July 11, 2003 - In this edition of Word of Mouth - Mainstreet Radio’s Tom Roberston profiles the writers of the Northwoods, including novelist Will Weaver; writer Kevin McColley; poet Susan Carol Hauser; and non-fiction writer Kent Nerburn / MPR’s Chris Roberts profiles Nathan Keeper’s “Fully Commited” comedy / St. Paul poet Paul Dickson reads a poem on highschool / Arts-round-up
July 17, 2003 - MPR's Marianne Combs profiles painter and sculptor John Snyder, and his Circus of the Night exhibit at Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis. The presentation features gigantic paintings reminiscent of Italian works of the 14th century. Snyder details his inspiration behind the paintings.
September 5, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland presents a profile of Bill Janklow's political career. He's been South Dakota’s attorney general, governor and now the state's sole U.S. representative. To some he's a hero: a champion for the underdog, and a great leader in the face of fires, floods and tornadoes. But to others he's a bully, who doesn't just beat his opponents, he obliterates them.
September 18, 2003 - On his 80th birthday, former Minnesota Governor Al Quie joins MPR Midday host Gary Eichten to discuss his life and political career. Quie was governor from 1979 through 1982. Quie, a Republican, represented southeastern Minnesota in Congress for 21 years, and served one term in the Minnesota Senate.
November 27, 2003 - MPR’s Dan Olson presents a profile of Marian Biersdorf, the person behind the Festal canned pumpkin pie recipe.
November 28, 2003 - Midday presents two Voices of Minnesota conversations with Minnesota fishermen. Howard Sivertson and Walter Sve share recollections of growing up in fishing families on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It's a way of life that's practically disappeared.
January 21, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio’s Cara Hetland presents “That's Just Janklow," a documentary on Bill Janklow, one of the most powerful figures in South Dakota history. The one time juvenile delinquent went on to become a 4-term governor, and then a Congressman. It all ended in a car crash.
March 12, 2004 - Paul Gruchow, the award-winning Minnesota writer, died Feb. 22 of a presumed drug overdose. He was honored Friday at a memorial reading organized by his publisher, Minneapolis-based Milkweed Editions. His books include Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild, winner of a 1998 Minnesota Book Award's Flanagan Prize; The Necessity of Empty Places; and Grass Roots: The Universe of Home, winner of a 1996 Minnesota Book Award.
May 6, 2004 - MPR’s Chris Roberts profiles Coach Said Not To, a Minneapolis rock foursome that deliberately tries to defy categorization. Roberts interviews members Lee Violet and Eva Mohn about the thinking person's rock band.
May 21, 2004 - MPR’s Laura McCallum profiles Cy Thao, a legislator and artist, who has an exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. "The Hmong Migration" is a series of fifty oil paintings by Thao, and represent the unfolding of 5,000 years of Hmong history. Thao said he feels an obligation to tell the Hmong story, and to preserve it for generations.