Award Winners and Finalists

Current Winners, all 32 Finalists, and a full list of this year's Nominees
Past Finalists and Winners by Year, 1988-2011
Minnesota Book Artist Award
Kay Sexton Award
Other Special Awards

Finalists for the 24th Annual Minnesota Book Awards

Chosen on Saturday, January 28, 2012 by 24 judges from around the state, the finalists in the following categories were:

JUMP TO CATEGORY:

Children’s Literature, sponsored by Books For Africa:

BookSpeak! Poems About Books by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company)

This book is a collection of wild and weird, wacky and winsome poems about all the magic to be found on a bookshelf. Characters plead for sequels and book jackets strut their stuff in this volume, where each poem gives voice to some aspect of the written word. Laura Purdie Salas lives in Minneapolis. Stampede!, her first book of poetry for children, was a Minnesota Book Award finalist.

Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships by Catherine Thimmesh (Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company)

What makes a camel friends with a Vietnamese pig? Or a wild polar bear with a sled dog or a young giraffe with an ostrich? In this book, Catherine Thimmesh makes readers wonder at the truth and mystery of unlikely animal friendships. These real-life stories of animal relationships demonstrate how differences don’t really matter between friends. Friends is Catherine Thimmesh’s sixth nonfiction book for children. She lives in Eden Prairie.

The Last Day of Kindergarten by Nancy Loewen, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa (Marshall Cavendish Children)

Today is the last day of kindergarten, and a little girl wishes it were the first day again – when everything was exciting and new, and there was such a fun year in store. But then she realizes that graduating is exciting, too, and maybe first grade won’t be so bad, after all! Nancy Loewen holds an MFA in creative writing and works in educational publishing. She lives in the Twin Cities.

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company)

From the curled up chipmunk sleeping in its den to the swirl of a funnel cloud, Swirl by Swirl captures the vastness and variety of the natural world by examining one basic but ever-present shape and encouraging young readers to spot their own spirals. Joyce Sidman is the author of ten previous children’s books, and is a Newbery Honor-winning poet.

General Nonfiction, sponsored by Minnesota AFL-CIO:

Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America by Shawn Lawrence Otto (Rodale)

Shawn Lawrence Otto’s book is an exposé on anti-science views in modern-day America and the ramifications misinformation is having on our society. Fool Me Twice explores the scientific values that our country was founded on, and traces the relationship between science and politics throughout our history. The author is an award-winning screenwriter and cofounder of “Science Debate 2008,” the largest political initiative in the history of science.

Punishing Race: A Continuing American Dilemma by Michael Tonry (Oxford University Press)

This book relates why it is that African American men are arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned at a much higher rate than the population at large. Michael Tonry explains that these patterns result not from racial differences in crime or drug use but from drug and crime control policies that disproportionately affect African Americans. Tonry is among the nation’s leading authorities on crime and punishment and a professor in law and public policy at the University of Minnesota.

Trout Caviar: Recipes from a Northern Forager by Brett Laidlaw (Minnesota Historical Society Press)

From flavorful artisanal cheeses, to the year-round plenty of farmers markets, to the first wild ramps of spring, options for eating well in Minnesota and Wisconsin abound. Brett Laidlaw has taken advantage of these local treasures for decades, and in Trout Caviar he shares tips and recipes to help you embrace the gifts our northern climate provides. This book celebrates local, seasonal foods and the people who grow, raise, make, sell, cook and savor them. The author calls Saint Paul home.

Vikings in the Attic: In Search of Nordic America by Eric Dregni (University of Minnesota Press)

Eric Dregni explores the significant—and quite often bizarre—historic sites, tales, and traditions of Scandinavia’s peculiar colony in the Midwest. The author reveals the little-known tales that lie beneath the surface of Nordic America and proves by example why generations of Scandinavian-Americans have come to love and cherish these tales and traditions so dearly. Dregni is assistant professor of English at Concordia University in Saint Paul and the author of several previous works on Nordic and Italian heritage.

Genre Fiction, sponsored by Marvin Windows & Doors:

Big Wheat by Richard A. Thompson (Poisoned Pen Press)

Jilted by his childhood sweetheart and estranged from his father, Charlie Krueger leaves home to seek employment in North Dakota’s booming wheat threshing industry. There, he witnesses the notorious Windmill Man serial killer committing the most recent in a string of murders, and becomes a target himself. Richard A. Thompson is a trained civil engineer, but now writes mysteries full time. He lives in Saint Paul.

The Bone House by Brian Freeman (Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press)

After allegations of an affair with a student force Mark Bradley from his teaching post, he becomes a social pariah in his close-knit Wisconsin town. A year later, when a teenage girl is found dead on a beach near where Mark and his wife Hilary are staying, Mark is immediately pegged as the prime suspect. It falls to Hilary to convince lead detective Cab Bolton that the case is not as clear-cut as it seems. Brian Freeman is the author of 15 novels, including five psychological suspense thrillers.

Death of the Mantis by Michael Stanley (Harper/HarperCollins Publishers)

In Botswana, detective David “Kubu” Bengu investigates a string of bizarre murders which implicate a nomadic bushman tribe. Clues take the intrepid Kubu to the depths of the Kalahari Desert, where what he discovers will test all his powers of detection…and his ability to remain alive. Michael Stanley is the pen name of retired professors Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Sears lives in South Africa, and Trollip splits his time between Africa and Minneapolis. Death of the Mantis is the pair’s third novel.

Northwest Angle by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, Inc.)

Hired as a security consultant for an underground iron mine project, Cork O’Connor stumbles across a secret room that contains the remains of six murder victims. As Cork searches for answers, he must dig into his own past and that of his father, a well-respected man who harbored a ghastly truth. Krueger, award-winning author of ten Cork O’Connor novels, has won four Minnesota Book Awards.

