November 27, 2002 - A special re-broadcast of a "Voices of Minnesota" interview with the late James Griffin, the first African American to become deputy police chief in St. Paul, and to hold various leadership positions in the St. Paul Police Department. Griffin died on Saturday. We'll also explore charitable giving during the Thanksgiving holiday, and the lastest happenings at the Union Gospel Mission in St. Paul.
November 28, 2002 - Matthew Fox plays guitar, and mandolin. But until now he has been playing in bands, either in ensembles, or backing someone else. Now, this relatively recent Twin Cities transplant is stepping into the limelight with his own album "Pilgrim." MPR’s Euan Kerr talks with the artist about album.
November 29, 2002 - Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown is the subject of a new Spike Lee film that's getting a screening at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis this Sunday. During his nine-year NFL career, Brown rushed for over 12-thousand yards and was an all-pro every year. But the film doesn't just dwell on Brown's playing days. Spike Lee says he wanted to present a complete picture of Brown's experience as a black man in America. He interviews dozens of Brown's friends, relatives, teammates and coaches. Lee tells the story of Brown's childhood in an all-black community, his efforts to overcome stereotypes at Syracuse University, and his sometimes-controversial relationships with women. Both Spike Lee and Jim Brown will be in Minneapolis for this weekend's screening. We talked with Brown on the phone from L.A. He says his life has been about much more than football.
November 29, 2002 - An excerpt from an August 2002 interview with Minneapolis folk-blues legend Dave Ray, who died on 11/28/2002. Ray talks with MPR’s Dale Connelly about how hearing classical guitarist Andre Segovia perform changed his life.
December 4, 2002 - Some very large and fragile pieces of ancient Egyptian art have arrived in Minnesota. They're part of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts new exhibit, "Eternal Egypt" which opens later this month. The exhibit's 144 treasures include massive and irreplaceable granite sculptures. Moving them requires the deft touch of a rigger and a mighty big elevator. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
December 5, 2002 - Classical MPR’s Mindy Ratner talks with 11-year-old Nathaniel Irvin of Maple Grove, who has the the title role in Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” performed by the Minnesota Orchestra with the James Sewell Ballet.
December 6, 2002 - December is a busy month for Minneapolis humorist Kevin Kling. He just released a new compact disc of his National Public Radio commentaries called "Wonderlure" -- a few weeks from now he'll reprise his role of Joseph in what's now become an annual holiday pageant at the Southern Theater -- and this Monday, Kling returns to the Guthrie Theater to spin more wacky childhood yarns in "Tales From the Charred Underbelly of the Yulelog." Kling says the Guthrie show takes a somewhat jaded look at the holidays.
December 9, 2002 - The family of the late Marjorie McNeely is honoring her memory with a seven million-dollar donation to the Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul. The donation is seven times larger than the conservatory's one million dollar annual operating budget. The McNeely family runs an industrial real estate company with properties around the country. Marjorie McNeely -- who died in 1998 -- was president of the St. Paul Garden Club and a member of the original Guthrie Theater board. The conservatory will be renamed "The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park." Director Roberta Sladky says about 18 months ago the McNeely family approached the Conservatory about the gift.
December 10, 2002 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviews W. Harry Davis, prominent local civil rights activist and educator, about his autobiography, entitled "Overcoming." In it, he describes growing up in poverty, helping found the Minneapolis Urban Coalition, running a local Golden Gloves Boxing organization and serving on the Minneapolis School Board for 20 years.
December 10, 2002 - The December edition of MPR's "Voices of Minnesota" series features conversations with two of the state's most interesting literary figures. Emilie Buchwald is a founder of Milkweed Editions and the winner of this year's McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist award. We also hear from Mary Winstead, author of the new book, "Back to Mississippi."