Tag: Literature: Biography

His words, his story, his magnetism: Capturing the voice of Hy Berman, Minnesota’s beloved public historian

November 1, 2019

BY JAY WEINER Until the work began on what would become Professor Berman: The Last Lecture of Minnesota’s Greatest Public Historian, I didn’t know Hy Berman very well. For nearly 30 years, I was a reporter for the Star Tribune and Hy was a prominent University of Minnesota professor and political pundit. But a search … More His words, his story, his magnetism: Capturing the voice of Hy Berman, Minnesota’s beloved public historian

Judge Miles Lord: Our Brothers’ and Sisters’ Keeper

November 2, 2017

Miles Lord: Minnesota’s Maverick Judge will air on TPT/Twin Cities PBSon Sunday, Nov. 19. Here’s a preview.More about the book. BY ROBERTA WALBURN There was once a generation of young Minnesotans who, imbued with a social-gospel populism, set out to make their state, their nation, and their world a better place for all. Especially in … More Judge Miles Lord: Our Brothers’ and Sisters’ Keeper

Sarah Stonich on memoir writing, truth, and Shelter.

April 28, 2017

BY SARAH STONICH Upon the paperback release of Shelter: Off the Grid in the Mostly Magnetic North, author Sarah Stonich answers questions posed by BookFox. Q. Does writing energize or exhaust you? Both. I’d compare a good session of writing to a long day of stone-stacking or gardening. They are very similar in that you’re … More Sarah Stonich on memoir writing, truth, and Shelter.

"Flying Funny": The unusual gravity-defying first act of improv theater’s founding father, Dudley Riggs.

April 20, 2017

“Fliffus.” “Word Jazz.” “Instant Theater.” Now we know it as Improvisational Theater. The father of improvisation and founder of the Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis in 1958, Dudley Riggs grew up in the circus. His parents were circus performers and as a young boy, Dudley was thrown into the exciting, adrenaline-fueled world of performance. His … More "Flying Funny": The unusual gravity-defying first act of improv theater’s founding father, Dudley Riggs.

"I was going to be one of *those* teachers: the natural and inspiring who wore stylish sport coats, whose classroom was a sacred space of literature, of rebellion, of learning. But nobody told me how hard it was going to be."

March 23, 2017

Yesterday, the Minneapolis City Pages went live with a front-page feature on Tom Rademacher, a middle-grade English teacher and Minnesota Teacher of the Year who has written a book about the messy, messy, messy business of teaching. Select excerpts from his book, It Won’t Be Easy, bring to vivid life moments from his teaching career in … More "I was going to be one of *those* teachers: the natural and inspiring who wore stylish sport coats, whose classroom was a sacred space of literature, of rebellion, of learning. But nobody told me how hard it was going to be."

Christmas Trees + Beatrice Ojakangas’s Pulla People holiday recipe.

December 14, 2016

BY BEATRICE OJAKANGASExcerpted from Homemade The Christmas season for us was marked by the beginning of Christmas tree season in October. Isä [Ojakangas’s father] had discovered that he could make a bunch of money by cutting and selling Christmas trees. He would pile the cut trees onto the platform of his truck and deliver the … More Christmas Trees + Beatrice Ojakangas’s Pulla People holiday recipe.

Lefse advice + Finnish Blueberry Bars recipe from Beatrice Ojakangas.

October 13, 2016

Last night, the Press celebrated the launch of Homemade: Finnish Rye, Feed Sack Fashion, and Other Simple Ingredients from My Life in Food, a memoir-cookbook by James Beard Cookbook Hall of Famer, author of 30 cookbooks, and self-described home economist Beatrice Ojakangas. This sold-out event at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis included a conversation … More Lefse advice + Finnish Blueberry Bars recipe from Beatrice Ojakangas.

Minnesota boxing legend Scott LeDoux stepped into the ring with Muhammad Ali

June 15, 2016

Scott LeDoux, also known as Minnesota’s Rocky, stares down Muhammad Alibefore their five-round exhibition in December 1977.Image courtesy of the family of Scott LeDoux. BY PAUL LEVY Scott LeDoux loved talking about Muhammad Ali. He fought the champ in a five-round exhibition in Chicago in 1977. LeDoux and his manager visited Ali at his California … More Minnesota boxing legend Scott LeDoux stepped into the ring with Muhammad Ali