We are flat-landers in fly-over country. There is nothing spectacular about the geography of Minnesota. Sure, we have our granite-rimmed lakes and our occasional tracts of pine, aspen, birch, and oak. We even have the relatively inspiring North Shore, Taylors Falls, the bluff country of Winona, and Cabella’s. But there is nothing here that compares … Read more
When the wind is right, a battalion of vents pushing through the roof of 3753 Nicollet Avenue pump a fried, spicy scent into the sky that can reach you as far away as Stevens and 38th. There are throngs of eaters who are cultishly devoted to the soul-food of Shorty and Wag’s Wings and Ribs. … Read more
The persistent claim that it’s the “Greatest Movie Ever” leaves us a little cold—it seems a little too easy to put this at the top of the list, a safe choice nobody can really argue with. And the Rosebud mystery that bookends the drama seems more heavyhanded and gimmicky every time we watch it. Those … Read more
The Vikings thought the northern lights were the unearthly spirits of Valkyries pointing the way to the warrior’s afterlife in Valhalla. Eskimos thought they were evil spirits who decapitated the heads of children for sport. A former BBC documentarian tells a true story no less strange and tragic in The Northern Lights . Turn of … Read more
On the one-year anniversary, security checkpoints at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport’s Lindbergh terminal looked-well staffed and efficient. Most ticket holders moved through with only a whiff of delay, even young men dressed entirely in black. And if a profiling pattern emerged at all, security staff appeared to select elderly white men for closer inspection … Read more
Bill Parreault owes his life, or at least his current livelihood, to Big Tobacco. Of course, at his current rate of smoking two packs a day, the 62 year old may eventually also owe them his death. But he can’t quit. And judging from the number of cigarette butts he sweeps up during his daily … Read more
My neighbor Venus is the front person for a band called All the Pretty Horses. He or she sports a lovely pair of partridge-sized breasts that peek out over a leather bustier, a talent for fearsome guitar licks, and a vocal apparatus that effortlessly blends the power of Diamanda Galas with the decadence of David … Read more
The setting wasn’t exactly Marshall Field’s. Merchandise was stacked on folding tables under fluorescent shoplights in a concrete warehouse. Customers were dressed casually, but some accessorized with Rolex watches and gold jewelry, which they proudly proclaimed had been purchased for a fraction of their original price. “I’m surprised at what is able to be stolen,” … Read more
For 23 years, Rick Lindsey has lived aboard a renovated World War II warship that he salvaged himself. Previous owners had stripped the ship of everything of value, including the deck planking and pilothouse. Eventually, it was abandoned in the St. Croix River. There the wooden hull lay, half submerged, until Lindsey found it one … Read more
Frankly, the lady of the house is tired of talking about the ghosts. She doesn’t believe in them. But with wry resignation, she informed The Rake that she would tell us what she knows, and even invited us over to see for ourselves. She’s used to being pestered like this. Making time for writers seeking … Read more