Memoir & Creative Nonfiction, sponsored by Leonard, Street and Deinard:

For Love of Lakes by Darby Nelson (Michigan State University Press)

Darby Nelson weaves a tapestry of history, science, emotion, and poetry for all who love lakes or enjoy nature writing. The book is an affectionate account documenting our species’ long relationship with lakes—their glacial origins, Thoreau and his environmental message, and the major perceptual shifts and advances in our understanding of lake ecology. Nelson is an aquatic ecologist and Professor Emeritus at Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

The Last Deployment: How a Gay, Hammer-Swinging Twentysomething Survived a Year in Iraq by Bronson Lemer (The University of Wisconsin Press)

Army veteran Bronson Lemer chronicles his year-long tour of duty in Iraq, capturing the absurd nuances of a soldier’s daily life: growing a mustache to disguise his fear, wearing pantyhose to battle sand fleas, and exchanging barbs with Iraqis while driving through Baghdad. But most strikingly, he describes the poignant reality faced by gay servicemen and servicewomen, who must mask their identities while serving a country that disowns them.

Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet by Catherine Friend (Da Capo Press/Perseus Books Group)

After fifteen years as a sheep farmer in rural Minnesota, Catherine Friend thought it may be time for a major lifestyle change. This funny, thoughtful memoir details the history of our woolly friends, why small farms are important, and why, in the end, the author decided not to hang up her shepherd’s crook after all. Friend is a prolific author whose work includes nonfiction, children’s books, and genre fiction.

A Song at Twilight: Of Alzheimer’s and Love by Nancy Paddock (Blueroad Press)

Nancy Paddock’s memoir chronicles her parents’ descent into Alzheimer’s and the challenges and choices she and her sisters face while confronting this most baffling and tragic of diseases. Discovering that she cannot save them from their crumbling reality, Paddock works to rescue the details of their lives and seeks to retrieve a pattern from chaos—preserving, examining, and reliving the interwoven stories of lovers and family. Paddock is a poet and screenwriter and lives in Litchfield, Minnesota.

Minnesota, sponsored by Xcel Energy:

Anishinaabe Syndicated: A View from the Rez by Jim Northrup (Minnesota Historical Society Press)

The 1990s brought enormous changes in Native American treaty rights, casino gambling, language renewal, and tribal sovereignty. Jim Northrup, an Ojibwe and newspaper columnist, uses stories from his own experience to document this transformative decade. The author’s excerpts tally change as he spears walleye, raises a grandson, harvests wild rice, fixes rez cars, attends powwows, and jets across the country and across the ocean to tell stories. Northrup is an award-winning journalist, poet, and playwright.

The Pillsburys of Minnesota by Lori Sturdevant with George S. Pillsbury (Nodin Press)

“Pillsbury” is a well-known brand in many parts of the world, but the word carries deeper connotations in Minnesota. In The Pillsburys of Minnesota, Lori Sturdevant, with George S. Pillsbury, chronicles the pioneering family’s central role in making Minneapolis the milling capitol of the world. Sturdevant is an editorial writer and columnist for the Star Tribune.

Pioneer Modernists: Minnesota’s First Generation of Women Artists by Julie L’Enfant (Afton Press)

In Pioneer Modernists, Julie L’Enfant uses a host of sources, including previously unpublished papers, to tell the untold story of a ground-breaking generation of Minnesota female artists who played a significant, yet often-overlooked role in the development of art schools, galleries, and other institutions that make the Twin Cities the major cultural center it is today. L’Enfant is chair of liberal arts at the College of Visual Arts in Saint Paul.

Sisterhood of War: Minnesota Women in Vietnam by Kim Heikkila (Minnesota Historical Society Press)

In Sisterhood of War, Kim Heikkila delves into the experiences of Minnesota nurses who served in the Vietnam War, exploring what drove them to enlist, their war-time experiences, and their pivotal role in the creation of a national Vietnam Women’s Memorial. Heikkila is an adjunct instructor at St. Catherine University.

Novel & Short Story, sponsored by Anchor Trust:

In Caddis Wood by Mary François Rockcastle (Graywolf Press)

As a debilitating illness and specter of an affair conspire against Hallie and Carl Fens’ marriage, the couple’s family gathers at their summer house in the woods of Wisconsin. There, Hallie and Carl’s grown-up daughters offer unexpected avenues toward forgiveness and healing. Mary François Rockcastle is the director of the Creative Writing Programs at Hamline University, and founding and executive director of Water-Stone Review.

The Law of Miracles and Other Stories by Gregory Blake Smith (University of Massachusetts Press)

The Law of Miracles is a collection of short stories in which characters navigate between the everyday and the extraordinary. While settings range from St. Petersburg to Venice to rural Indiana, and the characters are nearly as varied, there lies in each tale the suspicion that the transcendent lies just at the edge of perception. Gregory Blake Smith is a professor at Carleton College. This is his fourth book

The Long-Shining Waters by Danielle Sosin (Milkweed Editions)

Lake Superior holds a perennial allure. The Long-Shining Waters follows three women in three different time periods – an Ojibwe woman in the 1620s, a Norwegian settler in the early 1900s, and a seasoned bar owner in 2000. This novel is about their personal stories, societal changes in the region, and the enduring human desire to find meaning when faced with the power of a place like the Great Lakes. Sosin’s fiction has been featured by NPR and the Alaska Quarterly Review. This is her debut novel.

Merit Badges by Kevin Fenton (New Issues/Western Michigan University)

This novel follows the misadventures of four friends from the fictional town of Minnisapa, Minnesota as they navigate the two decades following high school. Chimes, ex-Boy Scout and ace bowler; Barb, the sensitive music lover; Slow, the jock; and Quint, the stoner, have their differences, but share a sense that life after school is not shaping up as they had envisioned. Kevin Fenton is an advertising writer and creative executive in Saint Paul.

