March 20, 2008 - Famed Minnesota novelist Jon Hassler died early this morning. Hassler was 74 and had suffered from Parkinson disease. He had a string of novels to his name, many of them examining the intricacies of life in small Minnesota towns.
March 20, 2008 - Reknowned Minnesota author Jon Hassler died this morning. Hassler wrote about small town Minnesota life in novels such as "Staggerford," "Rookery Blues" and "The Dean's List." In 1999 Hassler told Minnesota Public Radio that he got his first real training as a novelist while working as a boy at his father's grocery store in Plainview.
February 7, 2008 - Minneapolis writer Charles Baxter describes his new novel "The Soul Thief" as being about "soul vampirism." It's a bit like identity theft, only instead of stealing a person's bank account and social security numbers, a Soul Thief tries to actually become the other person. Baxter who was nominated for a National Book Award for his book "Feast of Love," told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr "The Soul Thief" grew out of something that happened to him many years ago.
October 16, 2007 - Twin Cities film fans have a unique opportunity on tap tonight. For one night only, a group of local actors will present a staged reading of "Flag Day." It's a screenplay based on Minneapolis writer Jennifer Vogel's award-winning memoir "Flim Flam Man." The book describes Vogel's relationship with her father John, a felon on the run, accused of counterfeiting 20-million dollars. Vogel describes how she came to see deep flaws in the man she once idolized. Accomplished British screenwriter Jez Butterworth wrote the screenplay. Butterworth had to cancel his travels here because of work on another script. However the film's producer Bill Horberg will be at the reading. Horberg made "Cold Mountain" and "The Talented Mr Ripley."
October 10, 2007 - Minneapolis native Chuck Love shares his thoughts about being a house DJ and his album “Bring Enough to Spill Some." What sets Love apart from most other house DJ's is that he considers himself first and foremost a musician, and he plays several instruments during his live shows.
August 22, 2007 - MPR’s Euan Kerr interviews Twin/Tone Records co-founder Paul Stark about film made by label of Minneapolis bands playing at 7th St. Entry during the 1980’s rock scene.
August 10, 2007 - The French hold the playwright Moliere in the high esteem the English-speaking world reserves for Shakespeare. As with the Bard of Avon, there is mystery about Moliere's life. In 1644, when Moliere was a struggling actor, the authorities threw him into debtors prison. On his release, he disappeared for six months. After resurfacing, he led his company on a 13-year tour that made him famous, and earned him a place at the French court. When French film director Laurant Tirard heard this story, it got him thinking.
July 24, 2007 - Author Jonis Agee's new novel "The River Wife" actually tells the story of several wives, five generations of women who live on a piece of land on the Mississippi in southern Missouri. For each of them it's an uncertain life, buffeted by lawlessness on the river, the Civil War and then Prohibition. Agee now lives in Nebraska. But she grew up in Missouri, and later taught in Minnesota for two decades.
June 12, 2007 - MPR’s Euan Kerr interviews Laurie Lindeen, member of the group Zuzu's Petals, about her memoir "Petal Pusher.”
May 29, 2007 - Novelist Anoshi Irani says he still pines for India and in particular Bombay, where he grew up. But he also says he knows he can't write about his homeland while he's there, because it's just too close. He now spends most of his time in Vancouver. The Minneapolis-based press Milkweed Editions has just published his new novel, "The Song of Kahunsha." The book follows two little boys living on the streets of Bombay when the huge Indian city is torn apart by religious violence.