[“The Worthlessness of Things,” June] was a great article with deeply depressing content. The writing style made me feel like I was walking through the man’s life myself. The unsatisfying and abrupt ending was perfect for the theme of an unfinished life. Jim Larson Minneapolis
I enjoyed “Church and State” by Adam Minter. Especially because one of his observations reveals a flaw in the progressive value of tolerance and the point at which tolerance becomes irrelevant. “Johnson espouses tolerance as a philosophy, but he has a difficult time extending it in this instance,” Minter writes of Sen. Johnson’s dissatisfaction with … Read more
On the surface, Armi Ratia and Lilly Pulitzer have a lot in common. Both women got their start in the 1950s and became famous for producing fabrics printed with bright colors and bold graphics. Both had a spirited, playful appeal—Pulitzer had her kitschy duck and turtle patterns, and Ratia named her company Marimekko, which translates … Read more
The iron ore mine in Tower, Minnesota, closed in 1962. Now Tower’s major industry is Lake Vermilion, an island-studded jewel and one of the last outposts of private property before you arrive at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Outside Tower, there is a turn to Old Highway 169, and then another onto an old … Read more
Janice writes: I took these pictures of my great nephews, Erik (8) and Joe (6) Brandt from Uster, while in Switzerland visiting them on vacation. The pictures were taken in Zurich. We left the Rake Magazine with our niece and nephew and family to read. The boys are Minnesota Twins fans and were interested in … Read more
In anticipation of Lance’s final ride in the Tour de France this month, let’s cast a look back to one year ago. High above the 494 strip in Bloomington, on the twenty-fourth floor of a glass office tower, at the stroke of noon on a “summer hours” Friday, twenty amateur bicyclists sweated, sprinted, and occasionally … Read more
Stephanie writes: Here is a pic of me reading my favorite local rag while on an Outward Bound staff dogsledding/skiing/camping trip in Ely, MN near the Outward Bound school on the edge of the BWCAW. The temps never fell below 20 degrees that week in Feb. and topped out around 50 degrees the day before … Read more
It’s hard to imagine these days, but during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together peacefully in a region that extended from North Africa to Spain. What’s more, they colluded to create medieval Andalusia, an intellectual and tolerant society that lit up the Dark Ages of Europe with rich food, art, … Read more
Hannibal Lecter didn’t give his costume department half the fun that Audrey II, the avocado-crossed-with-a-venus-flytrap puppet-plant, does. Little Shop of Horrors is a black American musical par excellence, pushed over the top by its stars, the bloodthirsty plant and Dr. Orin, the sadistic dentist clad in black leather. (His wicked anthem to his profession still … Read more
Old television stars don’t die; they go to the Guthrie. We greatly enjoyed Patrick Stewart onstage there a few years back. Now more big names from the small screen, Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett, star in His Girl Friday, which John Guare has adapted from both Hollywood’s screwball romance and the original play The … Read more