A play about a meeting ... but not just any meeting

Posted at 11:10 AM on February 22, 2013 by Eric Ringham (0 Comments)
Filed under: Playlists, Theater

Jim Cunningham, left, and Stephen D'Ambrose as Bill W. and Dr. Bob. (Photo by Lauren B. Photography.)

If you think you've seen a postcard promoting the play "Bill W. and Dr. Bob" before, you're right. The production that opens March 8 is Illusion Theater's third outing with the story about the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. This time, though, the play has new music and a mostly new cast, and Illusion is taking the play on tour.

For people who don't know, Dr. Bob and Bill W. were a pair of hopeless drunks before they were introduced in Akron, Ohio, in the 1930s. They discovered that by talking to each other they could begin to find relief from their affliction, and that as their circle of conversation widened, they could help others as well.

The play, written by Stephen Bergman and Janet Surrey, starts with the story of what brought Bob and Bill to that point in their lives, and chronicles their later effort to spread the fellowship. The rendering of their initial conversation is speculative, because no one else was there; think of it as the first in A.A.'s tradition of closed meetings.

Michael Robins, who directs the production, said the play connects powerfully with audiences that often include people in recovery programs - "a large, diverse, eclectic group of people." This time around, those audiences will include people in several other Minnesota cities, thanks to funds from the state's Legacy Amendment. Cities on the tour itinerary include Brainerd, Mankato and Fergus Falls.

Could Illusion's third production of "Bill W. and Dr. Bob" lead to a fourth - or even to a recurring slot in Illusion's future seasons? Robins has heard the idea before, from people who say "it would be a gift" to people in recovery. "But I don't know," he said. Long-range planning isn't one of Illusion's strengths, he added: "It'd be hard to tell you what we're doing next year."
--Eric Ringham

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 2:57 PM on April 30, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

MPR's Chris Roberts profiled "one-man arts scene" Andy Sturdevant this week.

It's been a big week - Barack Obama released his birth certificate, and a certain young British couple got married. Here at home we also had a lot going on - from news of the Southern Theater's financial crisis, to interviews with authors Meg Wolitzer and Arthur Phillips and in-studio performances by Janis Ian and Tony Allen. Plus movie reviews and a profile of man-about-town Andy Sturdevant. Click and listen as you catch up on all the great stories you missed this week!

Southern may not be only theater in trouble
The Southern Theater in Minneapolis has set itself a formidable task this week. It aims to raise $400,000 by Saturday. Organizers say, if they fail, the West Bank institution will have to close its doors. The Twin Cities has a national reputation for its theater, but the current economy has severely tested several companies, and even caused the collapse of the internationally renowned Theater de la Jeune Lune.

What music does to the mind
Listening to your favorite song can have an intense emotional effect, triggering memories and feelings unlike anything else. But what makes music so expressive? Dr. Daniel Levitin and Thomas Plaunt join us to discuss what happens to your brain on music.

Novel explores notions of desire
Best selling author Meg Wolitzer says for her new novel "The Uncoupling," she wanted to examine some old notions in a new way. The book tells the story of a 21st century community where all the women fall under a spell. "Often in a novel, a character is explored through sex. But here it's explored through the taking away of sex." Wolitzer says the story allowed her to explore modern ideas about intimacy.

In Arthur Phillips' new novel, the play is the thing
In his new novel, Arthur Phillips spins a tale within a tale about a novelist named Arthur Phillips, and his discovery of a long-lost play by Shakespeare. Is Phillips writing about himself, and is the play the real thing? Find out on Midmorning.

A one-man arts scene
If you're looking for someone who's always on the cutting edge of the Twin Cities art scene, Andy Sturdevant is your man.

What the future will look like
In his new book, physicist Michio Kaku writes that pondering the future and the amazing technology it promises fills him with childlike wonder. He joins Midmorning to discuss what that future may look like.

'Supersize Me' filmmaker sells out with a smile
Morgan Spurlock wants to sell you something. Actually many things. The maverick filmmaker who ate nothing but fast food for a month for his movie, "Supersize Me," has now turned his attention to product placement in films.

Janis Ian performs in the Maud Moon Weyerhauser studio
At age 14, Janis Ian wrote a controversial song that sailed to the top of the charts. It was 1964, and "Society's Child" told the story of a forbidden interracial romance. Nearly 50 years later, Ian is still making bold statements with her music.

Cube Critics talk about teen movie fans
Stephanie Curtis, MPR's Movie Maven, and arts reporter Euan Kerr work in adjoining cubes in the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom, where they share their latest multiplex and art house adventures. In this installment of Cube Critics, they talk about turning prepubescent teens into cinephiles.

Jazz legend Irv Williams
At 91, Irv Williams has earned the right to slow down a bit. But this Minnesota jazz legend has just released another CD and still performs. Irv stops by to talk about his life, his music and his work with Ella Fitzgerald and Fletch Henderson.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Elaine Stritch
On this week's Dinner Party Download, special guest Elaine Stritch joins hosts Brendan and Rico to answer listeners' etiquette questions.

Tony Allen performs in The Current studio
Tony Allen is a Nigerian born, self taught musician who for eleven years, was the drummer and musical director for the legendary band Fela Kuti and Africa 70. Allen along with Kuti have been credited with pioneering afrobeat music. His latest project, "Secret Agent" was released in early 2010.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart performs in The Current studio
New York City indie quartet The Pains of Being Pure at Heart split the difference between two of '90s indie's most distinctive sounds -- twee-pop and shoegaze. The result is music that is often swathed in reverb and echo but that maintains the honesty, intimacy and innocence of the best indie-pop, all played with an infectious, propulsive energy.

Movie Maven: Local film, "Stuck Between Stations", is magical
Every Friday, MPR Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis talks to The Current's Steve Seel and Jill Riley about new movies. Fans of the band The Hold Steady will recognize the title of this week's film: "Stuck Between Stations." The band doesn't have anything to do with the new locally-produced movie of the same title that is playing at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival. But like the song, this movie captures a sense of transition.

New Classical Tracks: The Spirit of Rachmaninoff
Yuja Wang's solo recordings received rave reviews. Now she's recorded music for piano and orchestra by Rachmaninoff, a composer (and pianist) with whom she feels a special love.

Music with Minnesotans: Mary Shideler
In this week's edition, Alison Young talks with 'The Kayak Lady' - Mary Shideler. Her playlist reflects the serenity, the beauty and the sometimes rough conditions of the 1007 lakes she paddled.

ChoralQuest - New Music For Kids
The Oak Grove Middle School choir sings a new piece commissioned for them by ChoralQuest.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 11:08 PM on April 23, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Nat King Cole is the subject of a new production at Penumbra Theatre, featured on Midmorning this week.

A singer, and the struggle for civil rights
A new production at the Penumbra Theatre examines the significance of the Nat "King" Cole Show, one of the first network TV programs hosted by an African American, and the role it's star played in the modern civil rights era.

Artist captures Walker history in a tapestry
For centuries Europeans used tapestries to depict the history of families and institutions. Now the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is getting in on the game.

Noah Webster, the man who shaped American language
Noah Webster might be known best for his dictionary, but a new biography details the key policy role that Webster played in the early days of the nation and the establishment of America's cultural independence.

Author delves into the eccentric teenage mind
In his first three novels Twin Cities author George Rabasa tackled human-trafficking, police brutality and opera singing. Now he's moved on to teenage eccentricity.

The importance of a good sentence
In his new book, Stanley Fish celebrates the craft of writing a great sentence, and the pleasure of reading one. He joins Midmorning to discuss the art of the sentence.

The Cube Critics: Books to the big screen
As cube mates at Minnesota Public Radio News, arts reporter Euan Kerr and Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis find no cinema-related topic uninteresting. Turning well-received novels into great movies is the topic of the latest edition of Cube Critics.

Dinner Party Download Easter menu
Hosts Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam usually equip you with jokes, unusual news items and cocktail recipes. But in honor of the feasts of Passover and Easter, this week they bring you stories about unconventional food - including World War II-era cuisine from London, and California's sushi burrito. It's everything you need to "win" this weekend's dinner party.

Haley Bonar performs live in The Current studio

From Duluth to the Twin Cities to Portland and back, local singer-songwriter Haley Bonar, has used her change of scenery as inspiration on her fourth album, Golder.

Royal Bangs perform live in The Current studio
The Knoxville, TN trio Royal Bangs have come a long way after playing an old soccer arena and coffee shops as teenagers. After starting their band in high school, growing to a five-member band that played SXSW in 2009, they decided to downsize their band to the current three piece. In recording their latest effort, "Flux Outside" the band enlisted the help of Scott Minor of Sparklehorse to engineer and help produce the record. They also had help from Dave Fridmann, who has worked with the Flaming Lips, Tapes 'n Tapes, MGMT, and Low, on the mixing.

Iron and Wine perform live in The Current studio
It's been nearly 10 years since Sam Beam donned the Iron and Wine moniker and released his debut "The Creek Drank The Cradle" in 2002. Since then, he's expanded the arrangements from his voice and an acoustic guitar to including a variety of other instruments, and he continues the trend on his newest album "Kiss Each Other Clean."

New Classical Tracks: Enchanting Works by Josef Suk
Conductor JoAnn Falletta is known for seeking out unfamiliar and intriguing repertory for her recording projects. On her latest disc, she explores the music of the Czech composer Josef Suk--Dvorak's son-in-law, but a masterly composer in his own right.

Music with Minnesotans: Paul Thissen
In this week's edition, Alison Young talks with Minnesota House Minority Leader Paul Thissen. Work is tough at the capitol these days, so Thissen listens to Copland to soothe his frazzled nerves and Shostakovich to prepare for a tough day.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 5:43 PM on April 16, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Guided by cell phone calls, MPR's Euan Kerr takes part in Blast Theory's "A Machine To See With" interactive journey through the streets of Minneapolis, Minn. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson)

What a week! There's the Minneapolis-St.Paul International Film Festival, the annual American Craft Council show, and three local music acts released new albums (Atmosphere, Low and Haley Bonar). Plus MPR's Euan Kerr got to be the star of his own heist film. Just click and listen to catch up on all the news, and listen to some great in-studio sessions. Enjoy!

New music from three artists that call Minnesota home
It's a big week for the local music scene. Minneapolis-based hip-hop act Atmosphere, Duluth-based Indie rockers Low, and local songstress Haley Bonar all release new albums this week. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with David Campbell for a preview of their new records. Campbell is the host of the Local Show, Sundays on 89.3 The Current.

