October 14, 1996 - On this Odd Jobs segment, MPR’s Tim Kelly interviews Neal Henry Lawrence, an 88-year-old monk from Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, who's lived in Tokyo for almost four decades, and is a pioneer in the writing of Tanka in English.
October 27, 1996 - Emilie Buchwald, publisher of Milkweed Editions, reads the winning essay from Boundary Waters writing contest. Essay is titled “Going Home” by Larry Risser.
November 15, 1996 - Voices from the Heartland presents poet Diane Glancy reading "Snow," which is a reflection on the Halloween blizzard of 1991.
November 20, 1996 - MPR’s Mary Stucky reports on local poetry book The Palm of My Heart, which collects vivid poetry by African American children who live in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
January 1, 1997 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger visits Mille Lacs, and reports on the perplexing nature of ice fishing.
January 17, 1997 - On this installment of Voices from the Heartland, Duluth poet Barton Sutter provides a commentary on the late Minneapolis poet John Engman in a reading of “Citizen of the Milky Way: Eulogy to John Engman.”
January 31, 1997 - As part of the Voices from the Heartland series, Minnesota poet Diane Glancy reads her poem "The Back Porch of the Country."
February 13, 1997 - Midday rebroadcasts award-winning MPR documentary Song Catcher, Frances Densmore of Red Wing. Following documentary, MPR’s Gary Eichten holds a discussion with guests Marcia Anderson, chief curator and head of the Museum Collections Department at the Minnesota Historical Society; and Faith Bad Bear, assistant curator of Ethnology at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
March 20, 1997 - On this first day of spring, Mainstreet Radio’s Mark Steil presents some stories from the winter of '97…and shares words from winter's past in the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder and O.E. Rolvaag.
April 11, 1997 - Midday’s Gary Eichten has a conversation with former Senator Eugene McCarthy during a visit to the Twin Cities for a couple of public book readings. During the program, McCarthy reads from his publication, Selected Poems, and answers listener call-in questions.