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| The Iowa State Fair was the linchpin of a face-off between MPR colleagues Nikki Tundel and Tom Crann, over which fair is better -- Minnesota or Iowa. The series has been selected as one of the most memorable of 2005. (Tom Moore images) |
The fairest of them all -- and it's not in Minnesota
For as long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with the Iowa State Fair. And I'm constantly trying to convince those around me that Iowa's agricultural showcase could give the Great Minnesota Get-Together a run for its money. This year, my colleague Tom Crann, host of All Things Considered, challenged me to prove to him, and to the listening audience, that the Iowa State Fair is indeed worth a visit south of the border. This was the shot that started our "fair war." He produced three segments about the Minnesota State Fair and I produced three about the Iowa State Fair. The radio battle didn't have an official winner -- although I can say a number of Minnesotans emailed and called me to say they were closet fans of Iowa's summer extravaganza. Sure, covering the ugly cake contest or the butter sculpture exhibit may not be as important as reporting on the state of the Patriot Act. But, like the stories on politics and economics, I'm convinced the state fair showcase revealed a lot about America. (9/1/2005)
Chuck Close has big heads
Meeting Chuck Close was a remarkable experience. His huge pictures can have an almost hypnotic effect on people. They command top dollars, and they are sought by galleries and museums around the world. Yet in person, he's down-to-earth, whipping out one-liners, left, right, and center. He came to the walker Art Center in Minneapolis for a show of dozens of self-portraits he's completed over the last 40 years. When asked what he learned from looking at them all together he laughed and said it was a record of "changing fashions in eyewear and my receding hairline." It was, of course, much more than that.
(7/21/2005)
Restoring Harvey Dunn's legacy
The story about Harvey Dunn was interesting to me because I admire the way he turned away late in life from the business side of art to capture the subject he loved most. That subject was the homesteading experience on the prairies of eastern South Dakota in the late 1800's. Dunn was a famous magazine illustrator most of his life, he spent time in Europe during World War I. But his "prairie paintings" seem to be the ones he'll be remembered for most. Preserving his art is preserving a historical record so the preservation work now underway seemed like something worth capturing in a story. (4/22/2005)
That's no bear -- that's a pig!
I’ve covered a lot of stories about “invader species” living somewhere they don’t belong. But I never thought of farm animals becoming a nuisance in the woods. The pigs running around Douglas County, Wisconsin, are actually believed a cross breed of some domestic pig with the wild Russian boar. I guess there’s something funny about pigs running wild in the forest, but it’s not funny at all to the people who see their yards and fields turned into muddy wallows. Since producing this story I’ve heard a second hand account of one person who claimed to be attacked by a pig. These things can grow huge; they can grow tusks; and they can get ornery.
(10/26/2005)
St. Cloud musician puts 'Pet Sounds' on stage
The story of a St. Cloud musician who produced a live orchestral performance of the Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds" was great fun to put together. It’s hard not to enjoy this job when you spend time weaving interesting stories with music. And I came away from the work with an appreciation for "Pet Sounds," an album I’d never really listened to.
(10/26/2005)
Explaining the Iron Range character
This is part of the documentary "No Place for a Woman." It was a privilege to spend several months reporting on a single topic. And it was a delight to meet and listen to so many interesting people. Radio is a perfect way to let people share their own stories, in their own words and voices. (10/26/2005)
Sending sons home to Somalia for safety
I found these women fascinating, brave and human. Lives are so complicated. The lives of these mothers, straddling two distinct cultures, juggling responsibilities they’ve never had before, and fighting for their community was powerful. There’s a lot more to say about these women. It isn’t often you find people or circumstances like that.
(12/15/2005)
Making art with the feather lady
As a reporter I have sat at many a kitchen table to interview someone. Usually it involves a cup of coffee and a great conversation. I think I spent two hours with Donna Landsman in her kitchen. She has such a passion for her art and for life. She wants to pass down her wisdom for both. And I think I was the lucky one to just sit and listen to her talk. Her positive attitude was an inspiration. For me, she is a woman I will never forget.
(10/31/2005)
Life after war
I'm often amazed and humbled by the people who willingly share very personal stories. Tifini and Will Seedorf talked about the frustration they were feeling as they tried to reconstruct their marriage when Will returned from a tour in Iraq. The honesty in this story is a nice change from the "spin" reporters are often forced to wade through.
