This collection encompasses 50-plus years of interviews, readings, speeches, and reports on the vibrant literary scene in Minnesota. Not only home to giants F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sinclair Lewis, our state has an array of incredible contemporary poets, novelists, and playwrights. Their words make up majority of this collection.
Repeatedly being named the “Most Literate City in the United States,” the Twin Cities has played host to numerous visiting national writers via book tours, festivals, and lectures. Many recordings of these are also included.
This project was funded by the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.
September 29, 1999 - Eight people will be awarded the 1999 National Humanities Medal by President and Mrs. Clinton today at a special ceremony at the White House. Two of the medal winners are Garrison Keillor and August Wilson. Wilson now lives in Seattle, Washington, but he began his career as a playwright in St. Paul. At an event yesterday sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Wilson talked about what has inspired him as a writer. Garrison Keillor also spoke at yesterday's event. He talked about the difference between being a writer and hosting A Prairie Home Companion.
September 30, 1999 - Fall colors should be at their peak this weekend along the Saint Croix River near the Twin Cities. If you're planning a drive, and you want to see more than just leaves, you might want to listen a new tape that offers a guided tour to the historic spots and scenic views between Taylors Falls, Minnesota and Prescott, Wisconsin. Jim Shattattauer is the author of Secrets of the Saint Croix: Exploring the Hidden Treasures of the Saint Croix River Valley. He says the idea for the tape came to him while he was on vacation.
October 4, 1999 - A new poll shows Governor Ventura's approval rating has dropped 19 percentage points since July. The Star Tribune poll was taken a few days after release of Ventura's interview with Playboy magazine where he called organized religion a sham and a crutch for weak minded people. The poll shows 54 percent of Minnesotans approve of Ventura's overall job performance, compared with 73 percent last summer. We asked two MPR commentators for their thoughts on the governor's comments. Ken Stewart is a Family Therapist in Roseville.
October 4, 1999 - In Jonathon Lethem's new novel "Motherless Brooklyn" detective Lionel Essrog has to overcome several obstacles to solve the murder of his boss, not least the fact he has Tourettes Syndrome.
October 5, 1999 - Minnesotas black bear population continues to confound biologists. Once thought stable at about ten-thousand, the most recent survey estimated a total of almost three times that in the state.
October 7, 1999 - It's a delicious thought: somewhere, tucked away in a closet, or a store room near you, is something hugely valuable. A vase, an old coin, or even a picture, which could propel you to the front pages, or bankroll you through retirement, if only you can find it. The central character in the new comic novel "Headlong' makes such a discovery: a long lost masterpiece by the Flemish artist Breughel. He realizes the painting will make him a national hero if he can get it into a big museum, and probably quite rich too. The only problem: he finds it in his neighbours house. The resulting moral and artistic dilemmas spin increasingly out of control.
October 7, 1999 - The joys, the struggles and the comfort of an enduring relationship are explored in Minnesota author Warren Hanson's new book "Older Love." The book is sort of a picture book for adults. Hanson's previous book "The Next Place" struck a chord with people aross the country. The book is a poem about dying and heaven--and it's been read at funerals and in grief-support groups around the country.
October 11, 1999 - The Vixens and the Vikings may be off to a bleak start, but for local cheeseheads it looks like a promising season. The Green Bay Packers are now 3-and-1 after yesterday's victory over Tampa Bay. But is another SuperBowl victory possible? Pulitzer Prize winning author David Maraniss says as much as today's fans are hoping to rival the 2 SuperBowl vicories of legendary Coach Vince Lombardi in the 60s, he is a tough act to follow. In the new biography "When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi" Maraniss says the coach was so great there is a whole culture of myth about him.
October 12, 1999 - Nature and Outdoor writer Jerry Dennis' latest book is "From a Wooden Canoe". As the title suggests, the Michigan resident's collection of essays pays homage to enduring possessions like canoes, fishing rods and iron skillets.
October 13, 1999 - Midday presents a Mainstreet Radio special program to discuss shipwrecks on Lake Superior. Hosted at the Canal Park Maritime Museum in Duluth, Rachel Reabe speaks with guest panelists, including director of The Maritime Museum, an underwater photographer, a Maritime historian, and founder of the Great Lake Shipwreck Preservation Society. Panelists also answer listener questions.