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.
December 15, 2000 - Still looking for great books to give away for the holidays? Longtime librarian and book store owner Colleen Coghlan shares her lists of favorite books with listeners.
December 15, 2000 - On this Talking Volumes, MPR’s Katherine Lanpher interviews Minnesota writer Bill Holm. Lanpher talks to Holm about his book “The Heart Can Be Filled Anywhere on Earth.” Holm also reads from book.
January 11, 2001 - Amy Tan
January 16, 2001 - A Minnesota Author has won the American Library Association's prestigious Newbery Honor for Children's Literature. Kate DiCamillo's book "Because of Winn-Dixie" follows the friendship of ten year old India Opal Buloni and a stray dog named Winn-Dixie during their first summer together in a small Florida town. DiCamillo says she is still recovering from the shock of finding out she had won.
January 30, 2001 - A new American Radioworks documentary, Prison Diaries.
January 31, 2001 - Author Margaret Atwood, speaking recently as part of the Pen Pals Lecture Series sponsored by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County. Her latest book is The Blind Assassin.
February 16, 2001 - Texas author and radio commentator Jim Hightower discusses his new book, If the Gods Had Meant Us To Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates.
February 28, 2001 - Music producer T. Bone Burnett joins Gary Eichten from Los Angeles to talk about his latest movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and his life in the music world. On the program, T. Bone mentioned three artists to check out if you like the soundtrack from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" They are Elizabeth Cotton, Skip James, and Washington Phillips.
February 28, 2001 - The last day of February means anglers have to take their ice houses off Minnesota lakes. But with so much snow on the ground, skiing and snowmobiling enthusiasts are still living it up. And for some Minnesotans, another winter activity could start any day -- maple sugaring. The season is unpredictable -- requiring warm days and cold nights. Author Susan Carol Hauser writes about maple sugaring and is preparing to tap the trees near her Bemidji-area home. She says according to folklore a wet winterlike the one we've had means more sap.
March 15, 2001 - A Macalester College speech given this week by NAACP Chairman and 40-year civil rights leader Julian Bond.