July 29, 2015 - Award-winning author Alexs Pate discusses how his experiences as a Black-American man influence his writing and move him to explore themes of guilt and innocence — along with hope and bitterness. Pate is the author of five novels, including the best-selling Amistad.
June 26, 2015 - In the coming week several major arts organizations in the Twin Cities are saying goodbye to longtime directors, notably among them the Guthrie Theater. The end of June marks the end of the fiscal year for many organizations, making it a convenient time for leadership to change hands. But rarely have we seen such a confluence of major transitions.
June 17, 2015 - Garrison Keillor, the host of A Prairie Home Companion, suggests 16 things that would improve the country while speaking at the National Press Club in May.
June 10, 2015 - MPR’s Marianne Combs profiles One Voice Mixed Chorus of Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul. The chorus bills itself as the largest LGBT and Allies chorus in the nation, with more than 125 singers and an additional 50 volunteers. For years the chorus has explored issues surrounding gender.
March 23, 2015 - With the passing of Bruce Kramer, Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer takes a look back at her conversations with Kramer as he battled ALS. Bruce Kramer would always say he was, first and foremost, a teacher. He said that ALS taught him many things, and as difficult as those lessons were, he was grateful for them.
March 4, 2015 - On this episode of Appetites, Pakou Hang, co-founder and executive director of the Hmong American Farmers Association, shares five things you might not have known about Hmong food and farming in Minnesota.
March 4, 2015 - In marking the 40th anniversary of Hmong arrival to the U.S., All Things Considered’s Steven John presents an audio portrait of Yee Chang. In profile, Chang shares memories of resettlement as a child. Audio originally aired as part of 1999 MPR documentary “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota”
February 17, 2015 - The Guthrie Theater announced today it has selected Joseph Haj as its new artistic director. Haj takes over from Joe Dowling who retires in June after 20 years with the Guthrie. Haj is returning to the theater after working there as an actor early in his career.
September 10, 2014 - Midday presents an American RadioWorks documentary titled “Greater Expectations: The Challenge of the Common Core,” which looks at how the United States is in the midst of a huge education reform. The Common Core State Standards are a new set of expectations for what students should learn each year in school.
August 22, 2014 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian reports that a private hunting club in Little Falls, Minnesota, has agreed to pay for the wedding ceremony and reception of a same-sex couple it refused to accommodate.