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.
May 21, 2010 - Tim O'Brien pursues a truth in his fiction that is only somewhat based on what he experienced as a soldier in Vietnam. But the resonance of his work, particularly "The Things They Carried" has convinced people that the characters in his stories are drawn more precisely from life.
May 26, 2010 - Karl Marlantes, a decorated Marine veteran of the Vietnam War and author of the best-selling novel, "Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War" joins Midday to discuss war-time experiences. Guest: Karl Marlantes: Author of best-selling book, "Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War." A graduate of Yale University and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, Karl Marlantes served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten air medals. He spent 35 years writing this book, his first.
May 31, 2010 - On a special Memorial Day edition of Midday, Vietnam Veteran and author Tim O'Brien reflects on "The Things They Carried." This month is the 20th anniversary of the celebrated war novel, and O'Brien marked the occasion with an audience at the Club Book series. Tim O'Brien spoke recently at the Schwann Event Center in Blaine, as part of the "Club Book" series organized by the Metropolitan Library Service Agency and the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.
June 4, 2010 - Dale Connelly joins Midday to talk about his 34-year career as a radio reporter, humorist, writer, and music host at Minnesota Public Radio. The two reflect on many of Connelly’s momentous on-air moments and includes clips from The Dale Connelly Show. Connelly also answers listener questions.
June 8, 2010 - Watch it on TV or follow it on the Internet, and the Gulf oil spill seems both surreal and far away. But essayist Peter Smith says the lessons of the spill apply right here in Minnesota.
June 16, 2010 - Minnesota poet Philip Bryant has some words of comfort for the residents of the Gulf Coast in the face of the undersea oil gusher. Bryant, who teaches English at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, has seen hope return after a disaster.
June 22, 2010 - Midday presents Garrison Keillor speaking on poems, prose, and growing up in the northern suburbs at a Club Book program event in Blaine.
June 25, 2010 - As one of Minnesota's most famous sons receives a lifetime achievement award by the cable tv station BET, Chris Roberts gathers two prominent Prince watchers and his former drummer to talk about Prince's relationship with his hometown.
July 1, 2010 - Midday presents a broadcast of Minnesota's award-winning children’s author Kate DiCamillo talking about why she writes and how she does it. DiCamillo also takes questions from kids at a recent Club Book event in Apple Valley.
July 5, 2010 - MPR’s Marc Sanchez presents a profile of Scott King, owner of Red Dragonfly Press in Red Wing. King creates books the old-fashioned way. He publishes poetry, usually in the form of small "chap" books. Each letter of each word is set in place by hand and then printed one page at a time.