(12/2/2004)
Some talk about "The Talk"
When I interviewed the cast members, who are mostly teenagers, I was surprised by how lively and insightful they were. Getting kids to open up in an interview can be very difficult, but this group was delightful and they weren't shy talking about a sensitive subject.
(2/8/2005)
Behind the scenes of state budget talks
I chose this piece because it was a chance to try to get behind the political spin that we'd been hearing for months about the budget stalemate and partial government shutdown. House Speaker Steve Sviggum and Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson agreed to talk to MPR for off-the-record interviews on the budget negotiations, on the condition that none of their comments would air until the budget was signed into law. Michael Khoo talked to the two leaders for a couple of months, and then at the crucial moment, he left MPR for Yale Law School! I then had the job of wading through hours of tape and telling the behind-the-scenes story. Several listeners told me they thought it was refreshing to hear the leaders be more candid than usual. Thanks to Michael Khoo for doing all the interviews, and to the leaders for agreeing to do this. And to give credit where credit is due, I got the idea from another Capitol reporter, who tried this in Virginia.
(7/21/2005)
Donovan Durham's 'Fantastic Print Show'
I've known artist Donovan Durham for a few years through his work with Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, but had never done a story directly about him. So I was delighted to see that he'd been chosen for a solo show at Highpoint Center for Printmaking. He's conquered many huge obstacles in his life in order to do what he loves, and has a wonderfully positive outlook on life. His work reflects both his optimism and a level of self-confidence that's rare in most artists. (8/10/2005)
Activist Spike Moss honored for activism
Spike Moss is a guy I've covered throughout my entire career but never had a chance to bring his personal story to listeners. Often portrayed as an angry guy in the media, Moss has a charm and sense of humor that isn't usually seen. My jaw dropped during our interview when he told me that he's fathered 17 children. (1/21/2005)
Guys and dolls in Minneapolis
The best part of being a reporter is experiencing people or events you never imagined were out there. An international convention of G.I. Joe collectors? Who knew? I played with these dolls -- er, I mean action figures -- when I was a boy. But then I grew up, and that was that. Well, the G.I. Joe collectors who gathered in Minneapolis last summer showed me how childhood fun can grow into a lifelong passion. (6/24/2005)
Oromo immigrants strive to be heard
The best stories from my vantage point are ones in which I learn something new and encounter pleasant surprises. I was fortunate to be given a brief glimpse into the complex interactions between Ethiopian and Oromo immigrants living in Minnesota. The two cultures have strained relations stemming from decades of conflict in their African homelands. By adapting to the relative calm of Minnesota, the boundaries of disagreement become more ambiguous, perhaps more hopeful. I was delighted, nonetheless, to share in an uplifting Oromo church service, to be trusted with heartbreaking tales of loss, and to meet many new and interesting people.
(5/18/2005)
Warroad Ojibwe want federal recognition
This is one of those stories where you sort of scratch your head in disbelief. After meeting with the Kakaygeesick family in Warroad, it seemed clear to me they were Ojibwe Indians. They practice Ojibwe culture. Some speak the language. The local community certainly recognizes them as Ojibwe people. But as far as the federal government is concerned, the Kakaygesick's and several other Ojibwe families in the Warroad area aren't even considered Indians. In some ways I thought this was a tragic story of a group of people who've fallen through the cracks of history. But I was also inspired by their determination to not only preserve their heritage, but to be rightfully recognized for who they are -- even if it takes decades to get there. (10/13/2005)
Philbook announces candidacy
Some stories are most memorable because of their back-stories, and this piece about Bud Philbrook's gubernatorial bid is one of them. The story turned out decent enough. But that was in spite of my own bungling. I arrived at the park grounds where his campaign was being launched and began rolling tape on Philbrook's announcement speech, only to realize that I had only brought one DAT tape with me, and it was quickly running out of space. I cleverly decided to rewind the tape to the beginning, quite certain that I could record over the material at the top of it. But when I returned to the station, I realized I had recorded over my one-on-one interview with Bud Philbrook. Genius. As I scrambled to pull a story together in spite of the absent material, I was stumped about how to capture the very strange mood of the event. At one point, Philbrook's wife was called on stage to introduce him, and she had gone missing. It took about five minutes to find her. When she finally arrived, she made fun of the little family sing-along Philbrook's extended family had just performed. I chose not to mention some of those details, but I did decide to use a snippet of the sing-along in the piece. It speaks for itself. (10/2/2005)
Turning odd sounds into music
The stories I find the most interesting to produce are those with plenty of opportunities to work with sound. In the spring I followed a group of Apple Valley high school band students as they created a new composition based on various found sounds. I just sat inconspicuously in the corner with a microphone as the students struggled to develop their piece.
