He may be one of the most prominent Indian writers around today, but Sherman Alexie doesn’t play to the expectations of either white or Native American audiences. Though he almost always writes about characters who are, like himself, Indians from the Seattle/Spokane area, he feels no obligation to the traditions of identity politics and aims … Read more
MIT physics professor Lightman is best known for Einstein’s Dreams, a brilliantly elliptical series of spare, magical-realist vignettes which explored what it would be like if the laws of physics worked differently—what-if tales not so much science fiction as brief essays on the limits of human nature. He switched gears for The Diagnosis, a National … Read more
You’ve heard the rumors: Deep in the bowels of TPT’s St. Paul studios, former governor, pro wrestler, and Navy SEAL Jesse Ventura is preparing for his debut as an MSNBC television host. Sadly, the launch date of the Ventura show (and the triumphant return of our favorite public servant and bloviator) keeps getting postponed. What … Read more
Artist Santiago Cucullu has worked himself into a corner. In recent months, the twenty-something former Minneapolitan has struck proverbial gold in the art world—appearing in the Walker Art Center’s multinational blockbuster exhibition “When Latitudes Become Forms,” and also landing a one-year residency at the Core Artists Program at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. So … Read more
Regardless of how much you admire Madonna’s ability to reinvent herself over the last 20 years, there’s a point at which you see her on your TV screen for the millionth time and snore. No matter how many expensively-produced albums and impeccably orchestrated world tours Madonna churns out, no matter how many new styles and … Read more
I’m sorry, but I have to strongly disagree with the Rev. Rahelio Soleil’s point of view on the result of last November’s election [Letters, June]. Minnesota did not get it done to us. We did not get mugged. Yes, the Republican party spent lots of money and hauled in the heavy artillery to shill for … Read more
What if a violent criminal, heavily armed, came into a place of business with one of those posters on the door [Centerfold, June]? Knowing that there was no one else armed, he/she would have full authority to rob, rape, or murder any/all in the place. What is the harm in letting responsible citizens trying to … Read more
In his little piece [“Bullet Points,” June], Oliver Tuanis closes by saying, “Presumably, the state will be around sometime later to sign you up for the ‘well regulated’ militia.” Mr. Tuanis may be surprised to know that he’s probably already “signed up,” as are a lot of your readers. According to the United States Code, … Read more
Thank you, O Rake, for daring to treat the current disassembling piece-by-piece of the place where I used to live with just a dash of humor. Why not? I used to live in a state whose schools were considered second only to California’s (but that’s another story), whose voters participated in elections at a higher … Read more
Regarding “Dirty Dancing” [June], Richard Jacobsen is a savvy and genius businessman. People dislike him because “whining” is out; creating a science and business out of a morally controversial profession is in. His businesses are tightly run in comparison to other clubs in the industry. Correction: Gentlemen’s clubs DO NOT sell sex, they “sell” fantasies. … Read more