University of Minnesota Press Blog

Halloween special: A rare interview with the ancient vampire squid from hell.

October 31, 2012

How far apart are humans from animals—even the Vampyroteuthis infernalis, the “vampire squid from hell”?Let’s discuss. Considering the human condition along with the Vampyroteuthis infernalis condition seems appropriate because “we are both products of an absurd coincidence,” writes Vilém Flusser. Q&A WITH VAMPYROTEUTHIS INFERNALISSubject of Vilém Flusser’s Vampyroteuthis Infernalis: A Treatise Q. How are you … More Halloween special: A rare interview with the ancient vampire squid from hell.

How natural is human sleep?

October 30, 2012

Coming to terms with American expectations of normal sleep.Cross-posted with the Day In, Day Out blog series at Psychology Today Matthew Wolf-Meyer gives a brief overview of the history of sleep and its common misunderstandings. BY MATTHEW J. WOLF-MEYER You’re sitting at your desk, slowly reading through your response to a friend’s email, when … More How natural is human sleep?

Patience & chaos: The battle to bring "Love in Vain: A Vision of Robert Johnson" to the big screen. (Part 2 of 3)

October 25, 2012

Born in 1911 and deceased in 1938 at age 27, much about American blues singer Robert Johnson’s birth, life, and death remain a mystery. Here, Alan Greenberg discusses his decades-long journey to bring a screenplay about Johnson’s life and the culture of the Mississippi Delta and blues music during the 1930s to the big screen. … More Patience & chaos: The battle to bring "Love in Vain: A Vision of Robert Johnson" to the big screen. (Part 2 of 3)

Rethinking Michelangelo Antonioni’s modernism: A conversation between Karl Schoonover and John David Rhodes

October 17, 2012

Michelangelo Antonioni, 1995. The iconic Italian arthouse auteur Michelangelo Antonioni (1912–2007) would have turned 100 this fall, and here UMP authors John David Rhodes and Karl Schoonover discuss how his complex films have transformed their understanding of the politics of the moving image. ——- Karl Schoonover: I’m interested in the fact that both of us … More Rethinking Michelangelo Antonioni’s modernism: A conversation between Karl Schoonover and John David Rhodes

Same-sex marriage: In November, four states have the power to make history.

October 10, 2012

It’s going to be a nail-biting month: While Minnesotans will decide whether to ban same-sex marriage at the polls in November, voters in Washington State, Maine, and Maryland will be deciding whether to legalize same-sex marriage. BY AMY STONEAssistant professor of sociology at Trinity University in San Antonio This fall, same-sex marriage will be on … More Same-sex marriage: In November, four states have the power to make history.

With a little help: How crucial encounters with Werner Herzog and Mick Jagger led to the development of a screenplay about Robert Johnson’s extraordinary life and legacy.

October 3, 2012

One of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Robert Johnson’sshort life remains steeped in mystery and wrapped in some of the most enduringlegends of modern music. BY ALAN GREENBERGWriter, film producer, film director, and photographer It was 1974, and it all began when I was building a bed. Living alone … More With a little help: How crucial encounters with Werner Herzog and Mick Jagger led to the development of a screenplay about Robert Johnson’s extraordinary life and legacy.

Same-sex marriage vote: It’s a family matter.

September 27, 2012

Participants in the 1982 Pride parade march down Hennepin Avenue by the I-94 exchange on the way to Loring Park. Stewart Van Cleve points out how LGBT struggles have changed—as well as how they’ve frustratingly remained the same—over the past few decades. Photograph by John Yoakam. BY STEWART VAN CLEVEFormer assistant curator of the Jean-Nickolaus … More Same-sex marriage vote: It’s a family matter.

Imagining an Islam Without Red Lines

September 21, 2012

ANOUAR MAJIDProfessor of English and director of the Center for Global Humanities at the University of New England in Maine The violence that has erupted throughout the Muslim world in the wake of the release of a short film on YouTube, one that depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a heartless fraud, is a wake-up call … More Imagining an Islam Without Red Lines

School start times: Why so rigid?

September 18, 2012

BY MATTHEW J. WOLF-MEYERAssistant professor of anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz Over the past thirty years, there’s been a mounting body of evidence regarding changes in long-term sleep needs. Infants need a lot of sleep; children less so; adolescents need more; and adults, less, until our later years, when many require even less sleep. … More School start times: Why so rigid?

Insanity, addiction, and dark humor in the shadow of the Mayo Clinic

September 12, 2012

Author Luke Longstreet Sullivan has written an astonishing memoir about the story of his father’s descent from one of the world’s top orthopedic surgeons at the Mayo Clinic to a man who is increasingly abusive, alcoholic, and insane, ultimately dying alone on the floor of a Georgia motel room. For his wife and six sons, … More Insanity, addiction, and dark humor in the shadow of the Mayo Clinic

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