Collection
Literature & Poetry
455 Collection Items
- Ask a Bookseller: "Dear Mothman"
In this episode of Ask a Bookseller, Emily Bright talks with Anna Hersh, of Wild Rumpus Books, on her book suggestion, Dear Mothman, by Robin Gow.
- Ghosts, murder, forbidden love roam northern Minnesota in Ojibwe writer's new novel
MPR’s John Enger interviews Native American author Dennis Staples about his first novel, This Town Sleeps. The story depicts the struggle of a gay Ojibwe man to accept a Native tradition where he rarely felt at home, while escaping a reservation he could never quite leave. It is told through the eyes of a twenty-something narrator, who bears a striking resemblance to Staples himself.
- Guthrie Theater brings 'Frankenstein' back to life
In the stage adaption of Mary Shelley’s classic story, the monster and his creator wrestle with timeless questions at the Guthrie Theater.
- Minnesotan writer captures father's love in new picture book
MPR's Marianne Combs interviews poet Bao Phi and illustrator Thi Bui about their children's book, A Different Pond, a 2018 Caldecott Honor Book. The book depicts a father and son going on early morning fishing trips to a pond in Minneapolis, and a father's story about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam.
- Poet, performer J. Otis Powell‽ dies at 61
MPR’s Marianne Combs profiles J. Otis Powell‽, a well-respected local poet, playwright, and performer, who died on August 28th, 2017. Those who knew him say he was an uncompromising artist, a provocateur, and perhaps most importantly, a mentor to generations of other writers and performers.
- Bao Phi bares his soul in "Thousand Star Hotel"
MPR's Marianne Combs interviews poet and spoken word artist Bao Phi about his new book of poetry, Thousand Star Hotel, in which he reflects on his youth living in Minneapolis and discusses the legacy of trauma. This segment also includes excerpts from the book read by Phi.
- For the poet Bao Phi, a violent past is never far away
MPR’s Marianne Combs profiles Vietnamese American spoken word artist Bao Phi, who talks of the how racial trauma affects both his poetry and life. Phi also discusses his collection, Thousand Star Hotel.
- Louise Erdrich’s novel ''LaRose” wins the National Book Critics Circle Prize for Fiction
Upon the announcement that Louise Erdrich’s novel, LaRose, won the National Book Critics Circle Prize for Fiction, MPR’s Tom Crann presents an audio clip of Erdrich discussing book during a Thread live event.
- Gerald Vizenor satirically imagines the future of the White Earth constitution
MPR’s Euen Kerr reports on poet, novelist, and academic Gerald Vizenor’s novel, Treaty Shirts. The book is a satirical novel examining the impact of the document in the future, blending Ojibwe history, tradition, and dream narratives with popular culture and science technology to create a surreal but pointed view of modern native life.
- Community reading for Black Poets Speak Out at Penumbra
People in the Twin Cities community are expressing their feelings about the death of Philando Castile in many ways. 15 local poets gathered at the Penumbra Theater in St. Paul for a community reading. It was part of Black Poets Speak Out, a poetry-driven protest that began after the death of Michael Brown in 2014.