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.
April 12, 2002 - Tonight Minnesota's literary community will gather at the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul to celebrate the years's top books. The 14th annual Minnesota Book Awards identifies the best in popular fiction, anthology, and children's literature among others. Minnesota book critic and independent book seller Brad Zellar says it says a lot about the state that so many small presses are competing.
April 12, 2002 - Former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky speaks at Minnetonka's Adath Jeshurun Congregation as a part of the Pen Pals Lecture series. Pinsky is perhaps best known for his 1994 translation of Dante's Inferno.
April 16, 2002 - Psychologist and best-selling author Mary Pipher speaks in St. Paul at a Ruminator Books event. Her new book is "The Middle of Nowhere: The World's Refugees Come to Our Town", a collection of personal stories from Lincoln, Nebraska.
April 19, 2002 - In this edition of Word of Mouth - A profile on Brave New Workshop’s comedy “Bushwacked 2”/ Minnesota Opera’s “Little Women” / Center for the Performing Arts comedy “Among the Oats” / Northern Clay Center’s St. Paul American Pottery Festival / Klezmer Dances / Albee’s “The Play about the Baby” / The Rose Ensemble is performing music that is based on Gregorian chant / Minneapolis poet and spoken word artist Desdamona reads “To Know my Mother” / Minnesota jazz singer Alicia Renée
April 19, 2002 - After writing two books that brought him little financial success, reporter Mark Bowden says he didn't expect life to change much when he wrote his third book, "Black Hawk Down". The book earned considerable praise from critics, was a finalist in the 1999 National Book Awards, and was made into a blockbuster movie that was released earlier this year. Bowden's most recent book analyzes a U.S. military campaign in another part of the world, this time in Colombia.Guest: Author Mark Bowden
April 23, 2002 -
April 26, 2002 - The Minneapolis based Loft Literary Center announced today its launching a new bi-monthly national magazine. Speakeasy, will publish literary commentary, book reviews and original fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Loft Literary director Bart Schneider says it doesn't bother him that there are plenty of literary magazines already being published in the Twin Cities.
May 8, 2002 - The long-time publisher of the Daily Globe in Worthington, James Vance died yesterday. Considered an industry innovator, He left his mark on the paper as reporter, photographer and later publisher. In the early sixties, Vance introduced a new form of publishing. "Cold type" was the precursor to today's computer typesetting. Vance hired a young photographer named Jim Brandenburg. Brandenburg later went on to become an award-winning National Geographic photographer. Brandenburg was head of the photography department at the Globe for many years. He says Vance left a profound impression on him.
May 9, 2002 - Biologist Sandra Steingraber speaks live from the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Steingraber's new book, "An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood," discusses the alarming extent to which environmental hazards now threaten each crucial stage of infant development.
May 13, 2002 - Texan author and widely syndicated political columnist Molly Ivins speaks at the College of St. Catherine as part of their "Women in Leadership" series. Ivins is the author of the best-seller "Molly Ivins Can't Say that, Can She?," and her most recent book, about George W. Bush, is titled "Shrub."