Poetry, sponsored by Wellington Management, Inc.:

Bodies of Light by Athena Kildegaard (Red Dragonfly Press)

The name and structure of Bodies of Light stem from the fact that light from exploded stars reaches earth long after those stars are gone. The first section, “Tenant,” focuses on the body and things permanent, while the second, “Transit,” focuses on movement and things fleeting. Athena Kildegaard is a lecturer at the University of Minnesota – Morris.

Buddha, Proof by Su Smallen (Broadcraft Press)

Buddha, Proof is a hand-bound chapbook collection of eighteen poems that invites the Buddha into our Western lives as someone with whom we might at last have something in common. Su Smallen is a Jane Kenyon Prize-winning poet, and the author of one previously published collection.

Invisible Strings by Jim Moore (Graywolf Press)

Brief, jagged, and haiku-like, the poems in Invisible Strings illustrate how life moves past us moment by moment. Be it the benign accumulation of frequent flyer miles or cups of coffee, or the mounting losses of friends to death and divorce, a host of invisible strings connect our personal lives to the larger world. Invisible Strings is Jim Moore’s seventh book of poetry. He lives in Saint Paul.

Whorled by Ed Bok Lee (Coffee House Press)

What does it mean to be a global citizen in an era of constant war, rampant industrialization, and ever-advancing technology? Whorled confronts and celebrates the many complications of globalism through meditations on war, migration and culture. Ed Bok Lee is an assistant professor at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul.

Young People’s Literature, sponsored by Sit Investment Associates: 

The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman (Scholastic Press/Scholastic Inc.)

June has mixed feelings, at best, about her parents’ decision to relocate the family to Minnesota. That changes when she meets classmate Wes and begins to fall in love for the very first time. But can the relationship endure when June’s parents decide to pick up and move again? Pete Hautman has written eight previous novel, including Godless, a National Book Award winner. He calls Golden Valley home.

The Books of Elsewhere: Spellbound by Jacqueline West (Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Group USA Inc.)

In this second volume of the acclaimed Books of Elsewhere series, 11-year-old Olive hunts a lost spellbook, the contents of which will help her free her new friend Morton from the strangely silent and eerily sinister world of Elsewhere, to which the paintings in her mansion are the only known portal. In addition to her young adult fiction writing, Jacqueline West is an accomplished poet. She lives in Red Wing.

The Tanglewood Terror by Kurtis Scaletta (Alfred A. Knopf/Random House Children’s Books)

When Eric Parrish comes across glowing mushrooms in the woods behind his house, he’s sure there’s a scientific explanation. But when the fungus begins to overrun the entire town of Tanglewood – in a repeat of a blight that, legend has it, reduced the town to rubble two hundred years ago – it falls to Eric, his brother Brian, and a runaway girl named Mandy to get to the bottom of the mystery. Kurtis Scarletta lives in Minneapolis, where he is currently working on his fourth book for middle school audiences.

With or Without You by Brian Farrey (Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division)

Best friends Evan and Davis have helped each other through homophobic bullying and every other challenge high school had to throw at them. But after graduation, that friendship becomes strained from two directions as Evan struggles to tell Davis about his secret, long-term boyfriend Erik and Davis gets caught up in a mysterious fringe crowd. Brian Farrey holds an MFA in creative writing from Hamline University and acquires young adult manuscripts for Flux.

Nominees for the 24th Annual Minnesota Book Awards

Books created by writers, illustrators or book artists who are Minnesotans, and which were published in 2011 are eligible for the 24th annual Minnesota Book Awards. Nominated book titles, their publishers and authors are listed below. Finalists will be announced January 28, 2012. Winners will be announced April 14, 2012 at the gala awards ceremony. Tickets go on sale soon. Check back or sign up for email alerts.

JUMP TO CATEGORY:

Children's Literature

12 Months of Baby Animals (Dreamland Books) by Melessa Henderson, illustrated by Michelle Eggan

At the End of the Day (Stemmer House Publishers) by Greg Budig

Big Little Brother (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Kevin Kling, illustrated by Chris Monroe

Birds in Our Backyard: Say Hello to Minnesota’s Feathered Friends (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Adele Porter, photographs by Bill Marchel

BookSpeak! Poems About Books (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon

Celebritrees: Historic and Famous Trees of the World (Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt and Company) by Margi Preus, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

The Day Dirk Yeller Came to Town (Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux)

A Dog Is a Dog (Chronicle Books) by Stephen Shaskan

Eli, No! (Abrams Books for Young Readers/Abrams) by Katie Kirk

Faces…Who Are We? (Dreamland Books) by Cathy Isles, illustrated by Michelle Eggan

Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships (Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Catherine Thimmesh

Frog in the House (Raven Productions) by David Mather, illustrated by Stephanie Mirocha

Happy Birthday, Hamster (Scholastic Press/Scholastic, Inc.) by Cynthia Lord, illustrated by Derek Anderson

The Haunted Hamburger and Other Ghostly Stories (Dutton Children’s Books/Penguin Group) by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Paul Meisel

How on Earth Does Our Guardian Angel Talk with Us? (The Starfire Project) by Leni Erickson

The Last Day of Kindergarten (Marshall Cavendish Children/Marshall Cavendish) by Nancy Loewen, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa

Loon Baby (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Anne Hunter

The Lonely Pine (The Creative Company) by Aaron Frisch, illustrated by Etienne Delessert

Making a Friend (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster) by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal

Mealtime (Free Spirit Publishing) by Elizabeth Verdick, illustrated by Marieka Heinlen

Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Seaside Shenanigans (Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group) by Chris Monroe

Mrs. Claus & the Batty Christmas (Peppermint Books) by Jeff Berg

Mudkin (Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group) by Stephen Gammell

