The Rake Magazine

Author: rakemag

  • Material issues…

    The first-ever Rake Appeal event is tonight. It features trend master Robyn Waters reading from and discussing her new book, The Hummer and the Mini. And it’s set at a BMW dealership, which, coincidentally, sells the Mini… Some wine and cheese are tossed in for good measure–‘cept this is a tricky instance cuz you might want to do a test drive, too.

    And after a very exciting, and very sexy, Collage fashion show last night, I’m quite excited to plug the Sashion Flow event at Soo Visual Arts… (Can you spot a favorite Rake intern among the models?) If memory serves, this one’s being done in collaboration with Lula’s Vintage, over on Selby Ave. in St. Paul, a fine place to score 50s- and 60s- era wares.

  • Tommy Keene

    Tommy Keene, one of the “greatest, underappreciated indie rock icons of all time” (nugget courtesy of Mr. Brad Zellar), plays the 400 Bar this eve. If you haven’t heard of ‘im, please refer to the college music charts from the 1980s. The inimitable Mr. Keene has since had the good taste to align himself with the likes of Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett (you know, that poor guy whose canning was the thick of the plot in I Am Trying to Break Your Heart) as well as Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard.

  • A look at his Willy

    Psst! It seems Mr. Zellar’s blog has won the notice of a rather particular circle of British writers and poets. The Willesden Herald is a literary blog kept up by the town’s network of scribes, which includes the likes of Zadie Smith, who famously featured Willesden in her novel White Teeth. Scroll down the page to the entry titled “The Golden Willy Awards 2006.” There you’ll find Open All Night listed under “Best creative writing.” And you’ll find a host of other great literary blogs, too. Happy reading!

  • May I have another?

    The newly released October issue provides today’s much-needed dose of inspiration. Right there on page 55, a one David de Young is quoted (by me) as saying that the Hexagon Bar is a mighty fine place for catching the newest ‘n most interesting bands. I credit this to the work of the club’s booker, the brilliant Mr. Christopher Dorn, who doubles as the famous frontman of the 90s indie pop powerhouse The Beatifics and triples as a walking reference library for all things bubblegum and dream pop. He’s also a good friend of mine.

    In any case, tonight the Hexagon and HOMOCORE Minneapolis host the Austin, Texas-based band The TunaHelpers–a puppet-wielding, prom dress-wearing, all-girl trio of fairy rockers. On a related note, also from the October issue: read our interview with Joan Jett, who weighs in on the dwindling presence of women in rawk.

  • From totally geek to totally chic…

    Attention theater geeks: if tonight’s Ivey Awards are anything like last year, we’re in for a hot, hot evening (or, at the very least, a hot, hot after-party). Now, I’ve been privy to some speculation about who and what will win these second annual Ivey awards. But who cares, really… We’ve got more important things on our minds, right? Such as what to wear.

  • the Netherlands

    Dear Rakemag Production team,

    I’ve been a Rake reader since my dad first introduced me to the magazine about two years ago. As a lifelong metro area resident (I’m from Anoka) and a current student at the U, I appreciate the stories, commentary, reviews and info every month. I am studying abroad in Amsterdam, the Netherlands this semester and I was very excited to see the April copy of the Rake in a care-package sent from home. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to be “red-handed” abroad with one of my favorite hometown reads. The picture attached was taken at Keukenhof (www.keukenhof.nl), one of the largest (if not the largest) flower gardens in the world located in Lisse, the Netherlands. It is full of thousands of flowers, mostly tulips, which is what the Netherlands is famous for. This sunny spot was the perfect place to enjoy a bit of home on a beautiful spring day amid the flowers of the Netherlands.

    Thanks for a consistently great magazine,

    Katlin Brown

    Katlin Brown

  • Argentina

    We took the Rake on our Builder’s Club trip to Argentina in January. These photos were taken at Iguazu Falls located on the border of Argentina and Brazil. Our guidebook stated that “Even the most hardened of waterfall yawners will be taken aback by the Iguazu Falls.” They were right! Pictures do not do justice to its magnitude. Our magazine got soaked from the spray at this portion of the falls known as the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat).

    Kathy Kraulik and Greg Johnson

  • Iraq

    Dear Rake Staff, Attached is a photo of myself and a fellow soldier in Iraq holding the current issue of the Rake magazine. “Here we are standing next to our Hummer located near the Ziggeratte of ancient Ur. We’re currently stationed at Camp Adder, Iraq with the Minnesota Army National Guard. We were so thrilled to see an issue of the Rake! It brought a touch of green to this hot, dry and very dusty land. By the way, it’s 120 degrees today.”
    Thanks Rake!! from the troops

    Master Sergeant Pederson and Staff Sergeant Horgan

    Mary Horgan

  • Left Wanting More

    I’m 45 years old, teach remedial Reading in an elementary school, and am a voracious reader. I turn to your mag for the kind of writing I crave and can’t find in any other Minneapolis mag. Never before have I written to a publication, but also, never before have I felt such a craving. I was riveted by Jeannine Ouellette’s story, “Daughter of God” [September]. I want, need, and strongly hope this was just a taste of the full book that is to come on Grace’s life. Extraordinary. Please tell me there’s more.

    Editor’s note: Indeed, Grace Kolenda Deters and Jeannine Ouellette are working on Grace’s story, and “Daughter of God” is actually just a taste of what is to come.

    Liz Johnson, Waconia

  • Burning Up

    I had no problem keeping warm in my air-conditioned office as I read Kirsten Major’s article, “Sun So Hot I Froze to Death” [August]. In fact, I was burning up with rage, as I became nauseous at the idea of using a personal space heater in order to keep warm in an air-conditioned office. While reading Vanity Fair the author must have missed the widespread alarm raised by contemporary scientists, proclaiming that we are causing irreparable damage to our home, planet Earth. Such behavior perhaps is emblematic of her patriotic American attitude, which on a national scale wastes a quarter of the world’s energy yet ignores the Kyoto Protocol. Why carpool or use public transportation when you can drive a large SUV alone? Why ask the building’s management to turn up the thermostat when you can just plug in a heater and waste away? Well, it’s nice to have your own freedom and why not just ignore the fact that electricity is vastly inefficient at heating and sixty-two percent of it is generated by coal. Unfortunately, Ms. Major won’t be the only one going to hell; our sick lungs and children, who won’t enjoy a moderate global climate, will have to burn in hell for her fashionable attire as well.

    Vladimir Makarov, Edina