The art of the craft world
The American Craft Council, responsible for craft shows across the country, has relocated from New York to the Twin Cities. Hear what impact this "70-year-old startup company" is having on the crafts world.

Film fest bigger than ever -- and more Minnesotan
One of the signs of spring in Minnesota is the arrival of the annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. The event launches Wednesday with more than 200 movies from all over the world.

British production treats the heist as interactive art
Several hundred people are expected to try to rob a Minneapolis bank this weekend. It's not a crime spree. In fact, it's all in the name of art. MPR's Euan Kerr got a sneak preview, and tells us about his experience.

Irish Poet Leanne O'Sullivan wins award from St. Thomas
Irish Poet Leanne O'Sullivan is this year's winner of the O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry, given by the University of St. Thomas Center for Irish Studies.

The Cube Critics and David Carr
The Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis sits right across the cube from arts reporter Euan Kerr in the MPR newsroom and it's an understatement to say they like to chat about movies. Today, special guest David Carr, a media reporter for the New York Times, joins Kerr and Curtis.

Writing Minnesota
Midday presents a special program showcasing some of the most exciting literary work coming out of the state. "Writing Minnesota" weaves together poetry and author interviews, and includes an innovative adaptation of a short story set in a mysterious compound north of Duluth.

Mpls. musician takes low-key approach to his work
Minneapolis singer-songwriter Ben Weaver is known for deeply imagistic lyrics and an ability to reduce songs to their bare elements. You can hear strains of Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Greg Brown in Weaver's music, and yet he still sounds totally original. The song "East Jefferson" is a perfect example.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Vera Farmiga
On this week's Dinner Party Download, author T.C. Boyle, the history of SPAM and actress Vera Farmiga.

Atmosphere peforms live in The Current studio
After over ten years making music together, local hip hop duo Atmosphere are are focusing their latest effort, "The Family Sign" on the people they care about the most - their family.

Usonia perform in The Current studio
Up-and-coming local band Usonia's jittery, energetic pop feels refreshingly retro. With Beach Boys-like harmonies and new wave beats Usonia creates infectious mix of old and new. Named after Frank Lloyd Wright's utopian architectural vision, the band has been gigging around the Twin Cities for about a year now. They finished up their debut album, Usonia, in the fall of 2010 at a recording studio in Iowa.

Dom performs in The Current studio
The Worchester, Massachusettes quartet Dom signed to Astralwerks last fall. Since then they've released their debut EP "Sun Bronzed Greek Gods" and have been touring relentlessly. They dropped by for an in-studio while in town for a gig at The Entry.

Two Door Cinema Club performs in The Current studio
Two Door Cinema Club are a band from Bangor and Donaghadee, Northern Ireland formed in 2007. They're signed to French record label Glassnote Records, through which they released their debut album "Tourist History" on 1 March 2010. The band then released "Come Back Home" in July 2010, a re-release of "I Can Talk" in October 2010, and "What You Know" in February 2011.

Low performs in the Current Studio
Duluth-based indie-rock mainstays Low have returned with their ninth full-length album, "C'mon."

Music with Minnesotans: Steve Schon
In this week's edition, Alison Young talks with Steve Schon from Ely. He'll help you find just the right paddle, kayak or canoe before you head into the Boundary Waters, but he also has the playlist that will keep nature with you all year long.

Top Score: Dragon Age II Composer Inon Zur
Award-winning composer Inon Zur writes music for video games like Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and the two most recent games in the Fallout series. He talks about his journey and his job on Top Score.

New Classical Tracks: Helene Grimaud - from Mozart to Berg
The four pieces on Helene Grimaud's new disc, by Mozart, Liszt, Berg, and Bartok, might not seem to have a lot in common. But Grimaud says that there are common threads of history and expressivity that connect them--and shed new light on a program that has special significance for her.

Wuthering Heights and Bernard Herrmann's film music legacy
Bernard Herrmann was an Academy Award-winning American composer whose unforgettable collaborations include Psycho with Alfred Hitchcock, Citizen Kane with Orson Welles and Taxi Driver with Martin Scorsese. Minnesota Opera's new production of his only opera celebrates the centennial of the composer's birth and is the first major revival of this forgotten masterpiece since it was written in Minneapolis in 1951.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 5:55 PM on April 9, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

The folks from the Southern Songbook series joined Kerri Miller for Midmorning this week.

Local musicians herald The Rites of String
Singer-songwriter Chris Koza joins rock artist Adam Levy and rapper Dessa in MPR's Maud Moon Weyerhauser studio to perform live and talk about the third installment of The Southern Songbook series. This time, they're bringing string players into the mix, as part of the Southern Theater's String Theory music festival.

St. Paul poet's new collection delivers life with a twist
In his new collection "Invisible Strings," St. Paul poet Jim Moore lays out complex human stories in just a few lines.

St. Paul musician writes a song a day, for a year
It's easier and cheaper than ever to make your own high quality recordings, and local musicians are getting more and more ambitious with their output. A St. Paul singer/songwriter is committed to reaching a formidable goal -- writing and recording a song a day for an entire year.

Will Rogers: cowboy comic to political insider

Soon after the dawn of radio, Will Rogers became a multimedia personality in newspaper columns, magazines and movies. Now, hear how Rogers also shaped public opinion and public policy.

Writer recounts lessons learned in solitude
Philip Connors once had what some people would consider a dream job: He was an editor at the Wall Street Journal. However, in the space of a few weeks, he set it all aside to become a fire watcher. His new book, "Fire Season," recounts what he's learned sitting on top of a tower in New Mexico looking for smoke.

Cube Critics take on comedies and remakes
As cube mates at Minnesota Public Radio News, arts reporter Euan Kerr and the Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis spend more time than they probably should engaged in cinema small talk. Juvenile comedies and and disappointing remakes are top of mind on this edition of Cube Critics.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Greta Gerwig
On this week's Dinner Party Download, artist and Texas music legend Terry Allen, why some people sleep better than you and actress Greta Gerwig.

Spyder Baybie Raw Dog and 2% Muck perform in The Current studio
Spyder Baybie Raw Dog and 2% Muck are an ironic, rap duo fronted by Bight Club's Jeremy Nutzman and local producer Eric Muchow. Spyder Baybie Raw Dog and 2% Muck started getting hype in 2009 when they released a free mixtape. Since then, Spyder and Muck have wrapping the Twin Cities in their web, rocking it at the Gayngs Affiliyated Showcase and producing two bizarre music videos for City of Music and MPLS.TV.

J. Mascis performs in The Current studios
Best-known as the frontman for Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis is--somewhat surprisingly--laconic and soft-spoken. In interviews, he is known for his minimal responses and repeated disdain for enthusiasm. Besides Dinosaur Jr., Mascis has played in a number of other noisy, dense bands including Witch, Sweet Apple and Deep Wound. His first acoustic solo effort, "Several Shades of Why," is a far cry from his previous collection of guitar- and voice-shredding anthems. On this album, he collaborated with Kurt Vile (who he's currently touring with), Broken Social Scene's Kevin Dre, and Band of Horses' Brian Bidwell to produce a delicate record that showcases his versatility as a singer, guitarist and songwriter.

Sharon Van Etten performs live in The Current studios
The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten admits that she's still trying to find her voice, which she says is dependent upon what she's listening to -- anything from folk to hardcore. After strong urging from Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio, she decided to pursue a career and released her first official album in 2009. Now on her second record "Epic," Sharon says that she's finally ready to start writing music with the band, which she will be doing this summer.

Grouplove performs live in The Current studio
The five-piece rock band Grouplove began in 2009 when they started playing together during their free time in Greece for an art recidency. When the world-travelers got back to the states they wanted to meet up again and keep working on the music they had been making abroad. A few short months later they finished their EP, signed to Atlantic Records, and were opening up for Florence and the Machine. They are making this music career look easy.

Foster the People performs live in The Current studioAfter a whirl-wind year of touring Foster the People, known for their synth-laced hazy pop, brought an acoustic set to The Current studio. The California trio spoke to Mark Wheat about their love of surfing, touring, and the German website that kick started their internet buzz.

New Classical Tracks: The Romantic Violinist
When people think of the term 'Romantic,' they're often thinking 'wild,' 'passionate,' says Daniel Hope. "From all we know about Joseph Joachim's playing, it was anything but that. It was elusive. It was touching, and it inspired people."

Music with Minnesotans
In this week's edition, Alison Young talks with Pioneer Press photographer Chris Polydoroff. His playlist is filled with sounds that - like a perfect image - can stop him in his tracks. It's great stuff by Bach, Henryck Gorecki and the Hilliard Ensemble.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 3:05 PM on April 2, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Musician Patty Larkin performed in studio on Midmorning this past week. (Photo by Jana Leon)

Hildur Victoria perform in The Current studio
Hildur Victoria's classic-sounding name comes from a band member's great-grandmother. They were originally going to be called Herringbone, but that reminded drummer Jeremy Hanson -- also of Tapes 'n Tapes -- too much of ska band Fishbone. So instead, that's what Hildur Victoria named their 2009 EP.

Songwriter/guitarist Patty Larkin in-studio
Patty Larkin's been called both a "contemplative songwriter" and a "whoop-ass guitarist." To celebrate 25 years in the music business, she's put out an album of 25 of her most requested songs, recorded with 25 of her favorite artists.

Minnesota Historical Society soon to have new leadership at the helm
The state agency that preserves Minnesota's history will have a new leader as of May 1st. Steve Elliott will be replacing the previous director, Nina Archibald, who retired in January. Elliott is currently the president of the New York State Historical Association and the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Elliott about his transition to the Midwest and the challenges he will face as the new director.

Rybak fires back at GOP lawmaker over 'wasteful spending' charge
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak fired back Tuesday after a Republican lawmaker accused the city of wasteful spending. State Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, made the comments during floor debate Monday on a proposal to eliminate local government aid to cities and counties. Drazkowski said Minneapolis is wasting state taxpayer money on a long list of programs, including funding for public art and the Target Center's green roof.

New Classical Tracks: Images of John Adams
A portrait is the image of a person. Most portraits come in the form of a painting, a drawing, a photograph or even a verbal description. French Canadian violinist Angele Dubeau and her ensemble La Pieta have been building a gallery of musical portraits. Their collection started with Philip Glass, then the Estonian composer Arvo Part, and now John Adams has been added to the display.

A Widow's Story: The story of Joyce Carol Oates
After publishing her first book in 1963, Joyce Carol Oates has since published over 50 novels, three of which were nominated for Pulitzer Prizes. Hear the interesting life of a proficient writer raised in a working-class family. (And at the end of the hour, Moira Buffini joins host Kerri Miller to discuss her screenplay for the new film adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre.")