Nan's Donut Dilemma (Keen Editions) by Mary E. Ryan, illustrated by Colleen Muske

Night: (A counting backwards book)! (Dreamland Books) by Melessa Henderson, illustrated by Jana Schweiss

Not a Buzz to Be Found: Insects in Winter (Millbrook Press) by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Jaime Zollars

Oh Mighty Mississippi (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Melissa Vocelka, illustrated by Amy Larson

On-the-Go Time (Free Spirit Publishing) by Elizabeth Verdick, illustrated by Marieka Heinlen

Perfect Square (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins) by Michael Hall

Pick a Pup (Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster) by Marsha Wilson Chall, illustrated by Jed Henry

The Rabbit King: Kingdom Leporidae (AuthorHouse) by Jim McEnroe

Rags to Riches: A Dog’s Tale of Hope and Friendship (Beaver’s Pond Press) by Carey McKeon Pearson and Patti Nero Kivestu, illustrated by Sarah Thornton

Seriously, Cinderella Is SO Annoying!: The Story of Cinderella as Told by the Wicked Stepmother (Picture Window Books/Capstone) by Trisha Speed Shaskan, illustrated by Gerald Guerlais

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes

Ten Moonstruck Piglets (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Lindsay Lee Johnson, illustrated by Carll Cneut

Too Shy for Show and Tell (Picture Window Books/Capstone) by Beth Bracken, illustrated by Jennifer Bell

Utterly Otterly Night (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster) by Mary Casanova, illustrated by Ard Hoyt

General Nonfiction

The 1968 Project: A Nation Coming of Age (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by the Minnesota Historical Society staff with Brian Horrigan and Brad Zellar

Agates of Lake Superior: Stunning Varieties and How They Are Formed (Adventure Publications) by Dan R. Lynch and Bob Lynch

Back to the Source: The Spiritual Principles of Jesus (CreateSpace) by Dr. Mic Hunter

Beloved Child: A Dakota Way of Life (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Diane Wilson

Big Wave Surfing; Extreme Technology Development, Management, Marketing & Investing (Beaver’s Pond Press) by Kenneth J. Thurber, Ph.D.

Celebrations with Carmela's Cucina (Nodin Press) by Carmela Tursi Hobbins

Cooking Up the Good Life: Creative Recipes for the Family Table (University of Minnesota Press) by Jenny Breen and Susan Thurston

Dead Air: The Disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit (Beaver’s Pond Press) by Beth Bednar

Finding Your Moral Compass: Transformative Principles to Guide You in Recovery and Life (Hazelden Publishing) by Craig Nakken

First to the Pole (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by C. J. Ramstad and Keith Pickering

Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America (Rodale Books) by Shawn Lawrence Otto

A Gift of Time: Continuing Your Pregnancy When Your Baby’s Life Is Expected to Be Brief (Johns Hopkins University Press) by Amy Kuebelbeck and Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D.

Green Card Stories (Umbrage Editions) by Saundra Amrhein, photographs by Ariana Lindquist

Ingebretsen’s Saga: A Family, A Store, A Legacy of Food (Ingebretsen’s Gift Shop) by Anne Gillespie Lewis

The Invisible Element of Place: The Architecture of David Salmela (University of Minnesota Press) by Thomas Fisher, photographs by Peter Bastianelli-Kerze

The Journey of Parenting: Helping Your Child Become A Competent, Caring, Contributing Adult (CreateSpace) by Linda S. Budd, Ph.D.

Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life (Llewellyn Worldwide) by Cyndi Dale

The Legal Universe: Observations on the Foundations of American Law (Fulcrum Publishing) by Vine Deloria, Jr. and David E. Wilkins

Meaning Beyond Reason (Nodin Press) by Anthony Caponi

My Story to Yours: A Guided Memoir for Writing Your Recovery Journey (Hazelden Publishing) by Karen Casey

North Star Cocktails (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Johnny Michaels

The Northern Heartland Kitchen: More Than 200 Recipes to Satisfy Seasonal Appetites University of Minnesota Press) by Beth Dooley

The Oranges Are Sweet: Major Don M. Beerbower and the 353^rd Fighter Squadron, November 1942 to August 1944 (Loden Books) by Paul M. Sailer

Peace Fibres: Stitching a Soulful World (Integral Press) by Karen Lohn

A Peace of My Mind: Exploring the Meaning of Peace One Story at a Time (John Noltner) by John Noltner

The Poised Century: On Living Today as if Tomorrow Mattered (Tower Press) by David A. Robinson

A Princess and Her Garden: A Fable of Awakening and Arrival (Center for Applications of Psychological Type) by Patricia R. Adson, Ph.D.

Punishing Race: A Continuing American Dilemma (Oxford University Press) by Michael Tonry

The Sacred Sphere: Exploring Sacred Concepts and Cosmic Consciousness Through Universal Symbolism (Beaver’s Pond Press) by Paul D. Burley

Sex and the Spiritual Teacher: Why It Happens, When It’s a Problem, and What We All Can Do (Wisdom Publications) by Scott Edelstein

Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids (Free Press/Simon & Schuster) by David Walsh, Ph.D.

Spirit of the Lights (Lake Superior Port Cities) by Chuck Frederick

Sports and All That Jazz: The Percy Hughes Story (Nodin Press) by Jim Swanson

Swami Hari: I am a simple forest monk (CreateSpace) by Daniel Hertz

Train Pictures 1946-1957: A Railfan’s Memoir (Malabar Rails Publishing) by Charles McCreary, photographs by Charles B. McCreary and John W. Sachse

Trout Caviar: Recipes from a Northern Forager (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Brett Laidlaw

Uncovering the Logic of English (Pedia Learning) by Denise Eide

Up North: Reflections, Moments & Memories (Tristan Publishing) by Joe Brandmeier

Vikings in the Attic: In Search of Nordic America (University of Minnesota Press) by Eric Dregni

Waiting: A Nonbeliever’s Higher Power (Hazelden Publishing) by Marya Hornbacher

The Wisdom of the Healing Wound: A New View on Why We Hurt & How We Can Cure Even the Deepest Physical and Emotional Wounds (Health Communications, Inc.) by David Knighton, M.D.

