November 29, 1997 - Can you go home again--that's the question posed in Jonis Agee's new book "South of Resurrection". The story centers on Moline Bedwell--a tough-minded woman who returns to her hometown of Resurrection, Missouri after 20 years. "South of Resurrection" is Agee's third novel. Agee says her new book is a tale of modern rural life and is a tribute to her family's homestead. Agee's spending a lot of time these days thinking about "Home." She recently left her teaching position at St. Catherine's in St. Paul to teach in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
December 2, 1997 - Leigh Kamman, long-time host of The Jazz Image, reflects on the artistry of the late great French violinist Stephane Grappelli. Listener also call-in with comments and questions.
December 9, 1997 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on the disturbing history of Canton Insane Asylum…and of the dead from institution that are now buried in the middle of city's Hiawatha golf course.
December 9, 1997 - A survey by the StarTribune and Harvard University finds a majority of Minnesota doctors have a lower opinion of managed care than patients. In the survey, doctors gave HMOs an average score of C, whereas patients gave their managed care plans a B-average. The survey comes as the American Medical Association is holding its annual meeting in Dallas, where managed care was supposed to be at the top of the agenda. Dr. Andrew Smith, a Minneapolis neurosurgeon, is a delegate to the AMA. I asked him why many doctors have negative feelings about managed care.
December 12, 1997 - A Hennepin County judge denied a request from a Hmong woman who wanted to peform a traditional ceremony in the courtroom. Ilean Her, executive director of the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, talks about traditional acts in Hmong culture. Her says these ceremonies can take different forms, but often include drinking a ceremonial beverage.
December 13, 1997 - From "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" to Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" books help us get into the holiday spirit. The Minnesota team of Tom Hegg and Warren Hanson have found success in this corner of the book market. The two are collaborators on "A Cup of Christmas Tea" and "PEEF: The Christmas Bear". Warren Hanson is releasing a new book this holiday season. "The Next Place" deals with a topic not usually associated with the holiday season--death. "The Next Place" is an inspirational story about what Hanson hopes lies ahead for us after we die.
December 13, 1997 - The torturous hugs from elderly relatives, sitting at the kids table for dinner--and time packed into cars for long, stuffy trips to visit family, these elements are part of everyone's holiday memories. They're also fodder for Kevin Kling's play "Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log". Delving into childhood memories is the hallmark of a Kevin Kling play.
December 19, 1997 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on Penumbra's Black Nativity. Every family has their holiday traditions, but few are as complex as one Minneapolis family, whose season revolves around the Penumbra Theatre's annual production.
December 30, 1997 - MPR’s Lauara McCallum presents the documentary “Losing Lincoln Drive: Grand Forks After The Flood,” which shares the stories of three families and what has happened since the sirens blew.
December 31, 1997 - A Midday rebroadcast of historian Stephen Ambrose's visit to MPR in 1997. Ambrose is the author of the best-selling books Citizen Soldiers, about D-Day until the end of World War II in Europe; and Undaunted Courage, about the Lewis and Clark Expedition.