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.

April 9, 2018 8:04 AM

The most frequently challenged books of 2017

Jay Asher's "Thirteen Reasons Why" and Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" top the American Library Association's list of "challenged" books from 2017. The list also includes Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give."

by The Associated Press

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April 9, 2018 5:58 AM

'No one meant to be in my office': A divorce lawyer's tips on staying together

James Sexton has seen the demise of more than a thousand marriages -- which inspired him to write a new book on how to keep it together. His advice? Keep communicating, and be painfully honest.

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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April 9, 2018 5:34 AM

The billion-dollar romance fiction industry has a diversity problem

No black author has ever won its top prize. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks about the issue with Alisha Rai, author of the "Forbidden Hearts" series.

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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April 8, 2018 1:17 PM

Feminist health guide 'Our Bodies, Ourselves' will stop publishing

The groundbreaking book was first released in the early 1970s. It gave women frank information about then-taboo topics like masturbation, birth control and female sexual anatomy.

by Neda Ulaby and Evie Stone

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April 8, 2018 12:00 AM

Birds open bottles and catfish hunt pigeons when 'Darwin Comes to Town'

volutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen's new book is a breezy (sometimes too breezy) account of the ways animals have adapted to city life, and the staggering impact humans have had on evolution.

by Genevieve Valentine

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April 7, 2018 4:50 PM

Bob Dylan contributes to new LGBT-themed love compilation

On "Universal Love," a new album released April 6, musicians like Bob Dylan, Kesha, and St. Vincent have recorded traditional love songs, with a twist: their pronouns have been changed to reflect same-sex romances.

by Mike Moen

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April 7, 2018 4:00 AM

'You're rooting for the good guys, and you can just smell and breathe the bad guys'

Anne Water recommends a "great, atmospheric story that sucks you into the world" of Appalachia.

by Tracy Mumford

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April 7, 2018 12:00 AM

'The Recovering' chronicles addiction

Author Leslie Jamison's new memoir of her years of alcoholism walks in the paths of drunken icons like Raymond Carver and John Cheever, describing the effects of intoxicants with gorgeous, exact care.

by Annalisa Quinn