British Sea Power perform live in The Current Studio
Famed for their live performances - which often include fake foliage, birds, and a 10-foot-tall stuffed bear - British Sea Power started collecting fans with a series of nightly shows called "Club Sea Power" in their hometown of Brighton, UK. The sextet have come a long way since then, producing three studio albums and the soundtrack to a 1934 documentary about the Aran Islands.

Tom McCarthy's own past inspired 'Win Win'
Writer, director, and actor Tom McCarthy leads a bifurcated life. To indie film fans he's known as the director of three acclaimed movies: "The Station Agent," "The Visitor," and now "Win Win," which opens in Minnesota this week. But McCarthy, who began his career as an actor in the Twin Cities, is still better known for his role in the HBO series "The Wire."

A foodie's delight: eating out, cooking at home
Gabrielle Hamilton is a chef, a restaurant owner, and a writer. In her book "Blood, Bones and Butter," Gabrielle explains there is more to life than just food (really) and calls on her own experiences for her culinary memoir.

Garrison Keillor interviews baseball historian John Thorn
Author and historian John Thorn was just named the Official Baseball Historian for Major League Baseball. He speaks with Garrison Keillor at the Fitzgerald Theater about the early history of baseball and his new book, "Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game," as part of a series of conversations sponsored by Common Good Books.

Cube Critics
As cube mates at Minnesota Public Radio News, arts reporter Euan Kerr and the Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis spend more time than they probably should engaged in cinema small talk. Today, it's box office receipts and mainstream movie gems on Cube Critics.

David Brooks at the Westminster Town Hall Forum
Author and New York Times columnist David Brooks discusses his new book, "The Social Animal," at the Westminster Town Hall forum. Brooks examines discoveries in neuroscience and cognition that reveal how life is shaped by imagination, emotion, and intuition.

Dinner Party Download and the movie 'Bellflower'
The guests of honor on this week's Dinner Party Download are Evan Glodell and Tyler Dawson -- filmmaker and actor, respectively, of a new film called "Bellflower."

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 3:26 PM on March 26, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Conductor and composer Sarah Hicks, who is reinvigorating pops concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, joined Stephen Smith for Bright Ideas at the UBS forum. It was rebroadcast this past week on Midday.

It's been a banner week for in-studio performances - enjoy!

Jazz singer Jane Monheit
She was critically acclaimed after her debut hit album in 2000 and critically reviled for being marketed as a sexy "jazz princess." Today, Jane Monheit is 33, a first-time mom, and perhaps more comfortable than ever.

Memoir explores how land can connect a family
When she was a teenage writer, Sarah Stonich shrugged off her father's belief in the necessity to own some land. Many years later, as a single mother, she came around to his way of thinking, and bought property near Ely.

Researcher looks at impact of file sharing on music industry
When file-sharing websites like Napster first appeared years ago, many in the music industry predicted a devastating effect on new artists breaking into the business, and a chilling effect on creativity. But, that hasn't happened, according to a researcher at the University of Minnesota.

The science, and science fiction, of forensics
From battlefields to crime scenes, Chief Hennepin County Medical Examiner Andrew Baker has seen death in many forms. And he says he views every victim as his patient. He joins Midmorning to discuss the science of forensics, and why what we see on TV doesn't reflect reality.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Neil Strauss
This week on the Dinner Party Download: A NYC tailor tells a joke, we hear about a time when giant rabbits roamed the earth, and get a visit from bestselling author Neil Strauss.

Rogue Valley perform in The Current studio
Local quartet Rogue Valley is collaboration of Chris Koza and fellow Twin Cities musicals Peter Sieve, Luke Anderson, Joey Kantor, and Linnea Mohn. Named after a rift near Portland, Oregon where Koza grew up, their orchestral-folk sound has made them a favorite throughout the cities music scene.

The Dodos perform live in The Current studio
Multi-instrumentalist Meric Long began as a solo artist steadily gigging around San Fransisco in 2005. After meeting Logan Kroeber, it seemed obvious Kroeber's progressive metal/experimental drumming was a prefect fit for Long's love of West African Ewe drumming and bluesy finger picking style. With a reputation for using an alternate instrumental approach, their blend of indie-psych folk is definitely a treat for the ears.

Ron Sexsmith performs in The Current studios
Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith has been playing music since 1978 and has been releasing albums for twenty years, so it's no surprise that he's garnered substantial recognition from both critics and audiences. Still, he's reached a point that few musicians get to while still at the height of their powers: becoming the subject of a documentary.

Chapel Club performs in The Current studios
Although their debut album, "Palace," was released less than two months ago, the London quintet Chapel Club have already created quite a stir in the indie-rock world. Their shoegaze-influenced sound has captivated the British music press, and that buzz has started to bleed over into the US scene, aided by high-profile gigs like their performance at this year's South by Southwest festival.

The Rural Alberta Advantage performs live in The Current studio
In a sea of internet sensations, The Rural Alberta Advantage definitely hold their own. With exhilarating guitar lines, intricate percussion, and sincere vocals these indie rockers are a talent to be reckoned with.

James Vincent McMorrow performs live in The Current studio
With an oddly similar story and even voice, the Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow has received several comparisons to Wisconsin's Bon Iver. Self-recorded over five months in a small, one room house by sea, James Vincent McMorrow captures the sounds of the waves and the isolated house on his debut album "Early in the Morning" to create a haunting yet beautiful tribute to nature.

Music with Minnesotans: Gwen Freed
It was about 10 years ago that Gwendolyn Freed - then a writer for the Star Tribune - wrote an article that surveyed the playlists of the classical stations in our region. Now she joins Allison Young and creates her own playlist for Classical MPR

New Classical Tracks: A Young Pianist's Bach
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein made her name playing Bach. Now, as she brings her new Bach disc out, she talks about how she made her way to the composer, and what his music means to her.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 12:00 PM on March 19, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

This week's radio features include a conversation with rising star Tea Obreht, the 24 year-old author of The Tiger's Wife.
Image courtesy of Tea Obreht

It's been a bittersweet week; former MPR broadcaster Arthur Hoehn died, Keillor announced his planned retirement date, people got up their Irish for St. Patrick's Day, and Minnesota musicians have migrated south for SXSW in Austin, Texas. Click and listen to catch up on the week's stories and interviews you missed...

Hall of Fame broadcaster Arthur Hoehn dies after fight with lung cancer
Arthur Hoehn, Minnesota Public Radio's first professional announcer, died Saturday after a battle with lung cancer. He was 72.

Thomas Kivi performs in The Current studio
Local singer-songwriter Thomas Kivi has been compared to the likes of Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, and Conor Oberst. Honest and unassuming, Kivi's lush harmonies are a largely acoustic blend of folk, bluegrass, and traditional Americana.

Young author debuts with a splash
At 24, Tea Obreht has gained notoriety as one of the best American fiction writers under 40. Born in Yugoslavia, raised in Cyprus and Egypt, Tea's first novel "The Tiger's Wife" follows a woman searching for answers through her grandfather's stories. (Note: the end of the hour includes an update on SXSW in Austin, Texas)

Ojibwe columnist Jim Northrup looks back on career 'Follies'
For almost 22 years, Ojibwe writer Jim Northrup has entertained and chastened readers of his syndicated Fond Du Lacs Follies newspaper column. Now, a new collection of the Follies is about to hit the bookstores.

MN history: Sculptor Evelyn Raymond's 70-year career in Minnesota
Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer, in honor of Women's History Month, met Prof. Annette Atkins at the Minnesota History Center to look at some of sculptor Evelyn Raymond's work and discuss her accomplishments.

New Classical Tracks: Holst's Planets
On their new disc, Andrew Davis and the BBC Philharmonic perform three suites by Gustav Holst, including far and away his most popular work, The Planets. It's complemented by two lesser known works, which have roots in North Africa and Japan.

The Invisible Line: Three American families and the secret journey from black to white
For much of American history, racial identity has been defined in terms of black and white. But because of their heritage and physical appearance, some families walk the line between cultures. A new book chronicles three mixed-race families whose identities were called into question at various periods in history - with surprising consequences.

Columnist David Brooks on 'The Social Animal'
New York Times columnist David Brooks has long been fascinated with the inner workings of the human mind. He joins us to discuss his new book, "The Social Animal," which explores the interactions of the conscious and subconscious and the role of each in shaping our lives.

Music with Minnesotans: Allan Naplan
In this week's edition, Alison Young talks with one of our newest residents in Minnesota, Allan Naplan, the president and general director of the Minnesota Opera who only started work here last week. He shares some of his favorite arias as well as one of his own pieces that was the inaugural wake-up song for NASA astronauts.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 3:23 PM on March 13, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Patti Austin performed in Maud Moon Weyerhauser studio and talked about her 53 year musical career with Midmorning's Kerri Miller this week.

European-style Twin Cities art festival to be an all-night affair
Organizers of new European-style 24-hour art festival planned for the Twin Cities say it has potential to be a huge tourist draw and international event.

Patti Austin in the Maud Moon Weyerhauser studio
Grammy-award winner Patti Austin stops by to talk about her 53 year musical career, a career that began at age 4 on the stage of the famed Apollo Theater.

Steelroots sculpture show born of many challenges
Steelroots: Touching the Earth and Sky" doesn't officially open at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen until mid-April. However the 16 sculptures are already in place, and on view.

New Classical Tracks: Tchaikovsky's Shakespeare
The music of Tchaikovsky, with its warm melodies and beguiling harmony, has a direct appeal for young musicians. On their new disc, the youthful Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, led by a famous alum, performs three of his works inspired by Shakespeare.

Telekinesis perform in The Current studios
Telekinesis, the one-man-band alterego of Seattle musician and songwriter Michael Benjamin Lerner, makes classic 21st-century Pacific Northwest indie-rock in the tradition of Death Cab for Cutie and others.

Elizabeth Futral: She's No Shrinking Violetta
Though she sings in the world's big opera houses, soprano Elizabeth Futral's career has one thing in common with Minnesota: all the women are strong.

Gay rights issue ends Lady Gaga, Target romance
The bust-up is the latest fallout from a controversial political donation Target made last year.

Music with Minnesotans: Anne Swenson
In this week's edition, Alison Young talks with Ely Echo publisher Anne Swenson. When Anne was in her twenties, she lived in Italy and walked daily through the pine forest Respighi writes about in his tone poem "The Pines of Rome." Enjoy a sunny playlist from the far north.