Genre Fiction

Bad Weeds Never Die (Conquill Press) by Christopher Valen

Blizzard Ball (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Dennis Kelly

The Blood-Dimmed Tide (Amazon Direct Publishing) by Ellen M. Puff

Big Wheat: A Tale of Bindlestiffs and Blood (Poisoned Pen Press) by Richard A. Thompson

Bingo Barge Murder (Midnight Ink/Llewellyn Worldwide) by Jessie Chandler

Blinded by the Sight (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by S. L. Smith

The Bone House (Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press) by Brian Freeman

Bradamant’s Quest (FTL Publications) by Ruth Berman

Buried Prey (G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group) by John Sandford

The Card Sharp (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Bob Gust

Danger Sector (Conquill Press) by Jenifer LeClair

Death of the Mantis (Haper/HarperCollins) by Michael Stanley

Double Cross Country: It’s Murder at the Birkebeiner (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Joan Murphy Pride

Eye of the Wolf (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Marie Zhuikov

Falcon Finale (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Jan Dunlap

Greek Flu (Bronze Bow Publishing) by Fritz Strobl

Highway 61 (Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press) by David Housewright

Killing Kate (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster) by Julie Kramer

The Kykuit Bunker (Langdon Street Press/Hillcrest Media Group) by Steven Janke

The Magic Bullet (University of Minnesota Press) by Larry Millett

Little Dickens: A Droll and Most Extraordinary History (Nodin Press) by Tom Hegg, illustrated by Kevin Cannon

Loose Gravel (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by David P. Holmes

Lost and Found (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Danelle Helget

The Lost Women of Lost Lake (Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press) by Ellen Hart

The Magic Fault (Dagger Books/Second Wind Publishing) by Paul Mohrbacher

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group) by Julie Klassen

The Masque and the Dagger: First of the North Wilds Fables (Mill City Press) by Benjamin Truant

Murder in Bemidji…or… Paul’s Bloody Trousers (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Gerald Anderson

Northwest Angle (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster) by William Kent Krueger

October Fest (Midnight Ink/Llewellyn Worldwide) by Jess Lourey

Patience County War (CreateSpace) by Soren Paul Petrek

Secret Murder: Who Shall Judge? (FTL Publications) by Ellen Kuhfeld

The Shekinah Legacy (Calumet Editions) by Gary Lindberg

Shock Wave (G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group) by John Sandford

Sisterhood of the Hennepin Chalice (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Jack Salmela

Taste Me (Sourcebooks Casablanca/Sourcebooks) by Tamara Hogan

Truitt’s Fix (Rex Evans Wood) by Rex Evans Wood

Washed Up (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Susan Koefod

Waterfall (Langdon Street Press/Hillcrest Media Group) by David Zini

Where Echoes Die (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by P. R. Leonard

Whose Hand? (Nodin Press) by Judith Yates Borger

Memoir & Creative Nonfiction

The Able Life of Cody Jane: Still Celebrating (LightaLight Publications) by Marly Cornell

Bad Dog: A Love Story (Pantheon Books/Random House) by Martin Kihn

The Best Worst Thing: A Memoir (Balboa Press/Hay House) by Kristen K. Brown

Blue Guitar Highway (University of Minnesota Press) by Paul Metsa

Big!: World Records in the Streets! Plus Tap Dancing Galore (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Beth Obermeyer

The Biggest Dance: A Miracle on Concrete (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Beth Obermeyer

A Cavalcade of Lesser Horrors (University of Minnesota Press) by Peter Smith

Fish Tales: An autobiography of a life growing up fishing in Minnesota, and an instruction manual, with some good stories along the way (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Ron Gower

Football Wife: Coming of Age with the NFL as Mrs. Karl Kassulke (Franklin Green Publishing) by Jan Thatcher Adams, M.D.

For the Love of Lakes (Michigan State University Press) by Darby Nelson

Fugue: I can’t remember how I got here … (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Dody J. Johnson

Hauling Water: Reflections on Making a Home in the North Woods (Raven Productions) by Becca Brin Manlove

A Hundred Lives Since Then: Essays on motherhood, marriage, mortality…and more (Nodin Press) by Gail Rosenblum

Last Words: Frederick’s Bionary (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Frederick Blanch

The Last Deployment: How a Gay, Hammer-Swinging Twentysomething Survived a Year in Iraq (University of Wisconsin Press) by Bronson Lemer

Lost Edens: A True Story (Beaver’s Pond Press) by Jamie Patterson

Miss Priss and the Con Man (Nodin Press) by Jill Breckenridge

My Brave Little Man (Bandi Media Group) by T. A. Degner

My Kind of River Journey: Seeking Passage on the Mississippi (Columbia College Chicago Press) by Susan Carol Hauser

Running on a Mind Rewired (SoulBalance Press) by Jennifer Cannon

A Sawdust Heart: My Vaudeville Life in Medicine and Tent Shows (University of Minnesota Press) by Henry Wood, as told to Michael Fedo

The Season Never Ends: Wins, Losses, and the Wisdom of the Court (Bascom Hill Publishing/Hillcrest Media Group) by Don Shelby

Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet (Da Capo Press/Perseus Books) by Catherine Friend

Shelter (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Sarah Stonich

Singing Solo: In search of a Voice for Mom (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by JacLynn Herron

A Song at Twilight: Of Alzheimer’s and Love (Blueroad Press) by Nancy Paddock

Swinging Doors (James Monroe Publishing) by Quinlan Michael Hampston

This Really Happened: One Missionary’s Story of Transformation (Good Ground Press) by Kathleen Judge, CSJ

