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 22, 1976 - A reading of poem from quarterly poetry magazine “Moons and Lion Tailes.”
March 26, 1976 - Reflections of the North documentary presents two Minnesota naturalists and artists: writer Sigurd Olson and photographer Les Blacklock, who offer readings and personal commentary on life in the ‘North.’
August 5, 1976 - An address by educator-farmer-writer Hiram Drache on the family farm and the future of American farming before a conference on rural America, held in Crookston, Minnesota. The speech is titled "Agriculture in the Year 2000."
January 1, 1977 - A Home for the Weekend program of readings and music with Minnesota poets Nancy and Joe Paddock.
February 8, 1977 - Dr. Hiram Drache, an agricultural historian, author, and professor of history at Concordia College in Moorhead, talks with Bill Siemering and John Ydstie about transitions in farming and his book Beyond the Furrow: Some Keys to Successful Farming in the Twentieth Century.
March 4, 1977 - A news feature highlighting poetry written later in life and on presenting poetry to diverse audience on public buses.
April 22, 1977 - MPR’s Bill Siemering interviews Minnesota author and environmentalist Sigurd Olson, who shares his view of the importance and beauty of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
May 30, 1977 - MPR’s Rachel Kranz reports on the efforts of local The Playwrights’ Lab. Kranz speaks with playwright Terry Lappin about the organization.
June 18, 1977 - On this regional public affairs program, a presentation of Twin Cities author Judith Guest speaking at Women as Writers symposium.
July 9, 1977 - On this regional public affairs program, St. Paul writer Christina Baldwin discusses her book One to One: Self Understanding Through Journal Writing. Baldwin has kept a journal for 17 years and also teaches classes on using a journal as a form of therapy.