September 27, 2002 - On this Word of Mouth episode, a look at the current environment of poetry. Contains a State of the Arts report with interviews and readings, including Louis Alemayehu reading his poem, Crazy Eyes, No Boundaries.
September 26, 2002 - The Mainstreet Radio documentary “An Uncivil War” examines The US-Dakota War of 1862, a war fought in the Minnesota River valley back in 1862 that still leaves scars today. On one side were the Dakota Indians. On the other, settlers and the U.S. government. Hundreds of people died on both sides of the five-week long war. It lead to the largest mass execution in U.S. history, when 38 Dakota were hanged in Mankato.
September 25, 2002 - MPR’s Art Hughes and Brandt Williams report on the tenth anniversary Jerry Haaf murder. The thirty-year police veteran died on the floor of the Pizza Shack restaurant in south Minneapolis after being shot in the back during his morning coffee break. The execution-style shooting remains one of the most shocking acts of violence against an officer in Minneapolis history.
September 15, 2002 - On this American RadioWorks special radio report, “Nature's Revenge - Louisiana's Vanishing Wetlands” looks at a region of the United States that is crumbling and sinking into the sea. Scientists say it's causing one of the worst and least-publicized environmental disasters in America's history. As Daniel Zwerdling reports for NPR News and ARW, there's a moral to this story: when humans try to outwit nature, it can strike back with a vengeance.
August 30, 2002 - MPR's William Wilcoxen reports on a pivotal day for the future of Major League Baseball, as players and fans await word on whether the weekend's games will proceed as usual or will be cancelled by a player's strike. A strike could prematurely end a stellar season for the Minnesota Twins. The threat of a strike has already soured some fans on the national pastime.
August 28, 2002 - MPR’s Chris Julin reports on boat watchers in Duluth Harbor. At first glance it's hard to tell if a ship is carrying wheat to Taiwan, or corn to Algeria. A free newsletter on what all the ships in Duluth Harbor are carrying and where they're going helps “boat nerds” decipher what they are viewing.
August 26, 2002 - MPR’s Andrew Haeg reports on what’s behind being a vendor at the Minnesota State Fair. For vendors, the Fair is a huge business opportunity. Competition for a slot at the fair is intense, and the barriers to entry are high. But, given the chance, those who've set up shop at the fair say it's worth the trouble and the wait.
August 19, 2002 - Major League Baseball players have set a tentative strike date for the end of month as the 2002 MLB season enters its final weeks. The key issue is a desire by owners to impose a luxury tax on high-payroll teams. The union thinks taking away too much money from the high-spending teams would slow salary increases. Many Minnesota Twins fans say they're worried a strike could spell the end of the team.
August 16, 2002 - On Word of Mouth, MPR’s Chris Roberts provides a radio guide to the local arts. This episode includes Chamber Music Society of MN, Roman Polanski retrospective, all things Finnish folk, Christ Church Lutheran, Blood Money, and an arts round-up..
August 2, 2002 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on some of the best singers in the world heading to Minnesota, as the Twin Cities hosts the triennial World Choral Symposium. It's the first time the event has ever been held in the U.S. For a week, over a thousand singers, from more than 50 countries will attend workshops and perform numerous free concerts.