Those Darn Stripes (CreateSpace) by Tyrel Nelson

Through No Fault of My Own: A Girl’s Diary of Life on Summit Avenue in the Jazz Age (University of Minnesota Press) by Coco Irvine

A View of the Lake (Lake Superior Port Cities) by Beryl Singleton Bissell

What Matters...Gratitude (lulu.com) by Missy Durant

Minnesota

Anishinaabe Syndicated: A View from the Rez (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Jim Northrup

Carnegie Libraries of Minnesota (Demontreville Press) by Kevin Clemens

Dad’s Eye View: 52 Family Adventures in the Twin Cities (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Michael Hartford

Discover Deep Valley: A Guide to Maud Hart Lovelace’s Mankato (Minnesota Heritage Publishing) by Julie Schrader

Gustavus: 150 Years of History (Gustavus Adolphus College) by Dave Kenney

Gustavus: 150 Years of Images and Stories (Gustavus Adolphus College) by Dave Kenney

Haunted Mantorville: Trailing the Ghosts of Old Minnesota (History Press) by Christopher S. Larsen

The Hong Kierkegaard Library: A Crown Jewel of St. Olaf College (The Friends of the Kierkegaard Library) by Jack Schwandt

In the Mood for Munsingwear: Minnesota’s Claim to Underwear Fame (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Susan Marks

Minnesota Loons: A Photographic Journey (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Joyce Mrosla

Minnesota Lunch: From Pastries to Bánh Mi (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by the Heavy Table team

Minnesota Rocks & Minerals: A Field Guide to the Land of 10,000 Lakes (Adventure Publications) by Dan R. Lynch and Bob Lynch

Montevideo 1860 to 1930: through Their Eyes and in Their Words (Birchpoint Press) by Wayne R. Ostlie, Odell M. Bjerkness, and Paul E. Ostlie

Once There Were Castles: Lost Mansions and Estates of the Twin Cities (University of Minnesota Press) by Larry Millett

The Pillsburys of Minnesota (Nodin Press) by Lori Sturdevant, with George S. Pillsbury

Pioneer Modernists: Minnesota’s First Generation of Women Artists (Afton Press) by Julie L’Enfant

Puck Heaven: Minnesota State Boys’ Hockey Tournament Trivia (Nodin Press) by Jim Hoey

Sisterhood of War: Minnesota Women in Vietnam (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Kim Heikkila

Staycation in Minnesota: Up North (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Patricia A. Overson

To Music: The Schubert Club Museum (The Schubert Club), photographs by Natasha D’Schommer

Twelve Owls (University of Minnesota Press) by Laura Erickson, illustrated by Betsy Bowen

A Village in the City: The History of St. Anthony Village, Minnesota (Mori Books/Soulo Communications) by Gail D. Olson

Voyageur Skies: Weather and the Wilderness in Minnesota’s National Park (Afton Historical Society Press) by Don Breneman and Mark Seeley

Novel & Short Story

Birdie (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Candace Simar

Book of Mercy (Osmyrrah Publishing) by Sherry Roberts

A Crooked Number (Flat Rock Publishing) by Nathan Jorgenson

Delicate Armor (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Connie Claire Szarke

Dorie LaValle (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Mary DesJarlais

Down River People (New Rivers Press) by Bea Exner Liu

Gabriel’s Trumpet: A Civil War Novel (Indigo Tree Publishing) by Duane Gordon

I Gave My Heart to Know This (Random House) by Ellen Baker

In Caddis Wood (Graywolf Press) by Mary François Rockcastle

Glass Asylum (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by JoAnn Bren Guernsey

Golden Jeep (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Ellen Lansky

Hand Me Down My Walking Cane (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Carla Hagen

The Law of Miracles (University of Massachusetts Press) by Gregory Blake Smith

The Long-Shining Waters (Milkweed Editions) by Danielle Sosin

Magel's Ghost (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Nancy Baker

Merit Badges (New Issues Poetry and Prose) by Kevin Fenton

Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb (Unbridled Books) by George Rabasa

Mothers and Daughters (Henry Holt and Company) by Rae Meadows

Nickels: A Tale of Dissociation (Modern History Press/Loving Healing Press) by Christine Stark

Pioneer Journey: A Family History Brought to Life (Jadestone Press) by Alice Mergel Alme

The Power and the Glory (Naval Institute Press) by William C. Hammond

Pursuit (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Dean Urdahl

She Who Was Taken (Chholing P. Taha) by Chholing P. Taha

So Bravely Vegetative (Hollywood Press International/Press Americana) by Alan Davis

A Song in My Heart (Beaver’s Pond Press) by Roma Calatayud-Stocks

Spyder (L & L Dreamspell) by David Fingerman

Starring in the Movie of My Life (PMI Books) by Laurel Osterkamp

Sudden Impact (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Clyde Braden

Trespass and other stories (On the Brink Publishing) by Judy Wilson

What Have I Mythed?: Stories for Reflection (Studio Formå) by Marcia Hyatt, illustrated by Anna Hess

Whispers Through the House (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Laurel Means

White Truffles in Winter (W. W. Norton & Company) by N. M. Kelby

The Winds of Change (A-Argus Better Book Publishers) by Duane Schwartz

The Year God Forgot Us (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Dennis Nau

Poetry

Art Lessons (Holy Cow! Press) by Ann Iverson

Birdland (Wildwood River Press) by Kathy McTavish

Bodies of Light (Red Dragonfly Press) by Athena Kildegaard

Book of Fire (Nodin Press) by Cary Waterman

Buddha, Proof (Broadcraft Press) by Su Smallen

Cloud Birds (Wildwood River Press) by Sheila Packa

East of Nowhere (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Larry Christianson

