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.
November 7, 1975 - MPR’s Bill Siemering interviews Dr. Roland Dille on Sinclair Lewis, author of “Main Street.”
December 31, 1975 - Garrison Keillor interviews author J. F. Powers about his book “Look How the Fish Live,” and time overseas.
February 6, 1976 - "Give Hubert Hell" - A roast for Hubert Humphrey from the Minnesota Press Club.
February 23, 1976 - A news feature with Rena N. Coen, art historian and author, who discusses early "exploratory" art of Minnesota's first white settlers, including a curiosity with the Native Americans.
February 24, 1976 - A news feature with art historian Rena Coen about the early artist visitors to Minnesota, including Eastman Johnson and a connection to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Song of Hiawatha."
February 25, 1976 - A news feature with art historian Rena Coen on the history of religious art, especially the Norwegian immigrants to Minnesota in the 19th century.
February 26, 1976 - A news feature with Rena Coen and Lynda King comment on the early Minnesota art scene and the foundation for the Minneapolis School of Art.
March 3, 1976 - MPR special coverage of speech and reading by Minneosta poet Robert Bly at Lakewood Community College in White Bear Lake.
March 4, 1976 - Pledge drive with Garrison Keillor, Bill Kling, and Gary Eichten. Kling asks Dave Peters, executive editor of Minnesota Monthly to talk about the April issue. Bemidji writer Marilyn Heltzer also talks.
March 10, 1976 - An MPR New Feature where poet Robert Bly talks about reading poetry, and about how he doesn't consider himself a Minnesotan poet, and that he rejects the idea of "regional poetry." The feature also includes Bly reading, and a few fans of Bly speaking about the importance of his work.