Main Street

Sunday, October 17, 2021 - Two authors and their continued search for identity. We start with Tom Rademacher. He’san English teacher and Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year in 2014. His new book, “Raising Ollie,” is the story of his nonbinary, art-obsessed child; a new school where Ollie could flourish; and how raising Ollie led the author into insights about himself. ~~~We visit with Minnesota author Linda LeGarde Grover, author of Gichigami Hearts: Stories and Histories from Misaabekong. It’s a collection of twelve loosely connected essays and autobiographical stories that orbit around Linda’s family’s history and Ojibwe life in Duluth, Minnesota in the twentieth century. ~~~ Biologist Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on chipmunks.

Friday, October 15, 2021 - Ever told yourself or your kid to take a deep breath?….It helps us relax when we’re angry, sad, or panicking. Yoga is all about breathing and mindful movement. Ashley visits with yoga teachers Allison Rissel, Sigrid Strebe, and Bonny Fetch, who make the North Dakota Yoga Conference happen. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson is here for his weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews the new Bond film, “No Time to Die.”

Thursday, October 14, 2021 - Bringing art to unexpected places is a passion of artist Nicole Gagner, the founder of Meadowlark Mercantile. She got a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts to use old snack vending machines for art vending. Gagner partnered with Justin Cancilliere, the executive director of the BisMan Writers Guild to put homemade ‘zines in one of those machines. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay called “Searchlight for Cowboy Ballads.” ~~~ Anton Treuer is known for, among other things, writing "Everything you Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask." Recently he appeared in a webinar as part HumanitiesND’s Gamechanger series. We share an excerpt as he visits with Russ McDonald, President of United Tribes Technical College. ~~~ Sue Balcom discusses garlic in today’s episode of Main Street Eats.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 - Tom Rademacher is an English teacher and Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year in 2014. His new book, “Raising Ollie,” is the story of his nonbinary, art-obsessed child; a new school where Ollie could flourish; and how raising Ollie led the author into insights about himself. ~~~ Monday it was Indigenous People’s Day, but here on Main Street we’re having an Indigenous People’s Week! Today in an excerpt of the Prairie Pulse television show with host John Harris, we hear from Representative Ruth Buffalo, a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. ~~~ We’re proud to announce that the television service of Prairie Public has won a regional Emmy for “Wild Rice,” a feature produced by Andy Garske. Today we share the audio from that production.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021 - Yesterday was Indigenous People’s Day, and today we continue a week of Native American programming as we visit with Minnesota author Linda LeGarde Grover, author of Gichigami Hearts: Stories and Histories from Misaabekong. It’s a collection of twelve loosely connected essays and autobiographical stories that orbit around Linda’s family’s history and Ojibwe life in Duluth, Minnesota in the twentieth century. ~~~ We share a story about the drought in North Dakota from last Thursday’s All Things Considered by NPR reporter Kirk Siegler. ~~~ We visit once again with horticulturist Ron Smith as the growing season is about to wrap up.

Monday, October 11, 2021 - Today is Indigenous People's Day, a good day to talk about the Big Read project that kicks off on Wednesday. The Spirit Room in Fargo is one of 61 organizations nationwide selected to receive a Big Read grant this year. The project will not only feature US poet laureate Joy Harjo, but also Denise Lajimodiere. Denise joins us to preview the kickoff event at the Plains Art Museum where Denise will read from her book “His Feathers Were Chains.” Also at the event, Concordia musicians will play original compositions based on Denise’s poems. ~~~ We share a feature on North Dakota Native American Hall of Fame inductee David Dauphinais. ~~~ In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris visits with Dr. Doug Griffin, chief medical officer at Sanford Health.

Sunday, October 10, 2021 - Disrupt: The Rebellious Future of HR wants professionals to rethink what they know about human resources. Bradley Aune is the Veterans Rep at Job Service North Dakota. She is speaking at an upcoming Disrupt HR event in Fargo about gender-based dress codes, the concept of productivity, and how to be your authentic self at work. ~~~ James Han Mattson grew up in North Dakota and currently lives in Grand Forks. His new novel, Reprieve is out tomorrow, and it’s accumulating a lot of early praise. The novel is set at a full-contact haunted escape room and begins with a horrific murder. ~~~ They’re called milkweeds, but are they a weed? We learn more about them in a Natural North Dakota essay from Chuck Lura.

Friday, October 8, 2021 - UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein joins us on the topic of “How do philosophers talk about sex, love, and desire?” It’s a preview of his conversation on “Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life” this Sunday when he visits with Sarah LaChance Adams of the University of North Florida, the author of “New Philosophies of Sex and Love: Thinking Through Desire.” ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for a discussion of this week’s headlines. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Venom: Let There be Carnage.”

Thursday, October 7, 2021 - The University of Mary is staging an original theater production that draws upon stories of the Homesteaders of North Dakota. Joining us is writer and director Daniel Bielinski. ~~~ NDSU history professor Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Bachelor’s Lament.” ~~~ They’re called milkweeds, but are they a weed? We learn more about them in a Natural North Dakota essay from Chuck Lura. ~~~ Sue Balcom discusses weather folklore in today’s episode of Main Street Eats.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021 - On Thursday, the television service of Prairie Public will begin a new TV musical travelogue called “Wish You Were Here.” It’s a concert series that features locations in the Dakotas. Moderating the show is our guest today, Eliza Blue, who is known to Main Street listeners for her monthly Postcards from the Prairie. ~~~ Eric Dregni is the author of “For the Love of Cod -- A Father and Sons Search for Norwegian happiness.” He’ll be at the Sons of Norway lodge in Fargo on Friday, so we thought this would be a good time to re-air our conversation with him from earlier this year.