Tag: Regional books

Sky Blue Water writers’ seasonal traditions and Minnesota food experiences. (Part 2 of 2)

December 1, 2016

Sky Blue Water: Great Stories for Young Readers is a one-of-a-kind collection of short stories that celebrate Minnesota’s vibrant storytelling tradition. A rich and often under-appreciated part of this tradition is youth storytelling. This collection celebrates young adult and intermediate fiction from some of Minnesota’s most beloved authors, emerging talents, and many more. In this … More Sky Blue Water writers’ seasonal traditions and Minnesota food experiences. (Part 2 of 2)

Cutting Class Nobly: Toby Thompson on Bob Dylan

October 17, 2016

BY TOBY THOMPSON My reaction to Bob Dylan’s being awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature is, oddly, less public than private. It’s public in that in 1971 I published the first serious book about Dylan’s life, and since 1969 have written of his work fairly regularly. It’s personal in that Dylan’s lyrics, poetry, and … More Cutting Class Nobly: Toby Thompson on Bob Dylan

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.

Ann Treacy: Fiction is woven of fact, history, and hard work.

June 23, 2016

Ann Treacy holds her family’s past close, and features this image in her house.Her grandmother, whose story figures into Treacy’s latest fiction, is pictured dressed in white.  Enter a drawing to win a copy of The Search for the Homestead Treasure here.BY ANN TREACY The Search for the Homestead Treasure is a middle-grade novel about a … More Ann Treacy: Fiction is woven of fact, history, and hard work.

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

Carelessness and fate: One man’s survival on the open sea

June 9, 2016

Built to haul enormous cargo tonnage to ports all around the Great Lakes, the Morrellwas one of only a handful of 600-foot freighters at the time of her launching in 1906. An excerpt (modified from the Prologue) from the forthcoming book Torn in Two: The Sinking of the Daniel J. Morrell and One Man’s Survival … More Carelessness and fate: One man’s survival on the open sea

In 1920s Minnesota, Prohibition created moral dilemmas, violence—and opportunity.

June 2, 2016

To be alive is to take risks every single second of every single day. —from Mary Casanova’s Ice-Out ——- The University of Minnesota Press is giving away advance copies of Ice-Out. Sign up for a chance to win here! Deadline for entry is June 30, 2016. ——-BEHIND THE FORTHCOMING BOOK ICE-OUTWITH MARY CASANOVA As with my earlier novel Frozen, the inspiration … More In 1920s Minnesota, Prohibition created moral dilemmas, violence—and opportunity.

Recovering the fading histories of America’s postwar suburban churches.

January 13, 2016

American architect Edward A. Sovik designed the Riverside Bible Chapel in Story City, Iowa (1949). In her new book, author Gretchen Buggelnshows how architects and suburban congregations joined forces to workout a vision of how modernist churches might reinvigorate Protestantcommunity.Photos by Gretchen Buggeln. BY GRETCHEN BUGGELN Mention “postwar suburban church” and you are likely to … More Recovering the fading histories of America’s postwar suburban churches.