February 3, 2003 - Coal has been admired as a precious stone, cursed as a health hazard, and hailed as the foundation of modern industry. Today, coal is the state's primary fuel for power plants. But, like most people, Barbara Freeze had never thought much about it. That changed when the former state assistant attorney general was assigned a case overseeing Minnesota's air quality laws. The case granted Freeze a unique look inside the coal industry. What she saw convinced her to quit her job and immerse herself in coal's 350 (m)million year history. Freeze's new book "Coal: A Human History" takes an in-depth look at that history and argues that the world's reliance on coal is taking a huge environmental toll. Freeze says it's hard to underestimate the impact coal has had.
February 5, 2003 - At at time of growing cynicism about the institution of marriage the Guthrie Theater is examining the virtues and vices of modern-day relationships. In "Wintertime," opening tonight at the Guthrie Lab in Minneapolis, playwright Charles Mee sets love in a cold climate to see if it can survive. Minnesota Public Radio's Marianne Combs has this profile.
February 6, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich spent a recent evening in the studio with Gary Johnson Cheeseman, the creator of Anishinabe O'denong.
February 13, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Bob Reha attends final rehearsals of "Memorial," which debuts at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Moorhead. For Rene' Clausen, conductor of the Concordia College Choir, it was a daunting task. Clausen was commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association to write a piece that captured the emotional and spiritual elements of the September 11th tragedy.
February 19, 2003 - The Walker Art Center is trying to look at the world in a new way. It's new show "How Lattitudes Become Forms Art in a Global Age" brings together artists from Turkey, India, Brazil, South Africa, China, Japan and the U-S. The project is the culmination of years of work to change how the Walker finds and presents art. Walker curators say they want to better reflect the changing world...and get rid of some old bad habits. Minnesota Public Radio's Marianne Combs has this report.
February 19, 2003 - William Gibson's new novel is called "Pattern Recognition." His heroine, Cayce Pollard, is a 'coolhunter'. She spots trends in the making so companies can exploit them. A mysterious stream of videoclips has been popping up on the internet. They have become "cool." So, Cayce is hired by an advertising company to locate their source. She is brought in because she can spot a winner. Her heightened sensitivities tell her when an image or logo will be a success. In fact she's always right. But that gift comes with a cost; an allergy. Cayce Pollard is deathly allergic to some of the logos she comes across in everyday life. William Gibson told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr he wanted to create a Swiftian exaggeration of something everybody does.
February 21, 2003 - Word of Mouth
February 21, 2003 - MPR’s Chris Julin caught up with Haley Bonar in Duluth. The 19-year-old quit college to write songs and is preparing for CD release and national tour. Julin interviews Bonar about the dark subject matter of her songs. Bonar also performs during segment.
February 24, 2003 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on local storyteller Nothando Zulu, and her work during Black History Month. February is the month when all Americans are encouraged to learn more about the culture and history of African Americans. Schools, libraries and other organizations ask African American scholars, artists and professionals to be part of their Black History Month events. Nothando Zulu, hasn't had a day off all month.
March 12, 2003 - Minneapolis writer Alison McGhee describes her new novel as, "very sad". Her novel is titled, "Was it Beautiful?" It's the story of William T. Jones, a man struggling with the suicide of his son, his divorce, and the loss of his job. McGhee based the new book on the biblical story of Job, the man who lost everything as God tested his faith. Allison McGhee told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr that she set the story in the Adirondacks, at the turn of the 20th century. She grew up there, and wanted to set the story among the characters who lived back in the woods.