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 22, 2000 - MPR’s Laura McCallum interviews Winona LaDuke, vice-presential candidate for Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader. LaDuke discusses the Green Party platform and local support in Minnesota.
October 2, 2000 - Former St. Paul Mayor George Latimer joins Paul Grogan, vice president for Government, Community, and Public Affairs at Harvard University to talk about Paul Grogan's new book, "Comeback Cities: A Blueprint for Urban Neighborhood Survival".
October 17, 2000 - Rebecca Wells, author of the best-selling book, "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" speaking in the Twin Cities at the Pen Pals Lecture Series sponsored by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.
November 20, 2000 - In his new book "Postville" author Stephen Bloom examines the conflict that erupted when a group of Hasidic Jews from New York moved to a small Iowa town in the late 1980s and opened a kosher slaughterhouse. The relationship began on a friendly note, with the locals welcoming the Jews who were bringing hundreds of jobs to the economically depressed region. But soon the relationship soured and when the locals lobbied in favor of a referendum to annex the slaughterhouse, the Jews claimed anti-semitism was fueling the vote. For Bloom, the clash of cultures was particularly interesting since he too, is a Jewish man who traded in big city life for Iowa cornfields.
November 24, 2000 - On this Midday, a discussion about football with former Star Tribune writer Jim Klobuchar, author of a new book Knights and Knaves of Autumn: 40 Years of Vikings Football.
November 24, 2000 - A Macalester College speech about reparations for slavery, by human rights activist Randall Robinson. His new book is titled, The Debt: What America Owes Blacks.
November 29, 2000 - Margaret Atwood's latest novel "The Blind Assassin" focuses on an octegenarian looking back on the events leading to the death of her younger sister. But the book-- which recently won Britain's prestigious Booker prize- also contains a novel-within-the-novel and yet another science fiction tale within THAT. One of the Booker judges said the novel "demonstrates Atwood's immense emotional range, as well as her poet's eye for both telling detail and psychological truth." Atwood told Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Curtis many of the moments in the novel came from the experiences of her mother and grandmother.
November 29, 2000 - Best-selling author Scott Turow, speaking at the Pen Pals Lecture Series, sponsored by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.
December 6, 2000 - Minnesota author Vince Flynn is out with his third political thriller called THE THIRD OPTION. Flynn's previous two books TERM LIMITS and TRANSFER OF POWER were both on the New York Times Best-sellers list. THE THIRD OPTION opens with the President trying to battle terrorism in Libya and Iraq. Since diplomacy and military intervention--are not working, the President and his security advisors are forced to employ "the third option"-- covert action. Flynn's expert C-I-A spyman Mitch Rapp--known by the code name "Iron Man" reappears to save the day. Flynn says he realizes critics have complained that Rapp is the perfect spy--maybe too perfect---but Flynn says that's all part of his job as an author.
December 6, 2000 - Minnesota author Vince Flynn is out with his third political thriller called "The Third Option". Flynn's previous two books "Term Limits" and "Transfer of Power" were both on the New York Times Best-sellers list. "The Third Option" opens with the President trying to battle terrorism in Libya and Iraq. Since diplomacy and military intervention are not working, the President and his security advisors are forced to employ "the third option"- covert action. Flynn's expert CIA spyman Mitch Rapp, known by the code name "Iron Man" reappears to save the day. Flynn says he realizes critics have complained that Rapp is the perfect spy, maybe too perfect, but Flynn says that's all part of his job as an author.