December 3, 2004 - Amy Tan, author of the bestselling novel "The Joy Luck Club," paid a visit to the Commonwealth Club of California this fall to discuss the relationship between her life and her work. She talked about the lessons she learned from her Chinese-American mother, her best friend's murder and her more recent battle with Lyme disease.
December 6, 2004 - MPR’s Perry Finelli interviews Dr. Pat Walker, medical director at the Center for International Health at Regions Hospital, about mass health screening clinics for new refugees.
December 7, 2004 - In the early 1930s, Soviet recruiters persuaded thousands of Finnish-Americans from northern Minnesota to move to Stalin's Russia. They thought they were going to build a utopia, but many ended up as Stalin's victims. A new book for youngsters, "The Darkest Evening," describes the painful episode. The author is William Durbin.
December 8, 2004 - LaVelle Neal, who follows the Twins year-round for the Star Tribune, discusses the Minnesota Twins signing of ace pitcher Brad Radke to a two-year $18 million contract. The 32-year-old right hander has been a fixture in the Twins rotation since 1995. He recorded the best earned run average of his career last season.
December 10, 2004 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with Carl Eller, former Viking and Pro Football Hall of Famer. Eller’s Hall of Fame speech focused on the future of young African American men.
December 10, 2004 - MPR’s David Molpus interviews Cheryl Thomas, who runs Women's Human Rights Program at the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights. Thomas discusses the domestic violence facing women in immigrant communities here in Minnesota.
December 10, 2004 - In this State of the Arts segment, MPR’s Marianne Comb profiles Outward Spiral Theatre Company, the only Twin Cities theater dedicated to producing shows by and about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered people. After a couple of poorly attended seasons, the theater is wondering whether the GLBT community needs it anymore.
December 11, 2004 - The photos are graphic and captivating. Former St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter Larry Millet has unearthed more than 200 images of car accidents, murders and suicides for his book "Strange Days, Dangerous Nights." The new book is the basis for an exhibit opening this weekend at the Minnesota History Center. Author Larry Millett joins me in the studio to talk about the haunting photos.
December 15, 2004 - The Guthrie Theater Company has revealed new details for the look of its three-stage complex on the riverfront. Eight scenes from the company's past will light up the exterior of the new building once its completed. The images feature some of the Guthrie's early work with actors Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn, as well as more recent productions. Artistic Director Joe Dowling says it's a remarkable visual statement.
December 16, 2004 - As part of the series A Mirror on Morality, MPR’s Lorna Benson talks with six parishioners from Macalester Plymouth United Church in St. Paul about the 2004 elections. Five are gay, the other a lesbian. Exit polls suggest that many Christians cast their ballots based on moral concerns, including strong opposition to gay marriage. The six discuss that "moral values" influenced their voting too - just in a different way.