Flyover Seasons (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Gene Stark

In the Waters of My Bath, Three Poems Collide (Cynthia Kahrmann) by Cynthia Kahrmann

Invisible Strings (Graywolf Press) by Jim Moore

Marrow, Muscle, Flight (Wildwood River Press) by Gary Boelhower

The Melancholy MBA (Brick Road Poetry Press) by Richard Donnelly

Minnesota Anthology: A History in Monologues (Whistle Creek Press) by Jeffrey W. Tenney

Nails (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Larry Schug

The Next Best Thing (Nodin Press) by Linda Back McKay

One Sleeve (Evening Street Press) by Richard Carr

Poetry in Past and Present Tenses (Graham Megyeri Books) by Graham S. Frear

Prayer Book (Lowbrow Press) by Matt Mauch

Prayers of the Shaman (Plain View Press) by Karolyn Redoute

Pretend the World (Holy Cow! Press) by Kathryn Kysar

Road Work Ahead: Poems (Sibling Rivalry Press) by Raymond Luczak

Sông I Sing (Coffee House Press) by Bao Phi

Tumbled Dry (Lost Hills Books) by Charmaine Donovan

What Music Remains (Nodin Press) by Greg Watson

Whorled (Coffee House Press) by Ed Bok Lee

Why Breathe? (Eland Press) by Clem J. and Elizabeth C. Nagel

Wrestling with God (Liturgical Publications) by Kilian McDonnell, OSB

Young People's Literature

Across the Great Barrier (Scholastic Press/Scholastic, Inc.) by Patricia C. Wrede

Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre World of Food: Brains, Bugs, and Blood Sausage (Random House Children’s Books/Random House) by Andrew Zimmern

Anteater-Boy (Kabloona) by Dean Ammerman

Barn Boot Blues (Marshall Cavendish Children/Marshall Cavendish) by Catherine Friend

The Big Crunch (Scholastic Press/Scholastic, Inc.) by Pete Hautman

The Books of Elsewhere, Vol. II: Spellbound (Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Young Reader’s Group) by Jacqueline West

Breadcrumbs (Walden Pond Books/HarperCollins) by Anne Ursu

Brooklyn, Burning (Carolrhoda Lab/Lerner Publishing Group) by Steve Brezenoff

Buzz (Indigo Tree Publishing) by Steve Chicoine

Can You Survive Antarctica?: An Interactive Survival Adventure (Capstone Press/Capstone) by Rachel Hanel

Chasing AllieCat (Flux/Llewellyn Worldwide) by Rebecca Fjelland Davis

Emmy and the Rats in the Belfry (Henry Holt and Company) by Lynne Jonell

The Endurance Expedition (Abdo Publishing Company) by Kristin Johnson

Footsteps in the Promise (Faith & Fellowship Publishing) by Troy Tysdal, illustrated by Megan Behrens

The Fountain (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Betsy Johnson-Miller

Friends Forever (Yotzeret Publishing) by Amy Ariel

The Gifted Teen Survival Guide: Smart, Sharp, and Ready for (Almost) Anything (Free Spirit Publishing) by Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle

Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words and Wisdom from Greek and Roman Mythology (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Lise Lunge-Larsen, illustrated by Gareth Hinds

The Golden Ghost (Random House Children’s Books/Random House) by Marion Dane Bauer

Good News—I Failed: A Story of Inventing in Minnesota (Mill City Press) by D. P. Cornelius

The Howling Vowels (Do Life Right, Inc.) by Leslie Schultz, illustrated by Heather Newman

Hurricane (Divertir Publishing) by Jenna-Lynne Duncan

Kara, Lost (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Susan Niz

The Last Martin (Zonderkidz/Zondervan) by Jonathan Friesen

Maxwell’s Ghosts: Campfire Stories for Kids (North Star Press of St. Cloud) by Gary W. Fehring

The Moons of Earth (Mill City Press) by Fran Addington

Ox Cart Angel (Studio City Media Endeavors) by J. A. Arnold

Reclaiming Ter Chadain (A-Argus Better Book Publishers) by C. S. Yelle

Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth (Bonneville Books/Cedar Fort) by Andy Hueller

Sliding Into the New Year (Yaya & Yoyo, Book 1) (Yotzeret Publishing) by Dori Weinstein

Sparrow Road (G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group) by Sheila O’Connor

The Summer I Lost It (Stone Arch Books/Capstone) by Nathalie Kath

The Summer of the Crows: Not Your Typical Boy Meets Crow Story (Tony Ducklow) by Tony Ducklow

They Stood Alone!: 25 Men and Women Who Made a Difference (Prometheus Books) by Sandra McLeod Humphrey

The Tanglewood Terror (Random House Children’s Books/Random House) by Kurtis Scaletta

To Be the Best, Book Two: Rematch (HH Castle-Mac Publishing) by H.L. Hertel

Unforgettable (Walker & Company/Bloomsbury) by Loretta Ellsworth

With or Without You (Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster) by Brian Farrey

Winners of the 23rd Annual Minnesota Book Awards

April 17, 2011, SAINT PAUL, MN – The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is pleased to announce the winners of the 23rd annual Minnesota Book Awards, presented by RBC Wealth Management. In addition to winners in eight categories, the Book Awards presented the Readers’ Choice Award, which was selected by nearly 2,000 voters from across Minnesota. The annual Minnesota Book Awards program is a project of The Friends, in consortium with the Saint Paul Public Library and the City of Saint Paul.

Nearly 750 people attended a gala award ceremony on Saturday, April 16, hosted by Jeff Kamin of Books and Bars. Announced at the gala, the winners of the 2011 Minnesota Book Awards are:

Award for Children’s Literature, sponsored by Books for Africa: 

Michael Hall – My Heart Is Like a Zoo – published by Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Publishers

This bright picture book features twenty animals created out of heart shapes. The book encourages children to familiarize themselves with the animals, discuss emotions and feelings and explore shapes and colors. Hall is an award-winning graphic designer who studied biochemistry and psychology at the University of Michigan. This is his first book for children.

