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.
February 3, 2011 - Pete Hautman has won a National Book Award for his young adult novels, and while he loves the genre, he says there are reasons not to write young adult fiction. He explains why, and talks about his newest novel.
February 18, 2011 - Midday presents A Prairie Home Companion host and creator Garrison Keillor speaking to an audience at Concordia University in St. Paul about the challenges he's had to face as a writer and how his upbringing has helped him deal with them.
March 14, 2011 - MPR’s Euan Kerr talks with Ojibwe writer Jim Northrup. For almost 22 years, Northrup has entertained and chastened readers of his syndicated “Fond Du Lacs Follies” newspaper column. He's covered everything from the rise of casinos and treaty rights, to his love of tapping trees for syrup, and harvesting wild rice…and he always included lots of jokes.
March 16, 2011 - Garrison Keillor says he's retiring. In an interview with AARP published on their website earlier today, Keillor said he plans to step down from hosting A Prairie Home Companion in the spring of 2013.
March 17, 2011 - MPR’s Marianne Combs reports on Garrison Keillor claiming he will retire in 2013, but would he actually? In an interview with AARP published on their website, Keillor said he plans to step down from hosting A Prairie Home Companion in the spring of 2013.
April 5, 2011 - MPR’s Euan Kerr talks with St. Paul poet Jim Moore about collection "Invisible Strings." Moore reads from book.
April 15, 2011 - MPR Presents "Writing Minnesota," a special program highlighting Minnesota writers and authors. Program showcases some of the exciting literary work coming out of the state.
April 18, 2011 - MPR’s Tom Crann interviews playwright Dominic Taylor, actor Dennis Spears, and director Lou Bellamy about the play "Black Pearl Sings."
April 19, 2011 - In his first three novels Twin Cities author George Rabasa tackled human-trafficking, police brutality and opera singing. Now he's moved on to teenage eccentricity. Euan Kerr reports Rabasa's new book "Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb" is an off-beat love story set against the snow-packed wastes of Minnesota winter.
April 25, 2011 - The Southern Theater in Minneapolis has set itself a formidable task this week: it aims to raise $400,000 by Saturday. Organizers say if they fail the West Bank institution will have to close its doors. The Twin Cities has a national reputation for its theater, but the current economy has severely tested several companies, and even caused the collapse of the internationally renowned Theater de la Jeune Lune. Euan Kerr of Minnesota Public Radio's Arts Unit has been following the situation, and joins me now to look at what's been happening First of all: how did the Southern get it its current predicament?