August 12, 1999 - The harsh reality and natural beauty of ranching life is at the center of Minnesota writer Jonis Agee's latest novel "The Weight of Dreams". The book's main character is Ty Bonte--a Nebraska teenager who learns from his alcoholic father that violence is a way of life. Ty and his friend beat up two teenagers from the nearby Rosebud Indian Reservation. He decides to flee his home and the law. The book then follows Ty as he tries to find redemption and a new way of life as a horse trader in Kansas. Author Jonis Agee says the book questions whether Ty can truly find peace.
December 24, 1998 - On this Midday program, a presentation stories of the holiday…including Bob Potter reading "How The Grinch Stole Christmas", Kate Smith reading "The Fir Tree", Dan Olson reading the letter in the Sun Newspaper--"Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus;" the late Dave Moore reading "James Thurber"; and Greta Cunningham reading "A Brooklyn Christmas."
June 10, 1998 - Wally Lamb's HEFTY new book--I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE--centers on a pair of identical twin brothers--Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. Born in the closing moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950--the boys mirror each other physically. But mentally they're quite different. Thomas slips into paranoid schizophrenia while Dominick struggles with depression. Lamb's 900 page book explores life's big issues such as: child abuse, mental illness, AIDS, racism and making peace with the past. His previous book--SHE'S COME UNDONE--shot to number one on the NY TIMES BESTSELLER LIST after Oprah Winfrey selected it for her book group. Wally Lamb told Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham he used Hindu myths, Italian history, modern-day psychology and volumes of other books to research I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE.
April 29, 1998 - The book was an accident. "Irish Times" columnist Nuala (NEW-lah) O'Faolain (Oh-FWAY-lawn) was asked to compile some of her best columns in a book. As she sat down to write the introduction to the collection a memoir was born. The resulting book is: ARE YOU SOMEBODY? O'Faolain (Oh-FWAY-lawn) describes herself as a "single, childless, middle-aged woman in a conservative Catholic country." She contends Irish culture deems women are successful if they have strong husbands and a house full of children. O'Faolain (oh-FWAY-lawn) wonders whether a woman with neither spouse nor child can find respect and understanding in Ireland. She tries to answer that question in her book. ARE YOU SOMEBODY? was a best-seller in Ireland for 20 weeks--until Frank McCourt's ANGELA'S ASHES topped the list. O'Faolain (Oh-FWAY-lawn) told Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham she thought no one would read the book--in fact the publisher initially printed only 2-thousand copies....
April 16, 1998 - The little girl with the big voice and the ruby slippers is an American icon--but for Lorna Luft, Judy Garland is also "mama." In her new book "Me and My Shadows", Luft chronicles life as Judy Garland's daughter and Liza Minelli's sister. She says about 30 books have been written about her mother and her family--but her book is the only one written by an actual family member.
April 16, 1998 - The little girl with the big voice and the ruby slippers is an American icon--but for Lorna Luft, Judy Garland is also "mama." In her new book ME AND MY SHADOWS Luft chronicles life as Judy Garland's daughter and Liza Minelli's sister. She says about 30 books have been written about her mother and her family--but her book is the only one written by an actual family member. Luft told Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham--she felt the time was right to tell HER story... Lorna Luft will sign copies of her book ME AND MY SHADOWS at 7:30 tonight.
March 19, 1998 - The exotic and mysterious life of a 1930's Geisha is not the typical subject matter for a first novel from a Harvard-educated man from Tennessee. Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha was sparked by his interest in Japan and a series of interviews he did with a real geisha. Golden also has a Master's Degree in Japanese history from Columbia and has studied and worked in Japan. Memoirs of a Geisha tells the story of a young girl--sold and forced to leave her little sea-side village to live in a house where geisha's are trained. Arthur Golden told Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham the final version of Memoirs of a Geisha came after struggling with two dry rough drafts.
February 26, 1998 - Childhood dilemmas and adult dramas are fodder for the autobiographical essays in Jo Ann Beard's new book "The Boys of My Youth." The title is a bit misleading, suggesting tales of wild, passionate antics. But this collection of essays actually probes how relationships and experiences shape a young woman. Beard wrote most of these essays as class assignments for the University of Iowa Writing Program. She told Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cuningham the essays are proported to be fiction, but they all contain a nugget of truth.
January 25, 1998 - We've all seen sex and violence in recent films...but religion is a topic most filmmakers shy away from. Director Martin Scorsese may be the exception to this rule. In "The Last Temptation of Christ" Scorsese made a controversial film about Jesus and His Apostles. In his latest release--KUNDUN--Scorsese examines the life of the 14th Dalai Lama. Weekend Edition Film Critic Debra Alexander is here to discuss KUNDUN.
January 25, 1998 - Heartache and the minefields of dating are explored in Laura Zigman's humorous new novel ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. The premise of the book comes from a true scientific theory--the Coolidge Effect. This theory is based on the premise that bulls will only mate with a cow once--then they're off to seek a new cow. Zigman stumbled upon the theory as she flipped through science journals while nursing her broken heart. She jokes, if you bring things back to the animal kingdom--dating behavior makes sense. Zigman says her main character--Jane Goodall--is autobiographical.