December 20, 1999 - Mainstreet Radio's Leif Enger shipped aboard a Bulgarian tramp freighter as it departed for Italy with a load of North Dakota wheat. As the last ship of the season departed Duluth early in the morning, the St. Lawrence Seaway's 40th season draws to a close.
December 20, 1999 - The city of Saint Paul and Central High School are the settings for Stanley Gordon West's new novel, Finding Laura Buggs. This is the Saint Paul native's second self-published novel. Both books feature characters loosely based on West's friends in the Central High class of 1950. West lives in Montana now. He tells Minnesota Public Radio's Mike Edgerly the idea for Finding Laura Buggs came to him while driving the long interstate from the Twin Cities to his home in Bozeman.
December 21, 1999 - A look at Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and how it's shaped our view of Christmas and charity. Features a 1940 version of A Christmas Carol featuring Lionel Barrymore as Ebenezer Scrooge. Our review of A Christmas Carol was written and produced by John Rabe, with assistance from Kara Fiegenschuh. It included selections from To Charles, With Love, a special production created and produced by Bridget Carpenter, the NEA-PCG playwright in residence of the Guthrie Theatre. We heard My Carol by Doris Baizley, read by Sue Scott; and excerpts of Octoclaus by Eric Ehn, read by Dan Gorenstein; and A Christmas Golem by David Grimm, read by Steve Yoakam.
December 21, 1999 - MPR’s Brent Wolfe reports on health experts at the Mayo Clinic embarking on an effort to cutting the fat in Olmsted County. They want to prove they can change the lifestyle of an entire community and decrease the rate of heart disease in the county.
December 22, 1999 - That's author Jim Lenfestey reading from his book The Urban Coyote: Howlings on Family, Community, and the Search for Peace and Quiet. The book is a compilation of columns and essays he's written for a community newspaper in Minneapolis.
December 22, 1999 - MPR’s Marisa Helms reports on Kinpride, a cable-access show in St. Cloud that takes a closer look at homosexuality. The show's creator and host says the program is designed to educate people and, hopefully, lead to a greater acceptance of a wider range of lifestyles in Minnesota.
December 23, 1999 - Christmas gatherings are the stuff of family memories. Some people remember these through photographs, others through journals. Six generations of family history are gathered in British author Sallyann Murphey's new book, The Metcalfe Family Album. Resembling a scrapbook, it's actually part fact, part fiction. It includes pressed flowers, family photos, recipes, and letters supposedly gathered at Christmas by the family matriarchs. Minnesota's Public Radio's Stephanie Curtis talked with Sallyann Murphey about how she collected real stories from letters and journals to create the book.
December 24, 1999 - Rabbi Harold Kushner's speech on how to make a difference with the rest of your life. Rabbi Kushner was in the Twin Cities this fall to give a lecture on What to Do With the Rest of Your Life. Rabbi Kushner is the author of the best seller, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People. He is also in wide demand as a lecturer and this fall, he spoke at the Academy for Faith Exploration, an educational outreach program sponsered by the Wayzata Community Church.
December 24, 1999 - This weekend, Christians around the world will once again hear the story of the Virgin Mary...a humble peasant woman who became the mother of God. Mary is perhaps one of the best-known figures in the Bible. But for many Christians, she is nearly invisible the rest of the liturgical year. That was the case for Kathleen Norris, who grew up in Methodist and Congregational churches. Norris, who is a poet from South Dakota, rediscovered Mary during a visit to a Benedictine abby 15 years ago. Mary's image seemed to be present everywhere. Norris, found the experience comforting and peaceful. In her new book "Meditations on Mary", Norris re-examines our assumptions about Mary in a series of personal essays.
December 24, 1999 - Splendid Table host Lynne Rossetto Kasper talks about the history of fruitcake, and the idea of sending it to others.