"Troubled Waters" filmmaker speaks at the Westminster Town Hall Forum
Peabody and Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Larkin McPhee speaks live at the Westminster Town Hall Forum. Her latest film, Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story, examines how farming practices have contributed to pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. The University of Minnesota made a controversial decision last year to cancel a screening of the film and later rescheduled it after coming under criticism.

The Cube Critics take on fairy tales and mumblecore
This week, Stephanie and Euan chat on about post feminist fairy tales and the curious or maybe not so curious film genre, "mumblecore."

Cold War Kids perform live in The Current studio
Now three albums into their career, the Long Beach, CA rock and roll foursome Cold War Kids finally have a chance to call music their job. With that, they've been able to write their latest album, "Mine Is Yours," over three months in the studio with Jacquire King, who has also worked with musicians like Tom Waits.

Jack White talks with Mary Lucia
Jack White talks to Mary Lucia over the phone about his record label (and store) Third Man Records, collaborating with Wanda Jackson, "throwaway" records, and why comedians should record more albums.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Cary Fukunaga
Director Carey Fukunaga turned heads with his incredibly assured feature filmmaking debut - the harrowing immigrant drama "Sin Nombre."

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 12:09 PM on March 5, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

This week MPR's Euan Kerr reports on the latest body of work by ARENA Dances, "I hate myself, will you please love me?"

BadNrad perform in the Current Studio
BadNRad has been thumping a keytar-sized dent in the Minneapolis music scene over the past year, culminating in a showcase at First Avenue's Best New Bands of 2010.

Oscars recap with the Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis
Minnesota Public Radio's Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis joins Midday to discuss the highs and lows from Sunday's Academy Awards broadcast.

Smith Westerns perform live in The Current studio
Formed in high school, The Smith Westerns are a four-some from Chicago that have been touring the country and wowing audiences. Their buzz began in 2009 with their self-titled first record. Inspired by garage rock, their follow up "Dye It Blonde" was released this year.

Nicole Atkins performs in The Current studios
Singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins has gone through a lot of life changes in the last couple of years, and they're all laid bare on her new album, "Mondo Amore."

New Classical Tracks: A Little Evening Music
The pieces on Janine Jansen's new disc trace an arc in time, from sunset to sunrise, beginning with Debussy's Violin Sonata and ending with a new piece written in the home of Ravel.

Oscar-winning director of 'Inside Job' at the Commonwealth Club
Academy-Award winning filmmaker Charles Ferguson talks about his documentary, "Inside Job," at the Commonwealth Club of California. It looks at the causes of the financial crisis that pushed the world economy to the brink and is a scathing critique of the financial and banking industries.

Dancers explore the darker side of the Carpenters' story
For people of a certain age, the prospect of an evening of Carpenters music probably raises some mixed emotions. The brother-sister team of Richard and Karen Carpenter pumped out hit after hit in the 1970s. However behind the scenes the Carpenters were troubled. Karen struggled with an eating disorder which was to claim her life in 1983. That facade of pop music happiness covering a real life tragedy forms the basis of a new dance presentation in Minneapolis this weekend.

Faith and suffering in song
Conductor and composer Andre Thomas says that when choirs perform spirituals, they need to understand both the joy and the pain of the slave experience. He joins Midmorning to discuss the legacy of spirituals and their meaning for modern-day audiences.

Music with Minnesotans
Collaborating chef for Mixed Precipitation's Picnic Operetta Nick Schneider shares some of his favorite music.

An Evening of Spiritual Arrangements
Back when Dr. Andre Thomas was the only black boy in an all-white Kansas school, he "shrank with embarrassment" when his high school choir sang spirituals. Now Andre Thomas is among the world's experts on the history and performance of spirituals.

Rodney Crowell in the Maud Moon Weyerhauser Studio
What do you get when you grow up poor, as an only child of a drunk father and a holy-rolling mother? How about an acclaimed musician, songwriter and now author of the book "Chinaberry Sidewalks." Hear Rodney share his story, through words and songs.

The Cube Critics
Stephanie Curtis the Movie Maven and arts reporter Euan Kerr discuss Oscar fatigue, Norman conquests, spy stories, and certain big movies in 3D.

Red Wing: carving a violin
John Reed teaches arch top instrument building at Minnesota State College/Southeast Technical. Give him about 9 months, and you will walk out of his shop with a violin, cello, viola, or mandolin that you made with your very own hands.

Parenting the tiger mom way
Amy Chua's new memoir, in which she describes and defends the tactics of the "Chinese mother", has earned her both plaudits and death threats. She joins Midmorning to explain the meaning of being a tiger mom, and what she's learned from the backlash.

From the Frank Theatre, a fresh 'Cabaret'
When an iconoclastic theater company like Frank Theatre tackles a musical like "Cabaret," you can almost bet it won't be anything like the original.

Paper Darts defies literary magazine logic
Logic would suggest, with the magazine and publishing world in a tailspin, this would be the absolute worst time to start a literary magazine. But three recent University of Minnesota graduates disagree. The trio behind a new publication called "Paper Darts" has big plans -- and the support from the Twin Cities literary community.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 2:38 PM on February 26, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Doomtree member Sims takes on the comfortably liberal

Amidst unrest in the MidEast and the MidWest, we still managed to do our bit to cover the rich cultural scene. Hip hop gets its share with both a feature on Sims and a full hour on Midmorning. And be sure to check out the sweet one-minute historical riff Classical host Bill Morelock did on "the very model of a modern major general."

Enjoy!

Rapper deconstructs critique song and finds himself
Minneapolis rapper Sims has a reputation for being the most overtly-political emcee in the hip hop crew, "Doomtree," and a track on his newly-released CD titled Bad Time Zoo takes aim at "progressive" public radio listeners.

Revisiting Huck Finn
Could Mark Twain ever have predicted that words he used more than 120 years ago would create such a fire storm in 2011? Midmorning profiles educators with different approaches to teaching the classic.

Nightinghales perform in The Current studio
Purposefully misspelled Minneapolis band the Nightinghales draw heavily from American-inspired, British blues bands like the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and the also alternatively-spelled Byrds.

Wild Nothing performs live in The Current studio
Wild Nothing is the band from Virginia-born Jack Tatum. Produced entirely in his bedroom, Tatum started with the music before writing lyrics to his Smiths-inspired shoe-gaze songs. While on tour, Tatum brings a long band members to recreate the sounds live.

The Short Version: The Very Model of the Very Model
Not even the most ingenious imaginations operate in a vacuum. They're in the world, and their achievements often hang on how well they transform the fodder of history, gossip, or the headlines. William Gilbert, for instance (of Gilbert & Sullivan fame), found inspiration for one of his most memorable characters in reports of a busy and blustery soldier serving the Empire.

New Classical Tracks: Into the Limelight
As a composer, Frenchman Gabriel Pierne was overshadowed by some brilliant contemporaries, such as Ravel and Poulenc. A new disc of his works reveals music rich in charm and orchestral color.

Anthology of rap and hip-hop
Over the past 30 years rap and hip-hop have emerged as a powerful and influential cultural force. Midmorning examines the power and the poetry of rap music, from the "old school" to the present day.

The Cube Critics take on the Oscars
Stephanie Curtis, The Movie Maven and Arts reporter Euan Kerr sit across the cube at Minnesota Public Radio News, where they have a rapid, running dialogue about movies. For some strange reason, those golden, perfectly postured male statuettes are today's topic on Cube Critics.

Music with Minnesotans
Minnesota Historical Society Director Michael Fox shares some of his favorites

Alexi Murdoch performs live in The Current studio
Born in London, growing up in Greece and moving to Scotland at the age of 10 then going to college at Duke University, it wasn't until singer-songwritier Alexi Murdoch moved to L.A. that his career took off when KCRW host Nic Harcourt began playing his music.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Carrie Brownstein
This week on the Dinner Party Download, why we prefer our french fries served with a side of beach, moose murderers, and Sleater Kinney co-founder Carrie Brownstein.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 2:17 PM on February 19, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

MPR's Euan Kerr and Stephanie Curtis talk movies every Thursday in the continuing series "Cube Critics."

Thanks to all of you who joined or renewed in last week's pledge drive - it was an amazing show of support, and the folks here are always humbled by what you do. If you couldn't handle all the fundraising, no worries - all the arts stories are here in one place for you to peruse at your leisure. Grab your cans and take a listen...

The Movie Maven's take on romance movies
The Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis joins Midday to discuss some of the best love stories dished out by the film industry. She also looks at some of the Hollywood stars we associate most with romantic movies.

Twin Cities' Parker Quartet wins Grammy award
One of the Grammy awards given out last night went to four musicians who now call the Twin Cities home.

New Classical Tracks: Expressive Voices, from a Dark Time
"Echoes of Time," is a very personal collection of works by composers whose lives were shaped by oppression in the Soviet Union. Thinking of her homeland, Lisa Batiashvili remembers that oppression, which she experienced firsthand as a girl--but also its Mediterranean-like warmth, and people who are alive, emotional and spontaneous-- very much like the music she shares on, "Echoes of Time."

New music at the SPCO by Gabriela Frank
A re-imagining of the after-life of Frida Kahlo is the subject of a new set of songs for Dawn Upshaw and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Music with Minnesotans: Consie Powell
Illustrator Consie Powell shares some of her favorite classical music.

Marooned with Midmorning
It's the timeless question for lovers of music and literature. If you were stranded on a desert island, what one book and album would you want to have along with you? And why?

South Africa's musical ambassadors: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
For over forty years, the Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been the voice of South African musical tradition around the world. Rock audiences were first introduced to the group when they collaborated with Paul Simon on his 1987 album, "Graceland." Ladysmith Black Mambazo's new album, "Songs from a Zulu Farm" celebrates their rich musical and cultural heritage. They join host Kerri Miller for a live in-studio performance.

Cube Critics talk movies
This week's topics include the comedy "Cedar Rapids" and the Bollywood extravanganza "Kites."

The private life of George Washington
Just as the new exhibition on George Washington opens at the Minnesota History Center, Midmorning's host Kerri Miller discusses what we do and don't know about George Washington's private life with historian Ron Chernow.

Garrison Keillor on the challenges writers face
"A Prairie Home Companion" host and creator Garrison Keillor speaks to an audience at Concordia University in St. Paul about the challenges he's had to face as a writer and how his upbringing has helped him deal with them.

Former KARE journalist tries hand at film in 'Cedar Rapids'
The new movie "Cedar Rapids" is about a naive Midwesterner whose life changes when he is sent to Iowa for an insurance convention. The movie, which opens in Minnesota this weekend, is actually the result of a real life-changing experience on a couch in Minneapolis.

