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.
November 27, 2002 - Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports on The Peshtigo Fire, which wiped out the booming mill town of Peshtigo Wisconsin, just north of Green Bay. About two thousand people died.
December 3, 2002 - Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel, speaking recently at the Mayo Clinic about terrorism and how 9/11 changed America. He now teaches at Boston University and is the President and Founder of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.
December 3, 2002 - For the first time in its 24 year history, the Sundance Film Festival will screen a Minnesota-made movie.
December 6, 2002 - December is a busy month for Minneapolis humorist Kevin Kling. He just released a new compact disc of his National Public Radio commentaries called "Wonderlure" -- a few weeks from now he'll reprise his role of Joseph in what's now become an annual holiday pageant at the Southern Theater -- and this Monday, Kling returns to the Guthrie Theater to spin more wacky childhood yarns in "Tales From the Charred Underbelly of the Yulelog." Kling says the Guthrie show takes a somewhat jaded look at the holidays.
December 6, 2002 - December is a busy month for Minneapolis humorist Kevin Kling. He just released a new compact disc of his National Public Radio commentaries called "Wonderlure" -- a few weeks from now he'll reprise his role of Joseph in what's now become an annual holiday pageant at the Southern Theater -- and this Monday, Kling returns to the Guthrie Theater to spin more wacky childhood yarns in "Tales From the Charred Underbelly of the Yulelog." Kling says the Guthrie show takes a somewhat jaded look at the holidays.
December 10, 2002 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviews W. Harry Davis, prominent local civil rights activist and educator, about his autobiography, entitled "Overcoming." In it, he describes growing up in poverty, helping found the Minneapolis Urban Coalition, running a local Golden Gloves Boxing organization and serving on the Minneapolis School Board for 20 years.
December 10, 2002 - The December edition of MPR's "Voices of Minnesota" series features conversations with two of the state's most interesting literary figures. Emilie Buchwald is a founder of Milkweed Editions and the winner of this year's McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist award. We also hear from Mary Winstead, author of the new book, "Back to Mississippi."
December 13, 2002 - Award-winning children's book author Mary Casanova takes young readers into the world of 18th century Versailles in her new book "Cecile: Gates of Gold". Casanova's previous books have mostly been set in Minnesota's north woods--a setting inspired by her own backyard near the Canadian border. Her latest book follows 12-year-old Cecile in the court of Versailles in the year 1711. Mary Casanova spoke to Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham and said it was a challenge to convey the grandeur of Versailles.
December 13, 2002 - Award-winning children's book author Mary Casanova takes young readers into the world of 18th century Versailles in her new book "Cecile: Gates of Gold". Casanova's previous books have mostly been set in Minnesota's north woods--a setting inspired by her own backyard near the Canadian border. Her latest book follows 12-year-old Cecile in the court of Versailles in the year 1711. Mary Casanova spoke to Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham and said it was a challenge to convey the grandeur of Versailles.
December 19, 2002 - Over the past 20 years, the memoir has become one of the most popular and influential forms of literature. Patricia Hampl is credited with pioneering the memoir with her groundbreaking work, "A Romantic Education," published in 1981. She is currently a University of Minnesota Regents professor. Eva Hoffman is the author of three critically acclaimed works of nonfiction, including her widely read memoir about the immigration experience, "Lost in Translation." She is also winning rave reviews for her new novel, "The Secret."Patricia Hampl and Eva Hoffman discuss the memoir as a literary form. This broadcast is part of the University of Minnesota's "Great Conversations" series, and is called "The Art of Remembering."