Award for General Nonfiction, sponsored by Minnesota AFL-CIO:

 Michael Nordskog and Aaron W. Hautala, photography – The Opposite of Cold: The Northwoods Finnish Sauna Tradition – published by University of Minnesota Press*

A commemoration of the history, culture and practice of Finnish sauna in the northwoods, this book unveils the importance and beauty of sauna culture in modern Midwestern life. Nordskog is an attorney, writer and editor. Hautala is the creative director and owner of RedHouseMedia in Brainerd.

Award for Genre Fiction, sponsored by Marvin Windows and Doors:

Wendy Webb – The Tale of Halcyon Crane – published by Henry Holt & Company

Told that her mother died in a fire decades earlier, Hallie James discovers that she was actually alive until very recently. In search of answers, Hallie travels to her mother’s home and discovers dark family secrets. Webb lives in Duluth, where she is the editor-in-chief of Duluth~Superior Magazine, a lifestyle monthly.

Award for Memoir & Creative Nonfiction:

 Bonnie J. Rough – Carrier: Untangling the Danger in My DNA – published by Counterpoint

As Bonnie J. Rough and her husband consider becoming parents, their biological legacy haunts every decision. A carrier of the genetic condition hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED), she begins a journey to uncover the complicated details of her family’s past. Rough has taught at The Loft Literary Center and this is her first book.

Award for Minnesota, sponsored by Xcel Energy: 

Mary Lethert Wingerd – North Country: The Making of Minnesota – published by University of Minnesota Press*

This comprehensive text explains how the land the Dakota named Mini Sota Makoce became the State of Minnesota. The narrative is enhanced by more than 170 illustrations and informative captions. Wingerd is associate professor of history at St. Cloud State University and is the author of Claiming the City: Politics, Faith, and the Power of Place in St. Paul.

Award for Novel & Short Story, sponsored by Anchor Trust: 

John Reimringer – Vestments – published by Milkweed Editions*

Torn between his first love and the priesthood, James Dressler finds himself at a crossroads. This novel explores age-old and yet urgently contemporary issues in the Catholic Church, and is infused with a rich sense of the history and vibrant texture of Saint Paul. John Reimringer is a former newspaper editor and a graduate of the MFA program at the University of Arkansas.

Award for Poetry, sponsored by Wellington Management, Inc.: 

Lightsey Darst – Find the Girl – published by Coffee House Press*

From Snow White to JonBenét Ramsey, this lyrical debut examines the change from girlhood to womanhood and America’s interest in missing and exploited children. Lightsey Darst is a writing instructor, dance critic, and dancer who lives in Minneapolis. She also is the recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship.

Award for Young People’s Literature, sponsored by Sit Investment Associates: 

Pete Hautman – Blank Confession – published by Simon & Schuster

Shayne Blank is the new kid in town. The other kids don’t understand him, he’s not afraid of anything and his background doesn’t add up. But when he walks into the police department to confess to a murder, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. Hautman is the author of nearly a dozen books for adults and young readers including Godless, which won the National Book Award.

The Readers’ Choice Award, sponsored by Pioneer Press and TwinCities.com:

Laurie Hertzel – News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist – published by University of Minnesota Press*

This is the story of Hertzel’s journey into the world of print journalism in the mid-1970s; a chronicle of a small-city newspaper on the cusp of transformation, a portrait of Duluth, and the account of a persistent journalist. Hertzel worked at the Duluth News Tribune in multiple roles, and is currently books editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Her journalistic work has won numerous national awards.

At the Book Awards gala on April 16, Carol Connolly received the previously announced Kay Sexton Award, for her lifelong contributions to Minnesota’s literary community. In the words of Carolyn Holbrook, 2010 winner of the Kay Sexton Award, “Carol’s commitment to literature spans several decades and cuts across the many invisible lines that tend to divide us: age, race, economics, political affiliation, gender and sexual orientation.” Connolly works tirelessly for the betterment of the literary community and the community at large. She is committed to supporting other writers, exposing readers to diverse literary voices, and bringing poetry to the streets. The Award is sponsored by Common Good Books.

Also presented was the fourth annual Book Artist Award, sponsored by Lerner Publishing Group and Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA). The award, presented to Regula Russelle, recognizes a Minnesota book artist for excellence throughout a body of work, as well as significant contributions to Minnesota’s book arts community.

Click here to see all past Minnesota Book Awards finalists and winners by year.

The Book Awards gala will be broadcast on Saint Paul Neighborhood Network and TPT-MN Channel at a later date. Check your local listings for the channel, date and time of broadcast.

* Indicates a Minnesota-based publisher

Marvin Windows and Doors presents the Minnesota Book Awards, a project of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, in consortium with the Saint Paul Public Library and the City of Saint Paul. Outreach partners and supporting organizations include: Anchor Trust; Beaver’s Pond Press; Books For Africa; Capstone; Coffee House Press; Common Good Books; Lerner Publishing; The Loft Literary Center; MELSA; Milkweed Editions; Minnesota AFL-CIO; Minnesota Center for Book Arts; Minnesota Educational Media Organization; Minnesota Library Foundation; Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association; Red Balloon Bookshop; Saint Paul Almanac; Wellington Management, Inc.; Xcel Energy. Media sponsors include Minnesota Public Radio (MPR); Pioneer Press and TwinCities.com; Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN); Swank Audio Visuals; Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) Minnesota Channel. Generous support has been provided by The Boss Foundation; Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts, Huss Foundation, The Katherine B. Andersen Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation; City of Saint Paul - Cultural STAR Program; Minnesota Department of Education—State Library Services.