July 30, 2003 - The new Guthrie Theatre season opens this week with the adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel "Pride and Prejudice." The play centers around Mr. and Mrs. Bennett who are searching for suitable husbands for their five daughters. MPR's Euan Kerr reports.
July 25, 2003 - A showdown began last night in Minneapolis... it's Barebones Productions versus Galumph Interactive Theater in a competition called "Dumpster Duels." It's descrbed as a "puppet free-for-all". Inspired by cable-TV's "Junkyard Wars," each company will transform a dumpster full of bike tires, chicken wire, cardboard, used furniture and other materials into puppets, props and a set for a brand new show that will be performed tomorrow night. Last night, judges tossed a coin to determine which pile of junk each team will be making their art from.
July 14, 2003 - The latest book from Oscar Hijuelos' (ee-WELL-owes) - "A Simple Habana Melody - is the story of a Cuban composer caught in Germany during World War II. He's Catholic, but has a Jewish name: Israel Levis (leh-viss). He's thrown in a concentration camp, yet somehow survives. The story opens as he returns to Cuba, and is beset with memories, many linked to a popular tune he wrote long ago. Hijuelos told Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Crann he originally meant to write a ballet. Then he became intrigued with how a single tune can shape a composer's life. He says he even tried to write the music. Oscar Hijuelos' new novel is "A Simple Habana Melody." You can hear a reading from the book and a longer version of Tom Crann's interview on the Minnesota Public Radio website at www-dot-minnesota-public-radio-dot-org
July 11, 2003 - Word of Mouth
July 11, 2003 - Sherman Alexie is arguably the best known male Native American writer. Alexei is a member of the Spokane tribe in Washington state. He grew up on the reservation, but now lives in Seattle. He's drawn international acclaim for his novels about contemporary native life. Two movies, "Smoke Signals" and "The Business of Fancydancing" are based on his work. Now Sherman Alexei has turned back to short stories. He told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr his latest collection "Ten Little Indians" are all about what he calls "white collar indians." Sherman Alexei will talk about baseball, life and his book "Ten Little Indians" tonight at the Black Bear Crossing Coffee shop in St Paul. You can hear a reading from the book, and a longer version of Euan Kerr's Interview with Sherman Alexei on the MPR website at www-dot-minnesota-public-radio-dot-org.
July 10, 2003 - Albert Goldbarth's new novel "Pieces of Payne" is just 83 pages long. But following the story of two friends in a bar, talking about relationships are 118 pages of footnotes. They cover everything from astronomy, and Charles Dickens, to the causes of cancer and the dozens of stories of people who have found wedding rings in the stomach of a fish. Goldbarth is an award winning poet and essayist. He told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr the book is hard to categorize. Albert Goldbarth will read from his novel, "Pieces of Payne" at the Ruminator Bookstore in St Paul, tonight at 7:30
July 9, 2003 -
July 2, 2003 - Beginning this morning, Minnesota Public Radio news inaugurates a new series: "The Enthusiasts". In it we'll meet people who take their interests and hobbies to a higher level. Today we'll chat with Jan Elftman, known to many as 'The Cork Truck Lady". Jan is considered the doyen of the Twin Cities art car scene. She covered the exterior of her Mazda truck with thousands of old wine corks. Dozens of Minnesotans have used everything from paint to bones and bowling balls to turn their wheels into rolling works of art. Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr caught up with Elftman as she prepared to make her next art car.
June 25, 2003 - The Walker Art Center has laid out its upcoming 2003-2004 performing arts season. The season is trademark Walker, filled with innovative and experimental performances from artists all over the world. The year comes with a special twist however. More than halfway through the Walker's auditorium will be closed so the museum can proceed with its expansion project. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports.
June 23, 2003 - At age 17, Eustace Conway left home to live in a teepee he had designed. He lived off the land, hunting for meat, and gathering other things to eat from the forest. But Eustace wasn't living on the western frontier, set up his camp in North Carolina. And he did it in 1977, the year the first Star Wars movie was released. In time he created his own environmental training school, walked the Appalachian trail, and set a new world record for travelling from coast to coast on horseback. He drew followers like a magnet, but many of the people who grew close to him couldn't keep up with his hard-driving ethic, and extremely high standards. Writer Elizabeth Gilbert profiles Conway in her book "The Last American Man"