Talking Volumes starts next week
Scroll for a Talking Volumes BOGO! | |
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Talking Volumes | When the autumn the curtain went up on MPR’s new literary series, we were barreling toward hanging chads, marveling over the full sequencing of the human genome and crowding into theaters to see “Gladiator.” Seven authors appeared center stage at the Fitzgerald Theater in that 2000-01 season hosted by Katherine Lanpher. Talking Volumes, in partnership with the Star Tribune and, at one time, the Loft Literary Center, was launched. When Katherine left MPR in 2004, it wasn’t taking over the daily talk show that gave me butterflies. That felt pretty natural once I got the hang of it. No, the thing that twisted my guts into knots – the only thing I can stomach on show nights is milk chocolate – was settling into a chair opposite a literary luminary with 10 questions on a page and no net. To come up with those questions, I read deep into the author’s old interviews and canon of work. Sometimes I read books the author loves by a different author. Sometimes I tumble down a rabbit hole of ideas that will spark the guest’s curiosity. Then I write an introduction and ten questions–not nearly enough to get me through 90 minutes of an interview. That forces me to focus, to free my imagination, to ride the wave of the conversation. To lean into the improv. Some Talking Volumes authors bring props: Chuck Palahniuk threw little plastic baby dolls into the audience. Some authors phone a friend: Stephen King agreed to do Talking Volumes only if he could bring Audrey Niffenegger along. He did most of the talking anyway. Some authors know precisely how to hold an audience in the palm of their hand: Ann Patchett, Louise Erdrich, Kate DiCamillo, Sherman Alexie, Nora Ephron, Isabel Allende, Tobias Wolff and so many more. Some authors don’t. It’ll take a cocktail or two to wrench their names from my lips. So, as we launch the 25th season of Talking Volumes tomorrow night, I’m here to thank the producers, Stephanie Curtis and Kelly Gordon, the Fitz crew led by the incomparable Tom Campbell, and the brave and generous authors who have stepped intrepidly into that unwavering spotlight. But most of all deep gratitude to you, the book lovers. Guided by curiosity, wonder, nerdy hero-worship, writerly envy and a yen for the company of kindred spirits, you've let neither rain nor sleet nor dark of night keep you from showing up. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll see you at the Fitz! — Kerri Miller Mystery character answer: Snoopy
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| | Talking Volumes returns in 2024 for 25th season | MPR News and the Star Tribune proudly present the 25th season of Talking Volumes, hosted by Kerri Miller. Join us at the Fitzgerald Theater for four special events with renowned authors, celebrating our anniversary with a special $25 ticket price for MPR members and Star Tribune subscribers. | |
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| | William Moyers shares his journey to sobriety in new memoir | William Moyers overcame his addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine in the 1980s and became a star of the recovery world, working as the vice president of public affairs at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and publishing a memoir about his sobriety called “Broken.” But that’s not the full story. | |
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| | Ask a Bookseller: 'Tree. Table. Book.' by Lois Lowry | In honor of the start of school, Ask a Bookseller is focused on recommendations for kids and teens — although Kristin Nilsen of Big Hill Books in Minneapolis recommends this middle-grade read for everybody. It’s the newest title from Lois Lowry, called “Tree. Table. Book.” | |
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