February 3, 2012 - As part of Arts Week, MPR’s Marianne Combs has a conversation with scholar Paul Carter Harrison and Penumbra’s Lou Bellamy. The group discusses the history behind the Black Arts Movement and its impact.
January 20, 2012 - A broadcast of "Heckuva Farewell," an event for MPR’s Gary Eichten, held at the Fitzgerald Theater on January 19, 2012. For his last Midday show, Gary interviews Vice President Mondale, Minnesota's senior statesman. The two hold a wide-ranging political discussion.
December 23, 2011 - Stories of winter fairies and elves, from a performance at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul.
December 21, 2011 - Lisa See is the author of "Shanghai Girls" and "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan." Many of her books center on Chinese and Chinese American characters. She discusses her writing and the influence of her Chinese American heritage at the Hennepin Country Central Library in downtown Minneapolis.
December 2, 2011 - Jerry Dennis and Darby Nelson have written about lakes, great and small. What do we most value about lakes and what should be done to protect them? Guests: Darby Nelson: Author of "For Love of Lakes." Aquatic ecologist and professor emeritus, Anoka-Ramsey Community College. Served three terms as Minnesota State Representative. Former board president, Conservation Minnesota. Currently on the board of the Freshwater Society.
November 11, 2011 - Remembering legendary radio dramatist Norman Corwin. Norman Corwin has been called the poet laureate of radio's golden age. He died last month at the age of 101. Midday remembers Corwin with a short documentary on his career, and excerpts from his masterpiece, "On a Note of Triumph", which remains the most listened to radio drama in U.S. history.Later in the hour, author Tim O'Brien discusses his critically acclaimed short story collection on the Vietnam War, "The Things They Carried."
September 2, 2011 - Garrison Keillor, the host of public radio's A Prairie Home Companion, joins MPR's Gary Eichten on the Carousel Park Stage at the Minnesota State Fair to share stories and answer questions from the audience about his long career as a broadcaster and author.
August 19, 2011 - Architectural historian Larry Millett has written beautiful and informative books about Minnesota's most interesting homes and buildings. His newest book, "Once There Were Castles," describes 90 mansions and estates that have disappeared from Minnesota. Are there homes or buildings that you remember from the past? Some gems still standing?
August 4, 2011 - Best-selling author Lisa See on her bicultural heritage. Lisa See's novels include "Dreams of Joy," "Shanghai Girls," and "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," which has been made into a Hollywood film. Her stories offer a fascinating glimpse into different periods of China's history. She spoke at the Hennepin County library in downtown Minneapolis on how her writing has been influenced by the Chinese side of her family.
May 11, 2011 - Author and "A Prairie Home Companion" host Garrison Keillor speaks at the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries Dinner about writing, performing, and how libraries are a refuge from the outside world.