King Tut show is Science Musuem's largest exhibit ever
Thursday was the 88th anniversary of when Americans learned of an incredible find in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt: the tomb of King Tutankhamun, better known to many as King Tut. Now a new collection of artifacts from the treasure trove of the boy king's grave is going on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Dinner Party Download featuring Karen Russell
A joke, how Wal-Mart deals with stuck-up employees, the story of Jack Parr and more on this week's Dinner Party Download.

Justin Townes Earle performs in The Current studios
Earle has blazed a distinct path from his biological and musical forbears, often incorporating more traditional country, folk and Americana elements into his sound and forging a unique lyrical voice.

Sims performs live in The Current studios
Doomtree MC and Minnesota native Sims (born Andrew Sims) has been rapping from a young age, and got involved with Twin Cities hip-hop heavyweight P.O.S. in high school. Their local rap collective Doomtree, which also includes Dessa, Lazerbeak and more, has since grown to become one of the primary forces in Minnesota hip-hop and in local music in general.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 1:05 PM on February 6, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

The original members of the Jayhawks. The band spent an hour in studio with Midmorning host Kerri Miller.

What a week! The Venetian masterpieces exhibition opens at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Jayhawks perform in studio, and Midmorning interviews local award-winning author Pete Hautmann. Scroll down and play your way through the week's artistic highlights...

Housepet performs in The Current Studio
Originally from Detroit, Jack Ventimiglia aka Housepet made the move to Minneapolis to learn more about producing and music. Housepet will be releasing his debut EP this February which will feature original art work by Daniel Levy for each song on the album. The new EP will sound different to the stripped down solo live performances that Housepet is known for.

The return of the Jayhawks
After more than a decade apart, the original members of the Jayhawks have reunited. They joined Midmorning to talk about what brought them back together, and what's to come. The band also performed several songs, including a new tune called "She Walks in so Many Ways," which will be part of its album which comes out in June.

New Classical Tracks: Music from the Melting Pot
The inspiration of Aaron Copland, an immigrant's musical memories, even Gregorian chant--they all find their way into a new disc of recent American music, performed by the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.

A career in the theater as a composer
It's preview week for the Guthrie Theater's new production of Shakespeare's "The Winters Tale," and one of the people scrambling to get things ready is composer Adam Wernick. Just as the actors are honing their performances Wernick will refine the music right up to Friday's opening night.

Novel on English village life amuses while spearing prejudice
After struggling for a while to write a gritty up-to-the-moment novel, Helen Simonson decided to stop beating herself up and write something for herself. Now the resulting book "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" is a New York Times bestseller.

Music with Minnesotans: Charles Baxter
National Book Award finalist and University of Minnesota creative writing professor Charles Baxter weaves classical music into many of his stories, including using a title of a piece by American composer Virgil Thomson for his own novel.

Dvorak Concerto has a new fan: John Belk
Soft-spoken yet intensely passionate about music, especially the cello, 16 year old John Belk is preparing to perform the opening movement of the Dvorak Cello Concerto with his colleagues in the Minnesota Youth Symphonies this Sunday at Orchestra Hall. John spoke to Steve Staruch and performed an excerpt from the piece he says is a most powerful piece of music.

Titian, Veronese works come to Mpls. Institute of ArtsA treasure trove of Renaissance Venetian painting opens at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts this weekend. The collection of works by Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and others are on tour from the National Galleries of Scotland. They have never been seen in the United States before.

Teen fiction author Pete Hautman
Pete Hautman has won a National Book Award for his young adult novels, and while he loves the genre, he says there are reasons not to write young adult fiction. He explains why, and talks about his newest novel, with Kerri Miller.

How 'Biutiful' started with a voice in a director's head
Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film "Biutiful" opens in the Twin Cities this weekend, and is in the running for two top Oscars.

The Cube Critics talk movies
MPR's Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis and film buff Euan Kerr sit in cubicles across from each other in the MPR newsroom. When they banter back and forth, it's usually about movies, and it's usually quite interesting.

Magraw and Wise still make music together after 30 years
Two Minnesota musicians will celebrate 30 years of collaboration and a new album at the Cedar Cultural Center this weekend. Guitarist Dean Magraw and tabla player Marcus Wise talked recently with MPR's Euan Kerr about their new album, "How the Light Gets in."

Dinner Party Download featuring John Lithgow
On this week's Dinner Party Download, a joke from David Gedge, frontman for brit-pop stalwarts The Wedding Present, a song from Market Watch reporter John Letzing and actor John Lithgow talks about getting decorated and reading bed times stories to his parents.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 12:58 PM on January 30, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Ford Bell the president of the American Association of Museums in Washington D.C. (MPR Photo/Jim Bickal)

Amidst news of a revolution in Egypt, President Obama's State of the Union address, and Morning Edition's trip to Washington D.C. we still managed to take time for some great arts interviews (including one with Ford Bell, above). AND we debuted a new series this week, called "Cube Critics" - giving you access to the entertaining banter we hear movie fiends Euan Kerr and Stephanie Curtis exchange at their adjoining desks. Enoy!

The Goondas perform in The Current studios
The Goondas have been compared to everyone from Mick Jagger to the Stooges to Steven Tyler. But these post-punk, gritty, blues-infused local stalwarts have a sound and look all their own.

Caroline Preston on Cargill Foundation's big boost
Minnesota's nonprofit community hopes for a boost after Cargill announced a deal that would increase the size of a couple of its foundations by around $9 billion.

A look at the 2011 Oscar nominations with the Movie Maven
Let the movie horse race begin! The nominations for this year's Academy Awards were announced today. "The King's Speech," "The Social Network," and "Black Swan" are among the Best Picture contenders. Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis weighs in on the nominees.

Lessons from a war-zone coffee shop
Author Deborah Rodriguez ran a beauty school a hair salon and a coffee shop in Kabul Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11. Having written a bestselling memoir "Kabul Beauty School" she is now telling the story in a different way with her debut novel "A Cup of Kindness."

The Cube Critics talk about movies
MPR's Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis and film buff Euan Kerr sit in cubicles across from each other in the MPR newsroom. When they banter back and forth, it's usually about movies, and it's usually quite interesting. So we decided to turn their conversations into a new feature we call Cube Critics. This time, Euan and Stephanie talk about the Oscar nominations which came out Tuesday.

Novelist Paul Auster writes about home
Paul Auster's new novel about abandoned homes and broken families speaks to Americans' experience with the recession. He revisits themes of existential crisis and the search for identity.

Minnesotans in DC: President of the American Association of Museums Ford Bell
Bell took Cathy Wurzer on a tour of one of his favorite museums in Washington D.C. -- the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Mpls. Mississippi River design competition down to wire
A jury met Friday afternoon to select a winning team in the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition. The winner will create a new vision for the riverfront stretching from the Stone Arch Bridge to the northern boundary of the city.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Dan Bejar
This week on the Dinner Party Download, a joke from rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson, why Genghis Khan was good for the planet, and hyper-literate songwriter Dan Bejar on being presumptuous and unknowingly getting caught in the quiet storm.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 6:52 PM on January 22, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Three dozen alabaster figures known as "The Mourners" arrived at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts this week. MPR Photo/Euan Kerr

Assembling the weekly playlist is one of my favorite tasks of the week. Why? Because it reminds me of just how much great reporting is done by my colleagues every week, particularly in the area of arts and culture. This week was a banner one, with stories about local music venues, live in-studio recordings, interviews with authors and photographers, historical finds with cultural implications, and a remembrance of former Guthrie artistic director Michael Langham. Scroll all the way down to find out more about the arrival of "The Mourners" at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts this week (pictured above). Enjoy!

Guthrie's 'savior,' Michael Langham, dies
Theater director Michael Langham has died. Langham is credited with saving the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis from ruin in the 1970s, serving as artistic director from 1971 till 1977.

Walker program aims to help with Alzheimer's challenge
When most institutions talk about accessibility it's about how easy it is to get around their buildings. The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is working on a different kind of accessibility -- programming for people with Alzheimer's and the people who take care of them.

A passion for signs leads to a trip of a lifetime
St. Paul-native Roger Johnson has what may be a unique travel obsession. He likes to be called "the world's first self-proclaimed welcome sign photography expert."

In new book, photographer Leo Kim searches for peace in St. Paul
Some prominent St. Paul residents say photographer Lee Kim has captured a sense of place about the city they love. It's a surprising feat for a man who has spent most of his life looking for a place to call home.

Can Twin Cities music venues survive a shaky economy?
Panic spread through the Twin Cities music scene a few weeks ago when two highly regarded nightspots -- the 501 Club in Minneapolis and the Turf Club on University Avenue in St. Paul -- closed their doors. It's a sign, some say, of how tough it's become for live music venues in the Twin Cities.

In Koua Fong Lee's and others' stories, exhibit shows power of unexpected events
A photo exhibit that opened this week at the Minnesota History Center features Minnesotans who've survived serious illnesses, deadly accidents, even the Holocaust.

Author captures regional differences in whiteness
Satirical writer Christian Lander thought he was on to a good, but probably short-lived, thing with his blog, and then a book called "Stuff White People Like." But such was his success that Lander has now come out with a regional guide, called "Whiter Shades of Pale."

150-year-old letters give voice to Dakota prisoners
For nearly 150 years, the voices of Dakota men imprisoned after the Dakota Conflict of 1862 went unheard. But the details of their imprisonment are starting to emerge, in letters written by those prisoners after six weeks of fighting along the Minnesota River Valley that left hundreds of Indians, settlers and soldiers dead.

Lissie performs live in The Current studios
Born Elisabeth Maurus, singer-songwriter Lissie started performing songs as the age of nine, while playing the title part in the musical "Annie."

Liz Phair performs live in The Current studios
With a long career of ground-breaking music that began in the early '90s, singer-songwriter Liz Phair has moved from indie label goddess with the release of her debut "Exile in Guyville" in 1993 to selling over three million records across the globe including her latest, "Funstyle."

The Mourners arrive in Mpls. from the 15th century
A group of foreign dignitaries arrives at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts this weekend. They're called "The Mourners." They are some three dozen alabaster figures carved for the tomb of a 15th century French Duke. The statues have caused a sensation at other stops on their U.S. tour.

Weekly playlist

Posted at 8:37 PM on January 16, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Here's your chance to catch up on the radio stories you might have missed this past week...

Wayzata poet wins Newbery honor
Wayzata poet Joyce Sidman's collection "Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night" took one of the nations top literary prizes and became a Newbery Honor book. The poems grew out of Sidman's interest in nature - and her fear of the dark as a child.

