A classically brisk Northern Minnesota winter finally set in this week. After an abnormally warm December, I might have been among a minority glad to feel the sharp chill of extreme cold when I walked out the door last night. Then again, easy for me to say; I don’t live in a tent. Minnesota Public… Read More →
Northern journalists taunt each other with lutefisk
December 15, 2014 by 5 Comments
The “Great Northern” states extend from the Dakotas through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and are marked by the strong and enduring influence of Scandinavian immigrants. In addition to being the genetic forebears of many people who live here, these Scandinavians (Norwegians and Swedes, in particular) brought and kept many traditions that have lasted to this… Read More →
Local, weird, darkly funny: ‘The One Who Watches’
December 12, 2014 by 3 Comments
A new short film, “The One Who Watches,” by Duluth filmmakers Nicholas Sunsdahl and Molly Josefson, made the following impressions on me, in this order: 1) the mix of Bemidji, Iron Range and Twin Ports settings and characters, 2) the abject film school weirdness, and 3) the dark, persistent humor, punctuated by one scene that made me laugh… Read More →
Great Northern Radio Show will be live in Walker, Dec. 6
December 2, 2014 by Leave a Comment
UPDATE: Jim Northrup is recovering from heart surgery and will not be able to join us in Walker on Saturday. We wish him the very best for a speedy recovery! Hard to believe, but we are about to do the 13th edition of my Great Northern Radio Show. We will defy the bad luck of that number… Read More →
A story in data: Northern Minnesota’s next challenges
October 29, 2014 by 38 Comments
The Center for Rural Policy and Development issued its State of Rural Minnesota 2014 Report this week, including a number of compelling graphics about the current and projected economic status of Greater Minnesota counties. The report might prompt different conclusions based on who reads it, but since I write about Northern Minnesota, I see a… Read More →
No more dress-up for Bemidji’s Paul Bunyan and Babe
September 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment
It’s not terribly difficult to find likenesses of Paul Bunyan and his trusted blue ox Babe in Northern Minnesota. And if it’s not Paul, it’s some cockamamie relative or ex-girlfriend that a town dreamed up as a hook. But among the most iconic Paul Bunyan and Babe statues are the pair you see in Bemidji,… Read More →
‘Fargo’ nets 18 Emmy nods, likely 2nd season
July 11, 2014 by 1 Comment
The Northern Minnesota-based FX drama “Fargo,” inspired by the Coen Brothers movie of the same name, earned 18 Emmy nominations in the mini-series category yesterday, including nods for the four actors who portrayed the main roles. I filed episode-by-episode reviews of “Fargo” from my unique perch here in the real Northern Minnesota. I started watching the show… Read More →
FARGO REVIEW: Series Finale, “Morton’s Fork”
June 18, 2014 by 12 Comments
The FX series “Fargo,” inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers film, is based in northern Minnesota. As northern Minnesota’s leading pop culture, news, entertainment, iron mining and invasive species blog, MinnesotaBrown is here to review the show through Minnesota eyes. Now, to this week’s episode: For the past 10 weeks, the makers of “Fargo” have treated… Read More →
FARGO REVIEW: Episode 9, ‘A Fox, A Rabbit, and A Cabbage’
June 11, 2014 by 11 Comments
The FX series “Fargo,” inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers film, is based in northern Minnesota. As northern Minnesota’s leading pop culture, news, entertainment, iron mining and invasive species blog, MinnesotaBrown is here to review the show through Minnesota eyes. Now, to this week’s episode: Last week, “Fargo” jumped a year into the future, bringing… Read More →
FARGO REVIEW: Episode 8, “The Heap”
June 4, 2014 by 2 Comments
The FX series “Fargo,” inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers film, is based in northern Minnesota. As northern Minnesota’s leading pop culture, news, entertainment, iron mining and invasive species blog, MinnesotaBrown is here to review the show through Minnesota eyes. Now, to this week’s episode: Deputy Molly is on the ropes and the weasel Lester… Read More →
