This week’s topic on “Between You and Me” is one of those classic ones: Accidental Recipes. That would be recipes improved by unexpected changes. And of course, they don’t have to be good. Maybe it was bad. By all means, call in. My contribution to the show is not about food, however. I talk about… Read More →
Have I mentioned the junkyard before?
January 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The other day I was driving the family somewhere and one of the boys pointed out a junkyard along the highway. “Hey, boys,” I said to my three sons. “Did you know Daddy grew up on a junkyard?” A pause, then George, 4, uttered a begrudging, “Yeah.” Then he sighed. My wife laughed at me…. Read More →
"Time Between Trains" rides new rails
January 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment
One of my favorite professors during my time at the University of Wisconsin-Superior was Anthony Bukoski. I took his creative writing workshop as an undergraduate and then again a few years later as a graduate student. Was it then that I became a writer almost entirely obsessed with time and place? It’s as good a… Read More →
Dylan Days in Hibbing calls for poems, stories
January 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The week ahead will be full of a lot of northern Minnesota political discussion here at the blog. I want to take a moment to share one of my non-political projects. I have been one of the lead organizers of Dylan Days in Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota for more than 10 years now…. Read More →
The cold touch of metal, the language of machines
January 23, 2012 by 3 Comments
I grew up a mechanic’s son of a mechanic’s son on the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. My family has long lived around the Range’s tamarack swamps, seldom within its cities and often many miles out. Always more focused on the machines, the woods and the work than the machinations of the region’s booming, busting… Read More →
The dawn of Winter’s Empire
November 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Each year around this time elements of Winter take hold in the social fabric — cooling the temperatures, stripping the leaves. Winter-inspired political thinkers and writers organize within our institutions. They prepare the people for the idea of winter, tout winter virtues, indoctrinate our youth. Winter won the elections. Winter runs the trains. Winter forms the plans…. Read More →
MPR: When your high school is torn down, progress seems like a mixed blessing
June 24, 2011 by 2 Comments
I’ve got the feature commentary at Minnesota Public Radio today. This is a longer piece about my feelings seeing a picture of the old Cherry School being torn down and replaced. I mentioned this last week, with the picture. Read and recommend the essay over at MPR. It helps! Related posts: No related posts.
No time for politics, a glimpse ahead to my summer of letters
April 22, 2011 by 2 Comments
As fires burn across this world, we endure. I have been posting a little less frequently than I’d like but about as often as I can afford right now. Life is busy and as many of you know I have young children and a real job (which is not this). I took some time off… Read More →
The night I stole an hour from time
March 14, 2011 by 6 Comments
From 1996 to 1998, the years I was in senior high school, I worked weekend overnight shifts as an easy listening DJ at 97.9 WEVE in the iron mining town of Eveleth, Minnesota. Specifically, I’d come home from school on Friday afternoon, prepare a bowl of Campbell’s soup and cheese sandwich, take a sleeping pill… Read More →
Spend your weekend submitting poems, stories, art to Dylan Days 2011
February 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Dylan Days 2011 will be May 26-29 in Hibbing, Minnesota, the Iron Range hometown of Bob Dylan. Dylan fans travel from around the world for storytelling and nostalgia while others simply enjoy a grassroots series of arts, music and writing activities. This is my 10th year as co-chair of Dylan Days, specializing in the literary… Read More →