Music with Minnesotans: Matt Wehling
Those who have played their instruments using a Matt Wehling bow compare its playability to driving a Ferrari, but surprisingly Wheling is not a classical musician himself. He's been listening much more regularly to classical music recently - and much more carefully - mostly so he can understand what a client is looking for in a bow - and how to best make a sound.

Tapes n' Tapes performs in The Current studio
Formed out of Carleton College, this local quartet quickly found success and critically positive reviews from Pitchfork and Gorillas vs. Bear as well as signing to a major label within a year of their debut record.

Closing Dinkytown bookstore offers glimpse of the past
For years, students and professors at the University of Minnesota haven't had to travel far to find out-of-print titles and great bargains at used bookstores. But the selection is about to get smaller. Bill Biermaier, who has owned Biermaier's Books for 40 years, has decided it's a good time to retire.

The Kerri Miller Book Club: 'True Grit'
The new Coen brothers movie has brought Charles Portis's "True Grit" back into the public conscience. But the reclusive Portis has a rabid fan club that believes the book isn't his most significant contribution to American literature.

S. Carey performs live in The Current studios
Most notable for his work as the drummer of Wisconsin hailed Bon Iver, Sean Carey -- who goes by S. Carey -- unintentionally started a solo side project while on tour.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Paul Giamatti
This week on the Dinner Party Download, a joke from Singer-songwriter Henry Wolfe, a drink inspired by a famous political symbol, and a chat with the actor who singlehandedly decimated Merlot sales in the U.S. -- Paul Giamatti.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 7:30 PM on January 8, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Sara Watkins is scheduled to guest host "A Prairie Home Companion" on January 15.

Catch up on the arts stories you missed this week...

Censoring Huck Finn?A Mark Twain scholar is planning to release a new edition of the classic "Huckleberry Finn," with the "N" word being replaced by the word "slave." He says it's not an attempt to render the book colorblind, but many commentators are up in arms.

A snowsuit tells tales of terror
Few people would link a toddler's snowsuit with the horrors of totalitarianism. Yet this weekend at the Walker Art Center some eastern European performers are doing just that.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Tennis
This week on the Dinner Party Download, an icebreaker from director Spike Jonze, drink inspiration from the Washington Generals, and a chat with musician-couple Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore, aka Tennis.

Sara Watkins set to be Prairie Home's first guest host
A Prairie Home Companion is calling it an "historic first." Garrison Keillor will step aside for one show, and let someone be the guest host. The singer and fiddler Sarah Watkins will take a turn out in front, while Keillor watches his show from the sidelines, until it's time for the news from Lake Wobegon. He'll still deliver his signature monologue.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 11:45 AM on January 1, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

The British performance group "Gob Squad" recreates and re-imagines Andy Warhol's experimental film "Kitchen" during the Walker Art Center's Out There series. MPR's Euan Kerr takes a look. (Image courtesy Walker Art Center)

Wow - what a great week for arts on the radio! There were looks back at the year in theater, books and music, interviews with local author John Reimringer and comedian Lizz Winstead, and reports on the Walker Art Center and the Legacy Amendment. Garrison Keillor shared his thoughts on humor and Midmorning examined the year in words. Not to mention the weekly Art Hounds installment and Dinner Party Download... Scroll down, click to listen, and enjoy!

British film celebrates women's equal pay rights in Europe
British director Nigel Cole is best known in the U.S. for "Calendar Girls" about a group of church ladies who posed nude to raise money for charity.
Cole's latest film, called "Made in Dagenham" opens this week in Minneapolis. It's also about women with a cause. It's the story of a strike in the 1960s that was pivotal in the equal pay movement in Europe.

Austerity marks Minnesota theater in 2010
MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola for some perspective on the year that was and some thoughts on what 2011 might bring to local stages.

Faith, family, and temptation
Author John Reimringer's new novel tells the story of a young priest and his struggle with the vow of celibacy. But beyond being a story about the sacred versus the profane, the author says it's also a love letter to the city of St. Paul.

As Legacy arts funds flow, lawmakers will reassess distribution
The Legacy Amendment provided millions for the arts, but the fund's distribution process is up for review in the 2011 Legislature.

The year in books
Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom" stole much of the spotlight, but the fact that it wasn't even nominated for the National Book Award shows what a strong year 2010 was for fiction. Midmorning looks at the best books, both fiction and nonfiction, of 2010.

Walker aims to break through artistic boundaries
Evolving technology, public expectations, and a constantly changing world are leading to surprising developments in artistic disciplines. In coming weeks, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis will present a performing arts show with no performers, and a film screening with no film.

Art Hounds: 2010 Highlights, part three
Art Hounds share their favorite performances of the past year.

Comedian Lizz Winstead and the year's best political gaffes
Minnesota native funny lady Lizz Winstead calls this "the craziest year in politics since I've been doing standup." She whittles down the best political gaffes and guffaws of 2010 to perform at her annual live show.

Garrison Keillor on the importance of humor in life
Garrison Keillor performed in December at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. Hear his stories on Midday.

The Current's David Campbell on the year in music
David Campbell, host of The Local Show on The Current, talks with Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer about highlights of the year in music.

Grammar rocks
If music is a language, its lyrics are flying in the face of the rules of English grammar. Midmorning explores the grammatical slip-ups that make popular music great, but still irk the experts.

The year in words with Anatoly Liberman
New words become part of the language every year, and sometimes familiar words become part of the public discourse in new and interesting ways. Midmorning looks at the words that people were using in 2010.

Bookers pick the best local music of 2010
The 'Best of' lists of local music critics are abundant this time of year, but MPR News asked the people who choose which acts to present at Minnesota venues what they thought was the best local music of 2010.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Rainn Wilson
What do the King of Albania, "Eat, Pray, Love" and TV star Rainn Wilson have in common? You'll be talking about all of them at your dinner parties this weekend, after listening to the Dinner Party Download.

Radio playlist

Posted at 8:55 AM on December 26, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) and Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper) debate a point in the Coen brothers adaptation of "True Grit" (Image courtesy Paramount Pictures (Photo: Lorey Sebastian ))

If you've been too busy prepping for the holidays, I recommend you give yourself some time to relax and catch up on some great art stories and interviews that aired on Minnesota Public Radio this week. In addition to the news of the week (including the release of the Coen brothers' "True Grit") MPR also aired some of the best stories from the past year. Take a listen, and enjoy!

Life as a Jewish partisan
The new film, "Defiance," tells the story of the Bielski brothers, who led a group of Jewish partisans living in the forests of Belarus during World War II. The film mirrors the experience of a Minnesota couple who fought in another Jewish partisan group in the same forest.

Changing technology and the future of libraries
Eager to attract digitally savvy readers, public libraries across the country are expanding their electronic book collections. That's just one of the ways that today's libraries are evolving to meet the changing needs of the 21st century library patron.

A grittier 'True Grit'
St. Louis Park natives Joel and Ethan Coen said they wanted to remake the classic western "True Grit" in part to rectify an injustice to the novel on which it's based. Their film appears to do just that.

The magic of portage
A photographer and essayist, who are also seasoned outdoorsmen, explore the Quetico-Boundary Waters in a new book. Midmorning discusses the method, madness and philosophy of paddling Minnesota's big lakes and small streams.

Cantus at the Westminster Presbyterian Church
Minnesota Public Radio was happy to broadcast the annual Christmas With Cantus concert live from Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Minneapolis Friday, Dec. 17th.

New documentary remembers largest mass execution in US historyThe largest mass execution in U.S. history occurred 148 years ago, when 38 Dakota warriors were hanged from a single scaffold in Mankato.

Music with Minnesotans: Dale Warland
Dale Warland stopped by the Classical studios to share some of his most favorite pieces for this time of year - that never see to grow stale for him - and always present a challenge.

For Kate DiCamillo, stories matter
Minnesota's award-winning childrens author Kate DiCamillo talks about why she writes and how she does it --and takes questions from kids-- at a recent Club Book event in Apple Valley. DiCamillo is the author of the wildly popular "Because of Winn-Dixie" and "The Tale of Despereaux."

In the queue at King's College
Last year, Michael Barone was in Cambridge for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College Chapel. In the few hours before the show began, he talked with a number of people who had stood in line for hours during some particularly nasty weather.

A Vocal Essence holiday
A group of VocalEssence singers give their annual Midmorning performance and best effort at nearly unsingable Christmas carols.

Polar Express arrives
The sound of sleigh bells gained new meaning in the Christmas classic book, The Polar Express. The author, Chris Van Allsburg joined Kerri Miller in 2004 at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul to talk about his work before an audience of children and their families.

Holiday movies with the movie maven
Minnesota Public Radio's Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis joins Midday for a look at the best --and worst-- Christmas movies. She also looks back at the movies of 2010.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 6:57 PM on December 18, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

It's hard to know when a great arts story or interview is going to air on MPR, so chances are you missed a few this week. Here's a re-cap to help you catch up:

Author writes about a different kind of traveling
Tony Hiss writes about travel, but not in terms of exotic spots to visit. He writes about the actual movement from place to place.

Talking Volumes with Anita Shreve
Author Anita Shreve has written a dozen novels, including the Oprah's Book Club pick "The Pilot's Wife." Her latest book is "Rescue." She joined Kerri Miller at the Fitzgerald Theater on December 8th.

The intriguing pairing of percussionist and DJ
Even in a musical world which prizes innovation, a percussionist playing tuned brake drums paired with a DJ creating stories by spinning yarns by spinning disks is unusual.

Behind Ol' Blue Eyes
Legendary singer Frank Sinatra was a larger-than-life figure whose career straddled five decades. A new book looks at the first half of Sinatra's career, and how the skinny young crooner who could sell a song like no one else became an American icon.

Chris Osgood on First Avenue's 40th anniversary
Osgood reflects on the changing status - and smells - of Minnesota's most popular music venue.

Music with Minnesotans: Steve Heitzeg
Steve Heitzeg writes music that beats and breathes with the rhythm of the earth. His evocative and lyrical music is inspired by the natural world, even going so far as to introduce 'instruments' of found objects like stones, bones and shells. He shares an unusual collection of music he loves for this season.

Opera for a modern audience
The incoming director of the Minnesota Opera is an accomplished musician in his own right, with compositions performed at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. He joins Midmorning to talk about the challenge of bringing opera to 21st century audiences.
AND: A New York Times ballet critic caused an uproar recently when he criticized a ballerina performing in "The Nutcracker" for being overweight. Did his criticism cross the line?

