April 26, 2004: 2004 Minnesota Book Awards Winners
The 16th Annual Minnesota Book Awards were presented on Sunday, April 25, 2004, at Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul. Presented here is a listing of the winners from each category.
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March 10, 2004: A Literary View of Music and Minnesota
Minnesota author Bill Holm explores the intersection of language and music with a presentation that combines his observations with the likes of Walt Whitman, Christopher Smart, and Swedish poet Trans Tromer. Dan Chouinard underscores the presentation on piano.
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February 3, 2004: The Art of the Memoir
Paulette Bates Alden, teacher of creative nonfiction at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and author of the memoir Crossing the Moon: A Journey Through Infertility, spoke with MPR's Greta Cunningham about the controversy over the amount of fiction in some memoirs.
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July 25, 2003: Summer Reading for Kids
The latest heavy volume from Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling may be the blockbuster of the children's book world, but it's not the only good read for kids. Carol Erdahl, owner of the Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul discusses this subject.
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June 19, 2003: Faith Sullivan's Summer Reading List
Summer is a time for reading an escapist novel or catching up with books you've always meant to read but haven't had time to read. Faith Sullivan, Minnesota novelist and author of The Cape Ann and The Empress of One, offers some recommendations of new and older books to read on the porch, on the airplane, and in the sun.
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June 4, 2003: A visit with Calvin Trillin
Writer and humorist Calvin Trillin has written 22 books, and his work has appeared in Time magazine, and The New Yorker. He has written about everything from culture to cuisine. He spoke at the Adath Jeshurun Congregation in Minnetonka. The event was part of the Pen Pals Lecture series, from The Library Foundation of Hennepin County.
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May 19, 2003: 2003 Minnesota Book Awards Winners
This annual awards program recognizes and celebrates Minnesota's literary culture, and creates "the best reading list in Minnesota." Winners were announced at a public ceremony on May 16 at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul.
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May 14, 2003: Summer by the Book
MPR hosts recommend (and review) their favorite titles.
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May 13, 2003: Anne Lamott's Blue Shoe
MPR's John Birge talks to the author about the inauspicious characters of her novel Blue Shoe. She also reads from the book.
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December 13, 2002: Holiday Book List 2002
Midmorning's book experts talk about their favorite buys for the holiday season. From the newly published to old titles you may have missed, there are ideas for everyone on your list.
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September 18, 2002: Sixth International F. Scott Fitzgerald Society Conference
F. Scott Fitzgerald scholars and fans from around the world gathered in St. Paul September 18-22, 2002 for the Sixth International F. Scott Fitzgerald Society Conference.
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July 2, 2002: Summer by the Book
Nothing whiles away a summer day like a good book. To help you choose your warm-weather reading, a few MPR booklovers recommend some titles.
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June 27, 2002: Beer Can Chicken
Backyard barbecuers might find themselves drooling when American grilling guru Steven Raichlen talks to Midmorning's Katherine Lanpher about everything from rubs and marinades to his famous recipe for Beer-Can Chicken.
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June 25, 2002: Wine Tips
Does a $30 bottle of chardonnay necessarily taste three times better than a $10 bottle? And is there really a wine that would compliment a hot-dog smothered in sauerkraut? Mary Ewing-Mulligan, author of Wine for Dummies, and frequent guest on MPR's The Splendid Table discusses wine tips on Midmorning.
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June 10, 2002: A Life with Food
Midmorning guest Ruth Reichl talks about her life with food.
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May 16, 2002: Summer Reading for Kids
What children's book is going to be the next Harry Potter? Midmorning guest Christine Heppermann, a reviewer of children's books for The Horn Book Magazine, tell us and makes summer reading suggestions for kids.
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March 27, 2002: Children's Literature
Midmorning guest Jack Zipes talks about children's literature from the grisly moralism of "Slovenly Peter" to the hugely successful Harry Potter books.
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February 5, 2002: The Art of the Thriller
Chosen Prey, the latest thriller by John Camp, a.k.a. John Sandford, features the exploits of Minneapolis cop Lucas Davenport. Chuck Logan's latest, Absolute Zero, features the return of his character Phil Broker, an undercover St. Paul cop. Katherine Lanpher talks with them about the art of the thriller.
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January 9, 2002: Women Own the Fiction Aisles
Why do female readers rule the fiction aisles of American bookstores? Brad Zellar of Publisher's Weekly and Chris Waddington of the Star Tribune join Katherine Lanpher on Midmorning.
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January 8, 2002: Susan Sontag
National Book Award winner Susan Sontag speaks about her life as a writer at the Pen Pals Lecture Series sponsored by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County, Minnesota.
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December 18, 2001: Midmorning's Holiday Book List 2001
Brad Zellar and Faith Sullivan join Katherine Lanpher to discuss some gift-giving treasures.
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November 29, 2001: Lake Wobegon, Summer 1956, by Garrison Keillor
Read an excerpt from chapter one and listen to a live reading.
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November 20, 2001: Writing for Children
Jane Resh Thomas, author of Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I, spoke with Katherin Lanpher about what's new in children's literature.
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June 2001: The Music of Family History
MPR's Mindy Ratner reviews Martin Goldsmith's The Inextinguishable Symphony.
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May 2001: From Russia with Controversy
MPR's Rex Levang reviews Alexander Poznansky's Tchaikovsky Through Others' Eyes.
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May 2001: Summer Reading List
Minnesota novelist Faith Sullivan and Minneapolis writer and bookseller Brad Zellar joined Katherine Lanpher to discuss their ideas of the perfect summer reading list.
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January 2001: Reading Groups
A conversation with Mickey Pearlman, author of What to Read: The Essential Guide for Reading Group Members and Other Book Lovers.
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December 2000: Colleen Coghlan Favorite Books
Librarian Colleen Coghlan's favorite books.
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December 2000: Great Holiday Gifts
Alan Cheuse makes some holiday reading selections.
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November 2000: Becoming a Novelist
Author/lawyer Scott Turow discusses how he became a novelist.
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November 2000: Collected Storied ReviewedCollected Stories, by Ellen Gilchrist, reviewed by MPR's Heather Ford.
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October 2000: Choosing Good Books for Children
Ginny Moore Kruse helps us choose some good books for kids.
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October 2000: Synopsis: The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
An extended synopsis of Michael Chabon's novel, The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
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October 2000: How to Write
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood author Rebecca Wells shares her secrets and methods.
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October 2000: Synopsis: Singing My Him Song
An extended synopsis of Malachy McCourt's Singing My Him Song.
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October 2000: Q & A with Mona Simpson
A discussion with Mona Simpson, the author of Off Keck Road.
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September 2000: Q & A with Terry Brooks
A discussion with Terry Brooks, the author of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Isle Witch.
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September 2000: Ilse Witch Excerpt
An excerpt from Terry Brooks' latest fantasy adventure, The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch.
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July 2000: Mad About Harry
A discussion with educator Nita Krevans about the Harry Potter series.
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