Photos from the 2014 Almanac Launch Extravaganza!
September 16, 2013
2014 Saint Paul Almanac photo contributor George Roedler (pages 331 and 394) came to our launch party on September 12 with his camera, and shared the following images with the Almanac. Access Jack Steinmann's 30-image album from the launch party. Expect more blog posts about the photographers and illustrators of the 2014 Almanac soon!
Photostory: Mizna at the Lowertown Reading Jam
May 23, 2013
Mizna brought a diverse group of established and emerging writers and performers to the Lowertown Reading Jam stage. With that Homeland Security dictum "if you see something, say something" ringing in their ears, Mizna’s group of Arab American and Muslim writers gave voice to their own experience of diverse homelands. The evening was hosted by performance artist and Mizna rep Moheb Soliman, who presented his own work along with the work of Robert Farid Karimi, Kathryn Haddad, Nimo Farah, Willie Nour, Niny Salem, Jna Shelomith, Sarah Thamer and percussionist Khaldoun Samman.
2013 Saint Paul Almanac wins Midwest Book Award in “Culture”!
May 9, 2013
The 2013 Saint Paul Almanac won a Midwest Book Award in the "Culture" category last night. The award was accepted with pride by Kimberly Nightingale, the publisher and executive director of the Saint Paul Almanac, at a ceremony attended by many authors, publishers and friends. Last year, the 2012 Saint Paul Almanac won the "Travel" category at the Midwest Book Awards.
The 2013 Saint Paul Almanac is a finalist in three Midwest Book Awards categories!
April 16, 2013
The 2013 Saint Paul Almanac is a finalist in three Midwest Book Awards categories—Travel, Reference and Culture! The Almanac was the winner in the Travel category of the Midwest Book Awards in 2012. 2013 winners will be announced at the Midwest Book Awards Celebration on May 8 at the Bloomington Center for the Arts.
Saint Paul Almanac Editor Patricia Kirkpatrick Wins Minnesota Book Award!
April 16, 2013
We at the Saint Paul Almanac were more than a little excited about the Minnesota Book Awards this year. Our very own community editor, board member and co-editor for the 2014 edition, Patricia Kirkpatrick won the award for poetry. Her book Odessa, published by Milkweed Editions, is a moving piece of work. It chronicles the painstaking reclamation of herself during a time that included some of the less than usual hardships that can knock one down in life. The book is an open heart, an invitation to be human and graceful just as we know Patricia to be.
Poetry, Happiness and Memory: Minnesota’s Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen
March 25, 2013
Poetry, happiness and memory emerged as the dominant themes at lunch on March 20th with Minnesota Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen at the Humanities Center in St. Paul, part of the Lunch and Learn series. Sutphen’s talk was playfully labeled with alternative titles: “Got Poetry?,” Poetry in Your Pocket,” “Poetry Out Loud,” and “Poetry for Lunch.” In the end, these were really just chapters in a free-ranging discussion that touched on why it’s important to get poetry, to understand it and keep it close at hand, like a poem in your pocket, something you can remember and recite.
Music Under Glass At The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
February 25, 2013
Como Park Zoo & Conservatory presents "Music Under Glass," a free concert series featuring local musicians inside the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory's two-acres of tropical gardens. "Music Under Glass" will showcase live, local musicians from 4:30—6:30 pm every Sunday beginning February 24, 2013 through March 31, 2013. Escape the winter chill to the comfortable confines of the Conservatory for a perfect blend of musical styling ranging from a variety of genres—Zydeco to Cello & Gypsy to Jazz. Food, cocktails, beer & wine will be available to purchase.
Photostory: Help Saint Paul break a Guinness World Record!
February 5, 2013
I had a meeting with Kimberly Nightingale in Lowertown two weeks ago and, sure enough, we got invited to play around with a Hasbro toy from our youth. Ta-coumba Aiken is the talent behind the world’s largest (they are going for the world record) Lite-Brite sculpture planned for the Union Depot. I am told that the bright sculpture will measure 9 x 27 feet and illuminate some 570,000 tiny blue, green, pink and red transparent pegs.
Groundbreaking of Schmidt Brewery Artist Lofts
January 30, 2013
The City of Saint Paul has announced that the groundbreaking has begun on an exciting new near-Downtown Saint Paul affordable housing project, the Schmidt Brewery Artist Lofts. The historic Schmidt Brewery has featured in several editions of the Saint Paul Almanac. The $120 million project will redesign the historic Schmidt Brewery to specifically meet the needs of artists. Schmidt Brewery, built in the 1930s, will have 260 units after the full-scale renovations, including 121 units in the bottling house, 126 units in the brew house and 13 new construction townhouse units built on a vacant lot adjacent to the bottling house.
PHOTOSTORY: Last week of AZ Gallery’s Winter Carnival Children’s Art Show
January 28, 2013
AZ Gallery's annual Winter Carnival Children’s Art show is back! The show features artwork by elementary and middle school students from public and private schools throughout St Paul, in celebration of the St Paul Winter Carnival. Visit the Winter Carnival Children’s Art Show at the AZ Gallery, 308 Prince Street #130, St. Paul, MN 55101. January 24th–February 3th, 2013. Gallery Hours: Thursday & Friday 5:30-8:30pm, Saturday & Sunday 9:00am-3:00pm.
Photostory: At the Lowertown Reading Jam with Louis Alemayehu
January 24, 2013
Photos from the January 23rd "Nuevo Mestizos" Lowertown Reading Jam with Louis Alemayehu. "We will explore through song, story and spoken word some of the ideas of Gloria Anzuldua as to what it means to live in the border lands of culture, race, sex, class and nationality. There is a visionary identity that connects us to the world, ecologically, spiritually, politically, culturally in a new way... Nuevo Mestizos."
Two Murray High School Eighth Graders
December 11, 2012
Tonight it was my honor and pleasure to chauffeur local lit legend Phebe Hanson. I told her that I remember her from high school when my English teachers Sara Sexton and Larry Risser (Southwest HIgh, Mpls) brought her in to speak to our class about journal writing. I even brought out my copy of 25 Minnesota Poets (from 1974), in which she is featured, and asked her to sign it. In it she noted that today is Emily Dickinson’s birthday. She told me in the car that she has been throwing parties for Dickinson since 1972.