and Scott Nearing’s book, “Living the Good Life,” is the subject of an upcoming New Commons keynote presentation.

Alissa Hessler’s talk is scheduled to be held at 11:45 a.m. Friday, April 8, in the Emery Community Arts Center, 164 Academy St., on the University of Maine at Farmington campus.

From its publication in 1954 up to the present, people have reached for this text as a source of wisdom and practical advice on “How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World,” according to an event news release.

Hessler left the corporate creative world in 2012 and moved to the Maine coast to launch Urban Exodus, a website and podcast that documents the inspirational stories of contemporary people leaving the city to craft a meaningful rural life.

Her presentation is “The Urban Exodus: A movement of people, in response to an uncertain future, pursuing their own interpretation of the ‘Good Life.’” In it, Hessler will feature her photo-documentation, interviews with participants and reflection on the trends that she has intimately observed in back-to-the-land movements. The event is free and open to the public.

The UMF New Commons Project provides an offering of free events including expert talks, discussions, films and workshops, many online, for the education and enjoyment of people in Maine and beyond. Nominated by individuals throughout Maine, the selection of New Commons works have the common thread of representing many of the principles and cultural values that inspire and fascinate Maine residents.

The New Commons Project is a public humanities initiative of the University of Maine at Farmington, Maine’s public liberal arts college, in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council. It is made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

For the university’s current COVID policy for visitors, go to maine.edu.

To learn more about the New Commons Project, and to view many of the events for the first 12 topics, visit newcommonsproject.org.