July 23, 2002 - Alice Sebold is currently living every writer's dream. After quietly turning out work that went mostly unpublished for almost two decades, her new novel is climbing the New York Times Bestseller list. Better yet, the book, called "The Lovely Bones" has become one of the most critically acclaimed books of the year. The book is narrated by a 14-year-old character named Suzy who is raped and murdered in the first chapter. She tells her story from heaven. Sebold herself was brutally raped when she was a freshman in college.
July 24, 2002 - The tradition of Grain Belt beer will live on in Minnesota. August Schell (shell) Brewing Company in New Ulm has bought the brand from the bankrupt Minnesota Brewing Company. Minnesota Brewing closed last month, cutting more than 100 jobs and ending nearly 150 years of brewing tradition in St. Paul. Grain Belt was first introduced by the Minneapolis Brewing Company in 1893, and has since become one of the state's most popular homegrown beers. Jeff Lonto is the author of, "Legend of the Brewery: A Brief History of the Minneapolis Brewing Heritage."
July 29, 2002 - Former presidential candidate and longtime Minnesota U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy visits the MPR studios to talk about politics and literature. McCarthy also answers listener questions.
July 31, 2002 - For almost 80 years KFJM served listeners in the Grand Forks area. But today, {Tuesday},North Dakota's oldest public radio station stops local broadcasts. The station is owned by the University of North Dakota. It was the second radio station in the state to go on the air. A funding crunch has forced UND officials to shut down the radio station. Mainstreet Radios Bob Reha reports.
August 2, 2002 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on some of the best singers in the world heading to Minnesota, as the Twin Cities hosts the triennial World Choral Symposium. It's the first time the event has ever been held in the U.S. For a week, over a thousand singers, from more than 50 countries will attend workshops and perform numerous free concerts.
August 16, 2002 - On Word of Mouth, MPR’s Chris Roberts provides a radio guide to the local arts. This episode includes Chamber Music Society of MN, Roman Polanski retrospective, all things Finnish folk, Christ Church Lutheran, Blood Money, and an arts round-up..
August 16, 2002 - The city of Roseau is still recovering from the June floods that devastated the small northeastern Minnesota town. Ninety-nine percent of the town's residents suffered damage to their homes, and more than 100 local businesses have been affected. Insurance and federal disaster aid have helped, but tens of millions more are needed to help rebuild the community. Vocalist Janis Hardy grew up in Roseau and many of her relatives still live there. Monday night, she and a group of her musical friends will perform in a benefit concert for Roseau at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Hardy says she knew she had to do something to help after hearing her relatives describe the devastation to her over the phone.
August 22, 2002 - MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on finishing touches as the Minnesota State Fair prepares to open. It includes a building remodel…and tighter security a year after the September 11th terrorist attacks.
August 26, 2002 - MPR’s Andrew Haeg reports on what’s behind being a vendor at the Minnesota State Fair. For vendors, the Fair is a huge business opportunity. Competition for a slot at the fair is intense, and the barriers to entry are high. But, given the chance, those who've set up shop at the fair say it's worth the trouble and the wait.
August 27, 2002 - A new book explores how Minnesota-born artist Wanda Gag transformed children's literature and illustrating in the 1920's. Gag's books "Millions of Cats" and "The A-B-C Bunny" both won Newbury Awards. She's known as the first children's book author to draw an illustration that covers two pages of a book. Julie L'Enfant is a professor at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul. Her book--entitled "The Gag Family: German-Bohemian Artists in America," looks at newly discovered works and documents. It explores how Wanda Gag's family and her life in New Ulm influenced her work. The patriarch of the family--Anton Gag--was a German-Bohemian immigrant who settled in New Ulm in 1879. He was an artist and one of the first photographers in the region. Julie L'Enfant says although Anton died of tuberculosis at a young age--he encouraged his seven children to live freely and to become artists...