MN Book Award Winners & Finalists Take Center Stage
at Metro Area Libraries, Bookstores and Other Venues
The Book Awards seeks to connect readers with Minnesota books,
authors, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and more - through programs
and outreach activities year-round. Meet some of the best authors in the state at free
events throughout the 100+ metro-area libraries represented by MELSA. A
partial list of author events follows. If your library or bookstore
would like us to list your Minnesota Book Award-related event, please
send the details to info@thefriends.org.
Regional Public Library Systems coordinate and improve public library services within their regions and across the state. Join them as they celebrate 25 years of honoring Minnesota's best writers and books at free events in public libraries statewide, featuring past and current honorees. Minnesota Book Awards 25th Birthday Bash dates and locations.
Turn Here, Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works
Wednesday, April 17, 7 p.m.
Highland Park Library
1974 Ford Parkway, Saint Paul
Atina Diffley presents her book as part of the "Eating, Reading and Living Well" series, sponsored by Mississippi Market. This award-winning memoir offers a master class in organic farming, a lesson in entrepreneurship, a love story, and a legal thriller.
MotionPoems: A 10-Film Salute to the Minnesota Book Awards
Monday, April 29, 7 p.m.
Grandview Cinema
1830 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and Motionpoems present a 10-Film Salute to the Minnesota Book Awards. Join us for ten films of poetry by Minnesota Book Awards finalists and winners, including Robert Bly, Eireann Lorsung, Robert Hedin, Tim Nolan, Dobby Gibson, Madelon Sprengnether, and Todd Boss.
Co-founded in 2008 by animator/producer Angella Kassube and poet Todd Boss, Motionpoems is a nonprofit production company that broadens the audience for poetry by turning great contemporary poems into short films. They introduce America's best video artists to America's best living writers, and step aside. Then they make the resulting films available for free to subscribers and screen them at film festivals, cinemas, libraries, museums, schools, and bookstores. This program is free and open to the public.
Also at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis April 24th, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. TICKETS ARE FREE BUT RESERVATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED through the Walker Box Office: (612) 375-7622. A co-presentation of The Minneapolis / St Paul International Film Festival, which runs April 11-28. More at mspfilmfest.org.
Please visit www.motionpoems.com for more information about the films.
Lauren Stringer's Book Launch:
WHEN STRAVINSKY MET NIJINSKY
Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot
By Lauren Stringer
In 1913 Paris, Igor Stravinsky the composer and Vaslav Nijinsky the dancer/choreographer, took the western European art world by storm when the Ballet Russes premiered "The Rite of Spring"... The new sounds, more harsh and dissonant, and the new steps, more earthy and folkloric, left the audience both wildly cheering and jeering. Stringer winningly plays with the symmetry of the two names in her rhythmic text and dynamic page design. The vibrantly saturated colors of her paintings pulse with energy. Musical notes, figures rehearsing and boisterous crowds at the premiere fill the pages. Humorous details abound, notably an appealing dog and cat who watch the artistes create. The music is familiar not only to concert goers, but also to fans of the fiery volcanoes and fearsome dinosaurs in Fantasia. Said Nijinsky to Stravinsky: “What an uproar and what a delight!” Music and dance made entertaining and joyous. --Kirkus (starred)
Children’s Literature Network’s Chapter & Verse Bookclub
Thursday, April 18th, 7 p.m.
The Bookcase, 824 Lake Street East, Wayzata, MN
A special celebration for the book and the author.
Well Versed: MNBA Poetry Finalists Appearing Together
You might think that the Minnesota Book Awards is a cut-throat affair, with finalists eyeballing each other balefully when they happen to meet, dissing each other's work, hiding their rivals' books in bookstores... No, no! This is Minnesota! And this is writers we're talking about! Read more of Laurie Hertzel's story about Poets United.
May 6, 7 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, Roseville
Watch this space for possible additional dates and locations
Birthday Bash!
Join the 25th Birthday Celebration of the Minnesota Book Awards at free special events around the state! Please call or visit each library's website for more information. Sponsored by The Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators in part with funds from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
April 22, 6:30 p.m.
Moorhead Public Library
Sponsored by the Lake Agassiz Regional Library
April 26, 7:00 p.m.
Legacy Hall, Fergus Falls
Sponsored by the Viking Library System
April 26, 7:00 p.m.
Douglas County Library, Alexandria
Sponsored by the Viking Library System
April 27, 7:00 p.m.
Thorson Memorial Library, Elbow Lake
Sponsored by the Viking Library System
April 27, 7:00 p.m.
Veterans Museum, Perham
Sponsored by the Viking Library System
May 7, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Rochester Civic Theater
Sponsored by SELCO (Southeastern Libraries Cooperating)
May 9, 7:00 p.m.
North Branch Area Library
Sponsored by the East Central Regional Library
For more information about these and other Minnesota Book Awards-related events at Twin Cities metro area libraries, please visit MELSA.org and click on DATEbook.