October 23, 2003 - In her latest book "Where No Gods Came," Minnesota author Sheila O'Connor tells the story of 12-year-old Faina McCoy, who is sent to Minneapolis to live with the alcoholic mother who abandoned her years ago. Feeling alone in a strange neighborhood, Faina discovers she's responsible for taking care of her chronically ill mother.
October 24, 2003 - No one's ever performed the entire “Piece Symphonique,” composed by Jean Langlais. MPR’s Chris Julin reports that is changing, with a world premier in Minnesota. The composer's widow is a concert organist and she has performances in Duluth and Minneapolis of the work.
October 24, 2003 - A radio guide to the arts.
October 24, 2003 - The Word of Mouth Art's Round-up.
October 24, 2003 - Dancer and choreographer Rennie Harris says the term "hip-hop" dates back to the 1930's. Then, it was used to describe the way people hip-hopped between night clubs to dance. Harris says it wasn't until the 1970's that hip hop became a culture. That's when kids on the street developed the popping and locking dance style that caught worldwide attention. Harris began dancing as a youngster in Philadelphia. Now he leads a dance company specializing in hip-hop technique.
October 29, 2003 - If you travelled to Pajala (PIE-eh-lah), a tiny town in far northern Sweden, you would meet people who sound a little like this: (7918- Play up full for about five seconds then fade under next bit of intro. Tape is :13secs) This is Mikael (Michael) Niemi (nee-EM-ee) reading from his novel "Popular Music from Vittula." (VEE-too-luh) It's a coming of age story set in Pajala (PIE-eh-lah) in the 1960's. The book has been a huge success, proclaimed by one Swedish critic as "a masterpiece that vibrates life, humor and a cutting pain". It won the best book award in Sweden in the year 2000. Now it's being translated and published in many languages around the world. It's all a bit of a surprise for Niemi (nee-EM-ee) who says Pajala (PIE-eh-lah) is a fundamentally boring place. The winter is long, and the people terse and slightly depressed. He told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr that it's so remote that until the book came out most Swedes didn't even know where it is.
October 30, 2003 - MPR’s Steve Nelson reports on St. Paul being the center of an emerging group of Hmong writers. That's may not seem all that remarkable, until you consider that Hmong people had no written language at all until 1952. Before then, Hmong story-telling relied on oral traditions. Now, writers in St. Paul are turning those stories into literature and history.
October 31, 2003 - A radio guide to the arts.
October 31, 2003 - Cellist Matt Haimovitz talks with MPR’s John Birge on performing classical music in alternative venues. Haimovitz, known for being well-versed in Bach, has recently been focused on contemporary work. He is performing a Halloween concert at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis.
November 20, 2003 - Many theaters complain their audiences are too soft. Some sleep through the shows, others give a standing ovation no matter what. One company says it has great audiences - you just need to know where to look for them. Ten Thousand Things theater company performs in Minnesota's prisons and homeless shelters. Critics regard it as some of the best theater in the region. Minnesota Public Radio's Marianne Combs reports.