Art Hounds: Chinese fashion, The Shiny Lights, and a feast at Fezziwig's
The hounds hunt down an exhibition about Mao suits and modern Chinese fashion, a veteran rock band that resurrects a '70s sound, and "The Christmas Carol" re-told by the family Scrooge clerked for as a young man.

Bob & Ray, masters of subtle satire
A pioneering radio duo who some say laid the groundwork for modern American comedy has been captured on a new four-disc set.

The Dinner Party Download featuring Christian Lander
This week on the Dinner Party Download, David Hidalgo of Grammy-nominated band Los Lobos leads us to a punchline, KPCC's Patt Morrison tells us how the California prison system discovered Festivus isn't kosher, and "Stuff White People Like" creator Christian Lander.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 12:21 PM on December 4, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

There's much to trumpet in this week's arts stories...

Check out the week's radio stories, from in studio performances with Mason Jennings and Aaron Neville, to an hour of completely ridiculous holiday tunes and the "lost notebooks of Oz."

On frozen northern campuses, tradition of choral music brings warmth
At this time of year, even those without Scandinavian roots can feel a kinship with F. Melius Christiansen. Commentary by Philip Bryant

A tale of suffering and survival
While researching her best selling book "Seabiscuit," Laura Hillenbrand stumbled across an article on Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who endured incredible hardships during World War II. She reached out to him and forged a connection that she chronicles in her latest book.

The forgettable songs of Christmas
Philip Brunelle and members of VocalEssence give their annual Midmorning performance of ridiculous, ill-conceived, and nearly unsingable Christmas carols.

Superchunk performs in The Current studios
The band Superchunk formed in Chapel Hill, N.C. in 1989 and have done more to promote the indie-pop movement than any other band, including forming their own record label, Merge Records.

Aaron Neville's songs of faith
Grammy-winning singer Aaron Neville has seen good times and bad in more than 50 years in the music business. His new album is a celebration of those five decades and the influence of gospel on his music.

Mason Jennings performs in The Current studiosMason Jennings was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and spent some of his younger years in Pittsburgh before moving to Minneapolis. After Mason's father gave him a series of tapes featuring bands from the Twin Cities music scene, Mason started writing songs and by age 19, booking agencies and record labels starting making offers.

Hanukkah Lights
The Jewish festival if Hanukkah begins Wednesday night at sundown. On this perennial National Public Radio favorite, Hanukkah stories and memoirs written by acclaimed authors are read by NPR's Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz. Hanukkah Lights celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, with four brand new works: "Finding Golda" by Margot Singer, "Legacy" by Lev Raphael," "Geek Week" by Rebecca O'Connell, and "Moon Landing," by Shira Nayman.

Scarecrow on Fire: The Lost Notebooks of Oz
A special broadcast of Kevin Kling's play, "Scarecrow on Fire." Based on the classic tale "The Wizard of Oz," the play picks up where that story left off. The production was commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio as part of the Fitzgerald Theater's 100th anniversary. The ensemble cast features Dan Chouinard as the Tin Man, Stephen Yoakam as the Lion, the Wizard, and others, Simone Perrin as Dorothy, and Kevin Kling as the Scarecrow.

Art Hounds: Hip Harlem, Toys in the Attic and a night of dance
The hounds follow their art-sensitive noses to a show by, for, and about toys, an exploration of the Harlem Renaissance led by a centenarian and a nonagenarian, and an unforgettable evening of dance.

Longer, raunchier, and with a dash of poetry - The 2010 British TV Advertising Awards
One of the Twin Cities longest running holiday traditions gets underway tonight -- and we don't mean the Guthrie's "Christmas Carol." Even Peter Bigg, who organizes the annual screening of the British Television Advertising awards at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, admits he can't quite explain the popularity.

Dinner Party Download featuring Diplo
This week's edition of Dinner Party Download features a conversation with Diplo -- whose name sounds more like a global brand than a DJ -- and that's fitting.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 10:27 AM on November 20, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Missed the Cloud Cult in-studio performance on The Current? Didn't make it to Talking Volumes with Barbara Kingsolver? Here's your chance to catch up on the week's radio stories, interviews and performances.

Novelist Paul Auster writes about home
Paul Auster's new novel about abandoned homes and broken families speaks to Americans' experience with the recession. He revisits themes of existential crisis and the search for identity.

In 'Our Basic Nature,' a radio story fit for an opera
Inspired by a radio show about a therapist who tried to raise a chimp as his own daughter, a public reading of the unfinished opera "Our Basic Nature," will be held in St. Paul this week.

Pat Conroy on literature that changes lives
In his new book, the best-selling author of "The Great Santini" and "Prince of Tides" pays homage to the literature that transformed his life.

Cloud Cult chases time
The nationally known group is releasing a new CD called "Light Chasers." Cloud Cult frontman and chief songwriter Craig Minowa, third from the right in the photo, talked with MPR's Chris Roberts about the music on the new CD.

Cloud Cult perform live at The Current in the UBS Forum
This Twin Cities staple has been making emotionally-fused experimental rock for years, packing venues with capacity crowds entranced by live painting, dozens of instruments and encouragement to sit on the venue floor and become fully absorbed with the sound surrounding them.

Talking Volumes with Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Kingsolver's new novel, "The Lacuna," is the story of a man who spends his youth among legendary Mexican figures Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, then grows reclusive in older age. Kingsolver talked with Kerri Miller on Nov. 11 as part of the Talking Volumes regional book club series.

Departing Nina Archabal reflects on history
The longtime director of the Minnesota Historical Society departs at year's end. She joins Midday to talk about why history is important, the role of museums, and how best to convey the story of Minnesota's people and places.

For Eiko and Koma, it's a lot of work being 'Naked'
For the last two weeks performers Eiko and Koma have spent six hours a day, six days a week, rolling slowly in a pile of dirt straw and feathers at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

Making of the National Book Awards
Rocker icon Patti Smith took home the nonfiction prize for the just announced National Book Awards. This prestigious award recognizes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature, but some critics may argue that the judges don't always get it right.

Middle Class Rut perform live in The Current studio
Middle Class Rut is good ol' fashioned alternative rock, a band which has collaborated live with the likes of Alice in Chains and Social Distortion, a total throwback for those of us who grew up with those bands

Art Hounds: blue paint, Black Dub and acting prowess
This week's hounds treat us to a sparse production with powerful performances, drench us in brilliant guitar licks, and then roll us around in some blue paint for good measure.

Novel explores the psychological impact of torture
Author Thomas Kennedy moved to Copenhagen in the 1970s and has published more than 20 books in Europe, yet until recently had gone unpublished in America. His new book tells the story of a former political prisoner's attempt to recover from years of torture.

Franken returns to comedy for Don Shelby roast
Don Shelby signs off for the last time on Monday as an anchor for WCCO-TV. Last month, Shelby was honored and lampooned at All-Star roast in downtown Minneapolis. Among the roasters: Polar explorer and educator Ann Bancroft, former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and current Democratic Senator Al Franken.

Dinner Party Download featuring actress Sally Hawkins
This week's Dinner Party Download features Golden Globe-winning actress Sally Hawkins. Her latest movie, "Made In Dagenham," opens on U.S. screens this week. Sally talks about the real-life laborers the movie portrays -- and why humankind should fear crows.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 11:50 AM on November 13, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

He's a serial killer, but we root for him. Midmorning looks at the allure of the anti-hero.

Here's your chance to catch up on the arts stories broadcast on MPR this week, including in studio performances by Adam Levy and Dawes:

Why do we love anti-heroes?
From Don Draper to Lisbeth Salander, deeply flawed and un-heroic characters abound in TV, film, and literature. Why do we love anti-heroes, and what does it say about us?

Student play helps foster communication between cops and kids
Some high school students from north Minneapolis have been working with Minneapolis police officers on an unusual partnership.

Folk musician KT Tunstall reinvents herself
After producing such hits as "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See," folk Scottish singer KT Tunstall disappeared for a while. Now she's back with a new band, a new album and a new style.

Dawes perform live in The Current studio
This quartet of college-aged guys from California play nicely tinged Southern-style rock and have already made their television debut and played the First Ave mainroom on the strength of just one album. They're obviously doing something right, and their hearts are 100% in the sound they create.

Reviving the great American songbook
Songwriter and musician Adam Levy is exploring the great American Songbook, a collection of songs created between 1925 and 1960 that he believes shapes our notions of American music.

Art Hounds
A play that delves into the rigors and rewards of raising a child with autism, a photographer who makes eerie collages that look like blueprints, and a Hitchcock spoof at the Guthrie are all grabbing the hounds attention this week.

Two films tackling tough subjects
Conversations with Davis Guggenheim about his new documentary on public education, "Waiting for Superman," and with author Sebastian Junger about "Restrepo," a documentary he directed on the war in Afghanistan.

Dinner Party Download with guest Huey Lewis
The guest of honor on this edition of Dinner Party Download is pop singer Huey Lewis. Rico Gagliano talks to Lewis about his soul roots, his band's original name, and the hard-rock legend from whom he copped his clothes.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 11:39 AM on November 6, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Talking Volumes: Nicole Krauss
Novelist Nicole Krauss speaks with Kerri Miller at the Talking Volumes Series. Her novel "Great House," has been named a fiction finalist by the National Book Award.

The dirt on the Walker's 'Naked' exhibit
For the next month veteran Japanese movement artists Eiko and Koma will perform in the Walker Art Center galleries for six hours a day, six days a week -- completely nude.

Jacques Brel is alive and well and living in Bloomington
Does the song "Ne Me Quitte Pas" ring a bell? How about "Carousel?" If you're not familiar with the music of Belgian singer Jacques Brel, the Bloomington Civic Theatre would like to change that.

The decline of creativity
One author argues that America is suffering a crisis of creative thought. A psychologist explains we can do to encourage creativity and innovation in our thinking.

Film fest brings a flood of Asian cinema to Mpls.
The "In Search of Asia Festival" will present many kinds of movies from 12 different countries. The festival is aimed at under-served parts of the movie-going public, and it's drawing particular interest from the Hmong community.

Hollywood espionage
The new film about CIA operative Valerie Plame opened this week and Midmorning delves into Ken Turan's best picks for the spy genre.

Zuill Bailey comes to Minnesota
He's earned a reputation as one of the up-and-coming greats in the cello world - and on American Airlines too, where he needs to buy a separate seat for his valuable 1693 Matteo Gofriller Cello. The airlines simply refer to her as "Cello Bailey."

