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Arts and Culture

MPR News has you covered with news and stories about local art and culture happenings across Minnesota.

Art Hounds: Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art. You can explore arts events here, or become an Art Hound today.

Art Reviews: Our arts team offers insight on the latest in theater, music, visual arts and more. We explore the breadth of creativity and innovation found throughout Minnesota, offering audiences a deeper understanding of the works and artists shaping our cultural landscape. Read more here.

Art Friend: Everyone needs an art friend. Art Friend is a new segment with our arts team. Art spaces can feel exclusive and art can be confusing, obtuse, and even boring. But, especially with the right context, everyone can be a critic. So let us be your guide- your Art Friend. Listen or read Art Friend stories here.

Our arts coverage is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

'Eat Joy': Top authors serve up recipes that gave them comfort in dark times

'Eat Joy': Top authors serve up recipes that gave them comfort in dark times

In a new book of essays, writers such as Claire Messud and Edwidge Danticat share stories of surviving dark times and the foods entwined with those memories. Think of it as a cathartic dinner party.

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Racial unrest of early '90s Los Angeles resurfaces in 'Your House Will Pay'

Racial unrest of early '90s Los Angeles resurfaces in 'Your House Will Pay'

Steph Cha's new novel takes place in the present day, but she connects her story of Korean American and black communities in LA to the riots and injustices of nearly three decades ago.
by Ailsa Chang

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For author Kevin Wilson, writing offers a brief reprieve from Tourette's

For author Kevin Wilson, writing offers a brief reprieve from Tourette's

For Wilson, Tourette's syndrome means living with intrusive thoughts that flash disturbing images without warning. His novel, Nothing to See Here, was inspired by visions of spontaneous combustion.
by Terry Gross

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Film and television comic John Witherspoon dies at 77

Film and television comic John Witherspoon dies at 77

He was a veteran of 1970s television comedies such as Good Times and What's Happening!!, but was best known for his role in Ice Cube's Friday films.
by Scott Neuman

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In new memoir 'Ordinary Girls,' Jaquira Díaz searches for home

In new memoir 'Ordinary Girls,' Jaquira Díaz searches for home

Jaquira Díaz grew up in a public housing project in Puerto Rico; her father was a drug dealer and her mother was diagnosed as schizophrenic. As a child, she says, "I thought everyone lived like this."
by Steve Inskeep

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'Shadow Network' offers a lesson on the American right's mastery of politics

'Shadow Network' offers a lesson on the American right's mastery of politics

Anne Nelson links "the manpower and media of the Christian right," "finances of Western plutocrats," and "strategy of right-wing Republican political operatives" via the Council for National Policy.
by Michael Schaub

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