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.
November 30, 1984 - Co-author of the book "Heartsongs: A Guide to Active Pre-Birth and Infant Parenting through Language and Singing"
December 10, 1984 - A play about young women growing up in the 1980s. Based on a children's game, the play highlights the conflicting messages girls receive on how to be teenage and/or adult women. Starring Regina M. Laroche, Shelly Olson, Kathryn O'Malley and Deborah Randazza.
December 20, 1984 - Author Madeleine L'Engle tells her personal story of rebellion and individualism as she worked her way up the literary ladder. Ms L'Engle is most famous for her children's book "A Wrinkle In Time", which won the Newberry Book Award in 1963. She says, however, she writes for everyone, not just children or adults. And she believes that to get at the truth, one must move away from the facts.Ms. L'Engle delivered her address in the summer of 1984 in Chautauqua, New York as part of the Chautauqua Lecture Series.
December 20, 1984 -
December 26, 1984 - Author of the book "Where the Waters Gather and the Rivers Meet: An Atlas of the Eastern Sioux"
December 26, 1984 - MPR’s Stephen Smith profiles Prince Rogers Nelson. Segment includes interview with critic Jon Bream, author of the book "Prince: Inside the Purple Reign," and local evangelists who find Prince’s music offensive.
January 7, 1985 - Author and literary critic Doris Grumbach discusses her writing and reads from her books "Chamber Music", "Missing Person" and "The Ladies".
February 7, 1985 -
February 14, 1985 - MPR’s Doug Hamilton speaks with local English Professor and poet Michael Dennis Brown on the state of modern love poetry today. Brown speaks on poetry’s decreasing popularity in comparison to other forms of media and expression. He also talks about his expectations for the future of poetry and how he hopes it evolves and grows with the world’s changes.
February 18, 1985 - MPR’s Kate Moos reports on Minnesota’s second poet laureate, Laurene Tibbetts. Segment includes brief interview and reading.