Arts and Culture

Chicago has The Second City. New York has Saturday Night Live. And in Minneapolis, Brittany Parker’s working to make “Locally Grown Comedy” our hometown sketch comedy showcase. Parker, who is the writer, producer and creator behind the “filmed comedy and musical sketch show” speaks with guest host Tim Nelson about her work and her upcoming Oct. 3 show.

This week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas conversation is with Boyah J. Farah. His new book, “America Made me a Black Man,” traces his path from Somalia to the United States. Emily Bernard also knows what it is like to wrestle with being Black in this country. Enjoy her 2019 interview as you anticipate the show with Farah on Friday.

Many of the new movie superheroes star Latino actors or have Latino characters. Their origin stories are diverse.

Actor and WWE wrestling icon John Cena has just set a new Guinness World Record for granting 650 wishes through the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Palabristas emerged in 2002 as a national poetry reading event came to town. The group’s co-founder says Latino voices were missing from it.

“A Spoonful of Frogs” was written by Casey Lyall and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Vera Brosgol. Angela Whited says she’s already read this book at story time at Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, and the book was a hit with listeners of all ages.

Fireweed Community Woodshop teaches hundreds of woodworking classes every year for beginners and experts looking for a welcoming, non-judgmental space.

Full of the beauty and drama she used to bring to life the Shakespearean story of “Hamnet,” Maggie O’Farrell turns to Renaissance Italy in her new novel, “The Marriage Portrait,” where she paints a picture of a resilient young girl trying to avoid being killed by her new husband.

Art Hounds recommend the music of The Ensemble Aras in a concert featuring Minnesota musicians. Lanesboro’s History Alive! stages a combination pop-up play and walking tour, and a Minneapolis book launch features well-known authors and a comedian.

Elizabeth Strout's latest is a chronicle of a plague year — and also of the main character's growing insights into herself, her family, and their changing relationships during this period.