This Week in Saint Paul: Monday, May 26–Sunday, June 1, 2014
May 26, 2014
If you did not notice last week, festival season is upon us. As you make your way through these festivals, remember, you are not only making memories and stories, but you are also making history. Who knows what you will see this summer, and the Saint Paul Almanac will be doing its part to join the fun including taking time to roll out our new Storymobile at the opening of the light rail Green Line on Saturday, June 14!
Roblyn Avenue, 1953
By Marianne McNamara ● May 20, 2014
The first thing I saw when Dad turned our car down Grandma’s street in Merriam Park was the sky-high catalpa tree in her front yard. It was the only “cigar tree” on the block, and when I spied it, I knew we were almost there. It was a beautiful tree, with frilly white flowers in the spring that magically became long, brown seedpods in late summer.
2014 Saint Paul Almanac wins the Midwest Book Award for Travel; finalist in four other categories
May 19, 2014
Last Wednesday, May 14, The Saint Paul Almanac took home the top prize in the Travel category at the Midwest Book Awards. We were finalists in the categories of Culture, Midwest Regional Interests: Text, Reference, and, thanks to our awesome web man Nigel Parry, Publisher’s Website. The Almanac has won previous Midwest Book Awards for Travel (2012) and Culture (2013). This is the fruits of a great community, an Almanac family that is proving its value in a lot of different corners of the our Saint Paul world, and beyond. We are proud, not so much for the awards, but more for the unique and amazing work we do with a rare assembly of community members who continue to create something special.
This Week in Saint Paul: Monday, May 19–Sunday, May 25, 2014
May 19, 2014
Last Wednesday, May 14, The Saint Paul Almanac took home top prize in the Travel category at the Midwest Book Awards. We were finalists in the categories of Culture, Midwest Regional Interests: Text, Reference, and, thanks to our awesome web man Nigel Parry, Publisher’s Website. This is the work of a great community, an Almanac family that is proving its value in a lot of different corners of the our Saint Paul world, and beyond. We are proud, not so much for the awards, but more for the unique and amazing work we do with a rare assembly of community members who continue to create something special.
A Mother’s Hope
May 16, 2014
Proud back with a chest high in the air Swaying with desire Never knowing when to bend Afraid to break Walking into the wind...
May 28, 2014: David Mura presents “E/Merging Voices of the Twin Cities on Race & Identity” at the Lowertown Reading Jam
May 12, 2014
Featuring performances by David Mura • Chantz Erolin • Nikko Sencer-Mura • Dorothy O’Berry • Malanda J. Simba • Dane Verrett • with emcee Robert Karimi. In recent years a whole new generation of poets, spoken-word artists, and rappers have appeared on the Twin Cities' art scene. Their work explores the issues of race and identity and the changing demographics of our area. Some of the young writers on this bill come from the Voices Merging program of the University of Minnesota. Some are connected with the independent local hip-hop scene and the rap producer Julian Fairbanks.
Midway Memories
May 12, 2014
My Hamline-Midway neighborhood is the kind of place where childhood memories are made. Sure, Wisconsin Dells, a Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas, and Disney World all have their fair share of excitement and joyous wonderment. But nothing can compare to the warm feeling you get as sticky chocolate ice cream drizzles down your fingers, while you watch your sister try to feed the dog some of hers.
This Week in Saint Paul: Monday, May 12–Sunday, May 18, 2014
May 11, 2014
Last week, some of us celebrated National Train Day and the first train to pull out of Union Depot since the early 1970s. I imagine a day when I can walk out my door, take a generous walk to the Light Rail, and wind up not far from my sister’s house in Chicago without having to set foot in a car or a plane. In a month, the Green Line will be able to take us close to many arts happenings around our city, whether along University Avenue, in Lowertown, in Downtown, or just a few blocks either direction of the tracks. We don’t need to wait for the train to enjoy the art now. The weather is great. Let’s get out!
This Week in Saint Paul: Monday, May 5–Sunday, May 11, 2014
May 5, 2014
Spring arrives slowly, but Saint Paul hasn’t slowed down. We had a busy Saint Paul Art Crawl two weekends ago, Cinco de Mayo on the West Side, and the Festival of Nations in Downtown this past weekend—and maybe some weather dampening the heels of our festiveness. The momentum and better weather will carry us into more opportunities to keep up the process of thawing and warming up, and art is the star we’re following in the brighter heavens. Here are a few ideas.
Frogtown, 1996
May 5, 2014
We had only been living in Saint Paul for a couple of months when my husband told me he’d found somebody else. “Someone from work,” he said. “Can I keep my stuff here until I find a new place?” I put off telling my mom for a couple of weeks, not wanting her and my dad to worry about me and my one-year-old son. When I finally did tell her, I had to repeatedly assure her that my freelance work was actually bringing in enough money to live on, even though it was far from true.
June 5, 2014 – Soul Sounds Open Mic presents Nature Poems
May 1, 2014
Now that summer has reached full throttle, let’s celebrate it! This is the space for natural poems. Tonight is a space for poems that celebrate the water, the wind, the earth, the universe, animals, plants, and everything in between. We all know that Minnesota summers come and go very swiftly, our poetry can make it last a bit longer.