October 29, 2009 - Rabbi Harold Kushner, Rabbi Laureate of Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, speaks about his new book, "Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World." Rabbi Kushner has written several books over the past three decades, including his 1981 bestseller about coping with tragedies, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." He was a featured speaker at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.
October 30, 2009 - MPR’s Michael Barone reflects on the musical importance of local organist and composer Paul Otto Manz, who passed away on Ocotober 28th, 2009. Manz’s organ arrangements and hymn improvisations are favorites among choir directors, organists and churchgoers.
October 30, 2009 - Midday presents an American RadioWorks documentary titled “Early Lessons,” which explores the history of preschool.
November 2, 2009 - As part of MPR News series “Stress-Testing the Recovery,” MPR’s Bob Kelleher profiles Hibbing, an area in northeastern Minnesota which has the highest jobless rate of any city in the state.
November 3, 2009 - As part of MPR News series “Stress-Testing the Recovery,” MPR’s Tom Roberston profiles Bemidji, a city with the state’s third highest peak in unemployment.
November 4, 2009 - As part of MPR News series “Stress-Testing the Recovery,” MPR’s Elizabeth Baier profiles Albert Lea, where the pain of the manufacturing slump is acute. The state's important manufacturing sector has lost nearly 43,000 jobs since the start of the recession -- more than any other major industry.
November 4, 2009 - The story of a simple monk trying to promote peace during the Vietnam war might seem an unlikely subject for a puppet show. Yet the performers in "A Path Home" at the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater say in many ways their show gets to the very roots of what they do as an organization.
November 5, 2009 - As part of MPR News series “Stress-Testing the Recovery,” MPR’s Annie Baxter profiles Brainerd, where the unemployment rate catapulted to 21 percent earlier in 2009 -- the highest spike among Minnesota's large cities.
November 5, 2009 - Harvey Cox is a Baptist minister and preeminent American theologian. He recently retired as the Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard University, where his research and teaching focused on the interaction of religion, culture, and politics. He is the author of "The Secular City," and is out with a new book, "The Future of Faith." He spoke before an audience at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
November 6, 2009 - Bemidji based writer Kent Nerburn sometimes struggles to categorize what he creates. He writes fictional narratives based on the real stories of people he has met on reservations in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Euan Kerr reports Nerburn latest book, "The Wolf at Twilight," explores the sad legacy of the Indian Boarding schools.