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A short version of the longest day
Of all the birds in the forest, crows are the most likely to wake you up. Leave the window open on the morning of a summer solstice and they call from the tall dead tree. Don’t miss this! Don’t miss this! This is the longest day of the year. Some coffee drinkers might disagree, but…
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On Graduation Day
Graduation Day is so much cliché, so much Pomp and Circumstance that they even named the song for it. You dress your best — new tie and dad’s clip, blue dress and subtle flash of white camisole — only to cover all with a plastic table cloth from the dollar store, topping your round head…
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Local blog still breathing, feeling fine
For a community college instructor, the end of the school year is a wondrous time — but not particularly conducive to blog output. News, views and cultural tidbits swirl about as always, yet my keystrokes are needed elsewhere. Look for my Sunday column, followed by some new content next week that I think you’ll enjoy. I’ll be here if…
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The forgotten dome city of Northern Minnesota
One of the most compelling aspects of studying history are the “what-ifs” of our past. In our personal lives “what-ifs” can drive us mad — “What if I?” “Why didn’t she? If only he” — but in the abstract “what-ifs” make for enjoyable party talk. Since I don’t go to parties (I have children) I’ll…
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Another Range boy heads down highway for blood & spoils
Today I am on my way to the Twin Cities to prepare for tomorrow night’s Great Northern Radio Show in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. It’s our 14th program, the first show we’ve done in the metro area after almost four years of touring small towns and cities in Northern Minnesota. Growing up on the Iron Range — especially as…
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On ‘Love and Profanity’
It’s true, I haven’t written a book since my 2008 release “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.” I made one failed attempt at a novel, and have considered writing other nonfiction titles at different times, but frankly I got busy with the radio show and young kids. I write 5,000-10,000 words a week, just not…
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Glowing green mystery in the skies above Hibbing
Twilight fell upon an unusually cold day on March 28, 1950. Amid the dirty snow piles of downtown Hibbing, Minnesota, a short, thin, properly-dressed podiatrist pushing 40 and his wife, four years his junior, walked down Howard Street near the office where they would both work most of their lives. They looked up at the…
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What’s left unsaid
Last Monday, we pinned ceremonial ribbons of red, green and yellow onto our oldest son’s Webelos uniform. It was a proud moment. I remembered having my Webelos ribbons pinned onto my Cub Scout uniform when I was his age. Remembering is like a hole in the dam; one hole quickly becomes many. It was a…
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Why the turtle crossed the road
In “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck dedicates an entire chapter to an old turtle crossing the road. Though the passage confuses the heck out of high school students, (pro tip) the turtle chapter pretty much summarizes the entire book through symbolism. Some years back my family and I settled in the woods of Itasca…
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My micro-mining argument in The Daily Yonder
I’m in the Daily Yonder today talking about the microscopic realities of the mining debate in northern Minnesota. Here’s a taste from my story “Tiny molecules, big fight over wild rice”: The reason for all these emotions over tiny molecules isn’t because of numbers, or even, for most people, science: it’s a cultural battle. Will…
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Joining the Star Tribune blog team
Today, I’ll be joining the state’s largest newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, as a blogger. I’ll be posting on the Strib’s “Your Voices” blog once or twice a week with some of my greatest hits from here at MinnesotaBrown and occasional original pieces written for a statewide audience. I’ll have a standing blog page called the…
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The Old Fish and the Lake
Last month a Minnesota angler pulled a 52-pound lake trout through a 10-inch hole in the ice on Lac La Croix near Crane Lake. Because the fisherman was 100 feet over the Canadian border, he ran afoul of Ontario’s catch limits. His fish, likely a world record holder, was confiscated. Despite crushing the previous record…
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WWII mystery over the skies of northern Minnesota
“I believe submarines Underneath deep blue seas Saw the flags: Japanese No one will believe me” ~ “Submarines,” by The Lumineers In 2014, history seems buried six feet under the bookshelves. Grandparents know a little more, doling out dusty recollections over the meat and potatoes of family gatherings. If there was a sculpture struck, a…
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The Iron Ranger who would not hunt
In honor of the 2013 Minnesota deer hunting season opener (rifles, of course), happy hunting to all those participating. I dedicate this column to all the non-hunters struggling with day-to-day conversation this time of year. I live in northern Minnesota. I’ve lived here all my life. I don’t hunt. Yes, I eat meat. And the…
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GUEST POST: Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Dad
I’m busy producing the Great Northern Radio Show today, but have planned a special treat for you. Clint Edwards is a guy I’ve gotten to know through our modern world’s crazy techo-magic. He’s a fantastic creative nonfiction writer who got his MFA at Minnesota State-Mankato. Lately, he’s been blogging about being a stay-at-home dad with…