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.
March 27, 1990 - On this Midday program, a presentation of a Mainstreet Radio report on rural Minnesota and the debate on how it should be viewed and described. Following report, MPR’s Bob Potter has a conversation with Paul Gruchow, local author and reporter; and George Donohue, a rural sociologist at the University of Minnesota about the differences between rural and urban Minnesota and answer listener questions.
March 30, 1990 - On this Midday program, MPR’s Bob Potter interviews author and poet Bill Holm. They discuss Holm’s book “Coming Home Crazy: An Alphabet of China Essays” and the Tiananmen Square protests. Holm also answers listener questions.
April 7, 1990 -
April 18, 1990 - Chinese American writer and activist Bette Bao Lord talks about her new book, "Legacies: A Chinese Mosaic". Listener participation.
May 16, 1990 - On this episode of Take-Out program, host Beth Friend presents a collection of arts and culture items, including an interview with author Gretchen Urnes Beito and Pomegranate Press publisher Kathryn Leigh Scott about book "Coya Come Home: A Congresswoman's Journey," an authorized biography of Coya Knutson - the first woman elected to Congress from Minnesota / An interview with Richard Lack and John Walker on 20th anniversary of Atelier Lack School of Classical Realism / An interview with author Stuart Dybek about book "The Coast of Chicago: Stories" / A tribute to Jim Henson, who unexpectedly passed away on May 16th, 1990.
June 8, 1990 -
July 16, 1990 -
July 17, 1990 -
July 18, 1990 -
August 18, 1990 - MPR’s Mark Heistad talks with Evelyn Fairbanks, author of the book “Days of Rondo.” Fairbanks reflects on growing up in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul.