This collection encompasses 50-plus years of interviews, readings, speeches, and reports on the vibrant literary scene in Minnesota. Not only home to giants F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sinclair Lewis, our state has an array of incredible contemporary poets, novelists and playwrights. Their words make up majority of this collection.
Repeatedly being named the “Most Literate City in the United States,” the Twin Cities has played host to numerous visiting national writers via book tours, festivals, and lectures. Many recordings of these are also included.
This project was funded by the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.
March 4, 1977 - A news feature of poetry written later in life, and presenting poetry to diverse audience on buses.
April 22, 1977 - MPR’s Bill Siemering interviews Minnesota author and environmentalist Sigurd Olson, who shares his view of the importance and beauty of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
May 30, 1977 - MPR’s Rachel Kranz reports on the efforts of local The Playwrights’ Lab.
June 18, 1977 - On this regional public affairs program, a presentation of Twin Cities author Judith Guest speaking at Women as Writers symposium.
July 9, 1977 - On this regional public affairs program, St. Paul writer Christina Baldwin discusses her book “One to One: Self Understanding Through Journal Writing.”
July 9, 1977 - On this regional public affairs program, historian Gretchen Kreuter speaks at University of Minnesota's Women's Day on Campus, sponsored by Continuing Education for Women.
July 19, 1977 - In the first part of this program, photojournalist Alfred Eisenstadt reminisces about his fifty-year career and talks about his love for photography. In the second part, Second City Improvisational Group performs its impressions of a literature class.
July 22, 1977 - Dr. Hans Guth, English professor at San Jose State University, speaking at University of Minnesota conference on composition for English teachers. Guth addressed teachers on how to stimulate students through a positive approach to writing. He questioned “back-to-basics", arguing that the teaching of writing involved more than repetitious study of grammar, and discussed progress made in developing effective methods for teaching writing.
July 30, 1977 - The following edition of The Poet's Perspective is on the subject of water. The program features Southwest Minnesota regional poets Joe and Nancy Paddock.
August 15, 1977 - In a speech he calls 'self interview,' author Kurt Vonnegut, a former chemist, anthropologist and car dealer, discusses his careers and his inspirations for writing.