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A Literary View: Life on the Upper Mississippi
with Patricia Hampl
Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, Minnesota
June 3, 2004
 LISTEN to the whole show
Minnesota Public Radio's A Literary View series continues with author Patricia Hampl and a program called Life on the Upper Mississippi. The American story line has always moved restlessly from East to West, but the course of the meandering Mississippi flips the national journey around. North to South, as Mark Twain knew, is an even more mysterious American metaphor.
Award-winning writer Patricia Hampl, recipient of a Luther College honorary doctor of letters degree in 1994, takes a bluesy, meditative passage through the poetic history of the heartland flyover. She shares stories and observations about the great river, its history, and its cultures, combining her own experiences with writings by other authors, including the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sinclair Lewis. Pianist Dan Chouinard underscores the spoken-word presentation, creating a melodic dynamic.
About Patricia Hampl
Patricia Hampl is the author of two highly acclaimed memoirs, A Romantic Education, and Virgin Time. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, and three of her previous books have been New York Times Notable Books of the Year. Ms. Hampl lives in St. Paul, where she is Regents' Professor at the University of Minnesota.
About the participants
Luther College faculty members James Eckblad and David Faldet join Hampl on stage to respond to her essay in a 25-minute discussion moderated by MPR music host Brian Newhouse.
Eckblad, professor of biology, is a specialist on the upper Mississippi's eco-system and its relationship to river towns and people and their livelihoods.
Faldet, professor of English, is currently working on a book about the Upper Iowa River. He has also published and presented work about the River Thames in Victorian England.
Newhouse is the author of the book "A Crossing" and winner of a Peabody Award in 2000 for writing "The Mississippi: River of Song," a seven-part music documentary aired on Public Radio International.
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