I was there from the beginning when they had no idea what they were doing to the moment when everything finally came together. I had to wade through a gazillion hours of tape, but I caught several interesting moments that allowed me to put together a story filled with voices and music and a minimum of narration. (5/26/2005)
August Wilson
Midday's memorial shows are some of our finest. By devoting an entire hour to a person's life and legacy, we are able to achieve a degree of detail, nuance and emotional impact that would make other obituary writers jealous. I can't think of a more powerful way to explain why a recently departed person was important than to hear them speak about their ideas at length through the magic of radio. Our August Wilson program is a prime example.We explored Wilson's views on race and African-American history (which served as the basis for all of his plays) with a chunk of his 1991 speech at the University of Minnesota. We also delved into areas of Wilson's philosophy not covered in other obituaries like his radical views on color-blind casting. (10/3/2005)
Starting the long process of healing
There was some really strong tape, that I thought captured the horror and pain those kids went through.
(3/22/2005)
One woman's struggle to pay for the heat
I picked this story because I still think about Josephine often, especially on very cold nights.
I wonder if her space heater still works and if she really does have enough blankets.
(10/14/2005)
Fighting dragons and lightening skin: Two companies go to Asia
Among other things, it was one of the few substantial stories I did this year that did not involve Northwest Airlines. For a change, it was a chance to work collaboratively with a company (Aveda) to learn about their business, to go inside and explain the challenges they face and successes they've had. The first part of the piece, analyzing a Nike ad that had failed miserably in China, was an opportunity to use sound and writing to have some fun within the dry-sounding notion of "globalization."
(4/27/2005)
Dodgeball is still a hit
I liked working on this story because it was so quirky. Whoever thought that dodgeball would make a comeback? And now people play, not just for fun, but in leagues. Plus, there's planning for a professional dodgeball league. The people were fun and the sound opportunities were great.
(4/27/2005)
The "three-minute love affair"
In my advancing years, I don't do stories anymore, I mostly create Web pages for other people's stories. This is a Flash presentation I put together in support of a story colleague Marisa Helms did on a band that plays tango music. My "story" was a slideshow on the big deal surrounding tango in the Twin Cities. (4/27/2005)
Death of a butter head
We tried to talk to former Meeker County Dairy Princess Melissa Euerle on the morning she was going to melt down her State Fair butter head sculpture and serve it on corn at the county fair, but we couldn't connect. When we finally tracked her down in a tent at the fair, the melting had already begun and her emotional reaction surprised her as much as it did us. Melissa is an articulate dairy promoter, but she also paints us a vivid picture of the young women who are asked to carry on the traditions in communities where milk is a way of life. "I never expected butter to mean that much to me," she said.
(8/4/2005)
Bob Dylan at the Crossroads
What's cool about this is that Griel Marcus just stopped by and did the interview live. No planning, no nothing. Of course, it works pretty well when you have somebody as interesting as Griel Marcus being interviewed by somebody as skilled as Mary Lucia.
(4/9/2005)
Local Somali man waits in limbo for deportation
My most memorable story actually was a series of stories on the quintessential man without a country, Somali, Keyse Jama. His case was interesting on so many levels. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wanted to deport him for years but until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Jama, it had no authority. But even with all of the pagentry and greatness of the U.S. Supreme Court, a couple of officials at a little airport in Puntland, Somalia paid no heed. They sent Jama back to the United States. For Jama, that meant jail for the forseeable future in addition to the years he already served. ICE would not agree to releasing him while awaiting deportation because it said Jama's deportation was "imminent." Getting a tape recorder into the Washington County jail was a monumental negotiation. The jail would not allow an outside tape recorder in and given this is radio, that was a problem. How about you just take notes? I said "that doesn't work on radio." I asked "how about you go through my tape recorder and check it for contraband?" No. I said "how about the jail use my tape recorder to record Jama's answers with Jama behind a wall of glass?" No. "How about we use the jail's tape recorder to record Jama's answers?" Finally, detente! In the end, ICE had to release Jama and while his deportation may still be "imminent," he's reportedly working and enjoying freedom. (6/14/2005)
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