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Minnesota Public Radio to Present an Impressive Line-Up of Writers in Performance at the Fitzgerald Theater Throughout Fall 2007
Schedule Features Cult Filmmaker John Waters,
Literary Stars Sherman Alexie, Kate DiCamillo and More
September 6, 2007
(St. Paul) — September 6, 2007 — Minnesota Public Radio announces a fall line-up filled with literary stars in performance. The upcoming season also marks the return of renowned author series such as the Talking Volumes with host Kerri Miller, and The Current Fakebook with host Mary Lucia; as well as the best of the Twin Cities literary scene, including Kate DiCamillo, Kevin Kling and Patricia Hampl.
Building on The Fitzgerald Theater's literary tradition
The Fitzgerald Theater's Fall 2007 season builds on the venue's unique literary tradition, giving authors and texts the full theatrical support of a stage setting—including professional lighting and sound system. With ample space for inventive collaborations with authors, musicians and full bands, the theater has long served as the creative home for numerous artists, as well as for the popular radio show A Prairie Home Companion.
About the Talking Volumes series
Minnesota Public Radio's Kerri Miller hosts Talking Volumes, the joint book club of Minnesota Public Radio, The Star Tribune and The Loft Literary Center. The series spotlights a different book each month with feature articles, live broadcasts with the author, in-person readings and discussions and more.
About The Current Fakebook series
The Current's Mary Lucia hosts The Current Fakebook series that mixes readers and rockers in unexpected ways. Series guests include John Hodgman, Neal Pollack, Amy Sedaris, Chuck Klosterman, Laurie Lindeen, and musicians such as Tapes 'N Tapes and Paul Westerberg.
Fall 2007 Literary schedule
All events at The Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St. St. Paul
For tickets, call the Fitzgerald Theater box office, 651-290-1221.
Wednesday, September 26
Talking Volumes with Sherman Alexie
7 p.m.
$15; MPR members, Star Tribune Talking Volume Members and Loft members receive a discount.
Sherman Alexie, author of Reservation Blues and screenwriter for Smoke Signals, will discuss his two most recent books with Minnesota Public Radio host Kerri Miller. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Alexie's first book for young adults, tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist who leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white high school. Flight, the author's first novel since Indian Killer, is a powerful, fast and timely story of a troubled foster teenager. Alexie will also welcome musical guest Tim O'Reagan, singer songwriter and former drummer for The Jayhawks.
Tuesday, October 2
Kevin Kling's The Dog Says How
7:30 p.m.
$15; MPR members receive a discount.
Renowned local author, humorist and theater presence Kevin Kling is celebrating the release of his new book, The Dog Says When. The book is filled with Kling's autobiographical tales that are as enchanting as they are true to life: hopping freight trains, getting hit by lightning, performing his banned play in Czechoslovakia, growing up in Minnesota and eating things before knowing what they are. Kling will also welcome musical guests The Brass Messengers.
Sunday, October 7
Patricia Hampl's The Florist's Daughter
7:30 p.m.
$15; MPR members receive a discount.
Stand-out storyteller Patricia Hampl celebrates the release of her new book, The Florist's Daughter. During this long farewell of her mother's dying, Hampl revisits her Midwestern girlhood. Daughter of a debonair Czech father whose floral work gave him entrée into St. Paul society, and a distrustful Irishwoman with an uncanny ability to tell a tale, Hampl remained, primarily and passionately, a daughter well into adulthood. With musical accompaniment from the inestimable Dan Chouinard.
Sunday, October 14
Newbery Reader's Theater
2 p.m.
$15 adults and $7.50 children; MPR members receive a discount.
Minnesota Public Radio's Cathy Wurzer will be joined by Newbery award-winning authors Sharon Creech, Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn Dixie), Karen Hesse, and Katherine Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia) as they read from one another's work. Featured will be readings from Creech's Walk Two Moon and The Castle Corona, DiCamillo's The Tales of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust and Spuds, and Katherine Paterson's Jacob Have I Loved and Bread and Roses, Too.
Tuesday, October 16
Talking Volumes with Ann Patchett
7 p.m.
$15; MPR members receive a discount.
The author of Bel Canto and The Patron Saint of Liars and winner of the Orange Prize and Pen/Faulkner Award comes to Talking Volumes to discuss her fifth novel, Run, with Minnesota Public Radio host Kerri Miller. It tells the story of Tip and Teddy Doyle, raised by their loving, possessive, and ambitious father since their mother's death.
Saturday, October 27
Radio Lab
8 p.m.
$15; MPR members receive a discount.
WNYC Radio Lab co-hosts Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad explore big ideas through a potent elixir of science, first-person storytelling and radio theatre. The show, wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/, has been hailed by This American Life's Ira Glass as "Reinventing radio! Possibly the very best thing on public radio today." For this event, Radio Lab will examine the mystery of "War of the Worlds." Why have radio dramatizations of this 19th century novel caused panic and mass hysteria again and again throughout the world?
Wednesday, November 7
Alex Ross with the Turtle Island String Quartet
7:30 p.m.
$20; MPR members receive a discount
Fred Child, host of American Public Media's Performance Today, is joined by New Yorker music critic and blogger Alex Ross to discuss Ross' new book, The Rest is Noise, a musical and cultural history of the twentieth century from Strauss to Steve Reich as seen from the author's acute vantage. They will be joined by the genre-crossing Turtle Island String Quartet who play John Coltrane's music on their most recent album, A Love Supreme.
Saturday, November 10
The Current Fakebook with John Waters
8 p.m.
$27.50; MPR members receive a discount.
This special Fakebook will begin with a performance of John Waters' one man show, "This Filthy World," followed by a conversation with Mary Lucia. "This Filthy World" is a vaudeville act that celebrates the film career and obsessional tastes of the man William Burroughs once called "The Pope of Trash." Focusing on Waters' early negative artistic influences and his fascination with true crime, exploitation films, fashion lunacy and the extremes of the contemporary art world, this joyously devious monologue elevates all that is trashy in life—a call to arms to "filth followers" everywhere. Special musical guests TBA.
Press Contacts:
Christina Schmitt
Minnesota Public Radio
651-290-1449
cschmitt@mpr.org
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