The Dinner Party Download featuing Chris Morris
English satirist Chris Morris is one of the UK's most respected - and controversial - TV and radio satirists. So it's no surprise his film directing debut, "Four Lions," is a comedy about terrorism. Morris talks to Rico about tackling taboo topics, and what it's like to be asked to speak for God.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 10:18 AM on October 30, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

Dar Williams was one of Kerri Miller's guests on Midmorning this week.
Photo by Traci Goudie

Despite all the talk of elections, we still managed to get in quite a few interviews with authors, musicians, and even a gal who's living in a museum for a month! You've got some catching up to do...

Rooted in tradition, the face of Halloween continues to change
As Halloween approaches and people begin loading up on candy supplies and selecting costumes, it's almost as traditional for older people to begin complaining that Halloween isn't what it used to be.

Living for a month in a museum
This morning, Twin Cities native Kate McGroarty woke up in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. In fact, she's been living inside the museum for the last week-and-a-half. McGroarty won a contest that gave her the opportunity to live in the museum for an entire month.

Dracula through the ages
A lawyer has turned his obsession with Victorian times and its most prominent characters into a new book that catalogues everything one might hope to know about Dracula.

Ian Frazier explores the lure of Siberia
For almost 20 years writer Ian Frazier has been obsessed by a place which many people use as a metaphor for unpleasantness: Siberia.

A doctor struggles with mental illness
Physician and author Mark Vonnegut (son of Kurt Vonnegut) has a new memoir which chronicles his struggle to lead a normal life as a pediatrician and family man while conquering his own demons.

Where do good ideas come from?
Best-selling author Steven Johnson talks about his new book, "Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation," in an event hosted by APM's John Moe in MPR's UBS Forum.

Art Hounds
Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside their own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on in local arts. This week they fill us in on an internationally-known artist brings his juxtaposed prints to Highpoint, a play about Alabama slave descendants and their glorious quilts is at Park Square, and top-notch Twin Cities improv artists congregate at the BLB.

Singer-songwriter collects friends along the way
Dar Williams' latest album is a retrospective with a twist. On "Many Great Companions," the coffee-house veteran collaborates with some of her contemporaries to breathe new life into some of her old favorites.

The Dinner Party Download featuing Noomi Rapace
This week on the Dinner Party Download, a joke from pop legend Tom Jones -- yes, the Tom Jones -- and Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, star of a series of films based on the blockbuster books by Stieg Larsson.

From The Current:

The Dandy Warhols perform in The Current studio
They took time out of their schedule before their show in Minneapolis and stopped by The Current studio.

The Black Angels perform in The Current studio
The band's latest offering, titled "Phosphene Dream," was released earlier this fall. They stopped by The Current to hang out with Bill Deville.

From National Public Radio:

'Tamil Pulp': Sexy, Gory Fiction, Now In English
by Sandip Roy, National Public Radio
Tamil is a language known for its poetry, but commentator Sandip Roy knows it has another side. Dime-store pulp fiction has a large Tamil-speaking following -- and a newly translated anthology is coming to America.

High-Tech Ghouls Haunt Stores, Homes
Halloween is decidedly high-tech these days, with stores selling zombie babies or animatronic Freddy Krueger dolls. But many Halloween purists prefer a DIY approach. As technology gets cheaper, more people are experimenting with robots, microcontrollers and movement detectors.

Fans Show Their LeBron Love -- Through Poetry
NPR's Michele Norris talks to Dan Grech, radio news director of WLRN Miami Herald News, about the LeBron James Poetry contest. In honor of James coming to Miami, folks are invited to submit poetry to mark this event. They have received more than 1,000 submissions.

Manuscripts Suggest Jane Austen Had A Great Editor
Can't remember the "i before e" rule? Don't worry, neither could Jane Austen. Oxford University professor Kathryn Sutherland has studied more than 1,000 pages of the beloved novelist's handwritten text. Sutherland's found some surprising differences between the manuscripts and the finished works.

Taylor Swift Poised For One Of 2010's Biggest Sellers
The pop superstar, one of the music industry's biggest money-makers, released a new album Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal's Christopher John Farley discusses his recent interview with Swift.

Vijay Iyer Blends The Old With The New
Anointed the next bright hope of jazz, last year's breakout pianist took only two days to record his first solo album of originals and covers. Does it live up to high expectations? NPR's Tom Moon reviews the album here.

Madonna To Open A Chain Of Gyms
Madonna is opening a worldwide chain of gyms. The first Hard Candy Fitness opens next month in Mexico City. Ten more are planned in countries like Russia, Brazil and Argentina. None here in the United States.

Book Review: 'The Turquoise Ledge'
Author Leslie Marmon Silko is a successful novelist and story writer. Now, she's published a memoir describing her Native American heritage and experiences growing up and living in the Southwest U.S.

A Common Thread: Music Of Spain And Mexico
When Spain invaded the Americas in the 15th century, the cultural collision caused reverberations on both sides of the Atlantic. A new recording by Jordi Savall and Tembembe Ensamble Continuo turns an ear to the musical results of that clash.

The Sweet, Social Legacy Of Cadbury Chocolate
When Deborah Cadbury was a child, an enormous box of Cadbury chocolates arrived on her doorstep every Christmas. It was just one of the perks of being related to a famous chocolate dynasty: the Cadburys. Cadbury delves into her family's legacy in Chocolate Wars.

Master Of The Leaf: Preserving China's Music
Dadawa, a Chinese pop star and ambassador for the United Nations Development Program, is on a mission to help preserve minority music. Her travels took her through six of China's most far-flung provinces to find masters of vanishing musical traditions.

Noomi Rapace: Finding Lisbeth, And Letting Her Go
The actress who has played Stieg Larsson's punk-hacker heroine in a trilogy of thriller films tells NPR's Melissa Block that it was strangely easy to identify with the character -- and harder than she expected to get Lisbeth out of her head.

Saturday playlist

Posted at 12:00 PM on October 23, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

While this week at MPR was dominated by our pledge drive (thank you thank you thank you!), we still managed to get a number of arts stories and interviews out to the public. The week began with the shocking news of Minnesota rapper Eyedea's sudden death. Take a listen to Chris Roberts' tribute, and then keep on listening to hear some great book and film interviews as well as a profile of the band STNNNG. Enjoy!

Rapper Eyedea remembered for his lyrical virtuosity
Members of Minnesota's hip hop community are mourning the loss of one of its brightest stars.

The reader's guide to travel
Nancy Pearl doesn't like to travel, but she loves to read about far-off lands. Her new book recommends literature for prospective travelers.

Up and coming novelist Dinaw Mengestu gets rave reviews for new book
Novelist Dinaw Mengestu's star is rising. He was recently named by the New Yorker as one of the top 20 writers under the age of 40 worth watching. Critics have been raving about this latest book, "How to Read the Air," which tells the troubled story of Jonas. He's a young man who lies his way out of difficult situations, whether it be his marriage, or his relationship with his immigrant parents. Mengestu talked with MPR's Euan Kerr.

Scott Simon's new book tells story of adoption
National Public Radio's Scott Simon talks about his new book, "Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other." In the book, Simon tells the story of how he and his wife adopted their daughters from China -- and the story of other adoptive families.

Bill Bryson: The home, up close
Bill Bryson is known for his humorous books on travel, but for his latest he stays closer to home, specifically his own. "At Home" is an intimate look at Bryson's victorian era home in England, and the history behind some of the everyday items we take for granted.

Garrison Keillor and best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith talk books
Best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith joined Garrison Keillor on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater to talk about literature -- and the life of a writer. McCall Smith's new book is called, "The Charming Quirks of Others."

Film tells of true-life wrongful conviction drama
Betty Anne Waters once believed everyone in prison was guilty. Then a Massachusetts court sentenced her brother Kenny to life imprisonment for a brutal murder he claimed he hadn't committed. This set Waters on a remarkable path, which is the subject of a new movie, "Conviction," which opens this weekend.

The musical chaos of STNNNG
"The Smoke of My Will" is the title of the new album from the blistering Minneapolis indie rock band STNNNG, which the group unveils Saturday night at St. Paul's Turf Club.

Your weekly playlist

Posted at 10:23 AM on October 9, 2010 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists

We know, it's not easy to catch all the arts radio stories that air in a given week, and it takes time to hunt and find them on the web. And not everyone is into RSS feeds. So here's a little cheat sheet for you of arts related stories and interview from the last week. When you have some down time this weekend, give these stories a listen.

Meg Hutchinson, a musician singing to writers
Singer-songwriter Meg Hutchinson says it's entirely appropriate that she's appearing at the Sinclair Lewis Writer's Conference this weekend, as she's always considered herself more of a writer than a musician.

Artist gathers raw materials, raw emotions with Catholic DVD
The Catholic Church is getting some pushback for a message against same-sex marriage it mailed to 400,000 Minnesota Catholics last week. The DVD reiterates the church's position that marriage should be between one man and one woman. Over the weekend, hundreds of Catholics donated their DVDs to an artist who plans to make an art project out of them.

At Sound Unseen, a quest for the Kinks
A mid-life crisis leads some people to buy expensive cars, take exotic trips, or even engage in illicit relationships. Journalist Geoff Edgers mid-life brought on a desire to try to get his favorite British band of the sixties to reform.

Fifty years later, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' still resonates
The Pulitzer Prize winning classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" turns 50 this year. Kerri Miller interviews a documentarian who gained rare interviews with Harper Lee's sister and friends to help reveal the story behind the book.

Books, by the millions, for Africa
While many of us take books for granted, in some parts of the world they are still a rarity. A St. Paul-based organization is trying to change this by sending millions of books, most of them school textbooks, to Africa.

Mark Mallman embarks on 78-hour music marathon
Imagine staying awake for 78 hours straight. Now, picture yourself playing music continuously over the course of those three-plus days, and actually, playing just one song, and stopping only for bathroom breaks.

Artist losing home to foreclosure, turns it into gallery
People react to the foreclosure crisis in different ways. One woman in Minneapolis is choosing to mark the loss of her home by temporarily converting it into a gallery which opens this weekend.

MPR's Arthur Hoehn headed to Hall of Fame
MPR's first classical music announcer, Arthur Hoehn, is inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 9, 2010. Best known for hosting "Music Through the Night," Arthur joins Midday to discuss his 40-year career in radio.

Documentary explores another side of Glenn Gould
It's been more than a quarter century since Canadian pianist Glenn Gould died, yet fascination with him continues. A new documentary opeing in Minneapolis this weekend adds more fuel to the fire with new revelations about Gould's life away from the concert hall.