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 7, 1975 - MPR’s Bill Siemering interviews Dr. Roland Dille about Sinclair Lewis, author of Main Street, and the theme of ‘small town.’
December 31, 1975 - Garrison Keillor interviews author J. F. Powers about his book Look How the Fish Live. Powers reads from the book and talks of his time overseas.
February 23, 1976 - An audio tour with Rena N. Coen, art historian and author, who discusses early "exploratory" art of Minnesota's first white settlers, including a curiosity with the Native Americans.
February 24, 1976 - An audio tour with art historian Rena Coen about the early artist visitors to Minnesota, including Eastman Johnson and a connection to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem Song of Hiawatha.
February 25, 1976 - An audio tour with art historian Rena Coen on the history of religious art, especially the Norwegian immigrants to Minnesota in the 19th century.
February 26, 1976 - An audio tour with art historians Rena Coen and Lyndel King, who comment on the early Minnesota art scene and the foundation for the Minneapolis School of Art.
March 3, 1976 - MPR special coverage of speech and reading by Minneosta poet Robert Bly at Lakewood Community College in White Bear Lake.
March 4, 1976 - Pledge drive with Garrison Keillor, Bill Kling, and Gary Eichten. Kling asks Dave Peters, executive editor of Minnesota Monthly to talk about the April issue. Bemidji writer Marilyn Heltzer also talks.
March 10, 1976 - An MPR News Feature where poet Robert Bly talks about reading poetry, about how he doesn't consider himself a Minnesotan poet, and that he rejects the idea of "regional poetry." The feature also includes Bly reading and a few fans of Bly speaking about the importance of his work.
March 10, 1976 - Audio excerpt of Minnesota poet Robert Bly performing a reading.