The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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Ask a Bookseller

Ask a Bookseller is a weekly series where host Emily Bright checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment. Listen to Ask a Bookseller to find your next favorite book.

Big Books and Bold Ideas

Big Books and Bold Ideas is a weekly series hosted by Kerri Miller and produced by Kelly Gordon every Friday at 11 a.m., featuring conversations about books and other literary ideas. Listen to Big Books and Bold Ideas here.

Talking Volumes

Talking Volumes is an annual event series featuring notable authors in conversation about their new books. Presented by MPR News and The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Why it's difficult to make a movie from a comic book
If you want to make an animated film out of a comic book, logic suggests just taking what's on the pages, make it move and slap it on the screen. Not so says Marjane Satrapi. She wrote the best selling "Persepolis" graphic novels and directed an award winning film based on the story.
Robert Bly takes on a Norwegian masterpiece
Minnesota author and poet Robert Bly has written a new translation of Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt. It premieres on the Guthrie Theater stage this weekend.
Sara Paretsky revisits 'Bleeding Kansas'
After writing a string of hard-boiled detective novels featuring private eye V.I. Warshawski, author Sara Paretsky is returning to her roots. Her new novel, "Bleeding Kansas," is set in a small town on the prairie.
Dr. Jon Hallberg: Top medical stories of 2007
MPR's Tom Crann talks to Dr. Jon Hallberg about some of 2007's most interesting medical stories.
Pipestone's Hiawatha Pageant to close after 60 years
A summertime play in Pipestone seen by more than a half million people is ending. It's one of several outdoor dramas around the country that have closed in recent years.
A teacher looks at war through words
An English teacher at West Point explains her literary choices for expanding the minds of her student cadets, some of whom will soon become soldiers.
Twin Cities top most literate list
Minneapolis has topped a list of the most literate cities in America. St. Paul landed at number three on the list, which is part of a study by Central Connecticut State University.
Teen lit picks
Two Twin Cities authors received an important honor this year: they each have a book on a list of works recommended by teen readers. John Coy says he's trying to fill a need for sports books that appeal to boys. David LaRochelle's recommended book describes the coming out of a gay teen.
Holiday stage sessions
Stage Sessions with Heather McElhatton and guest poet Bill Holm. The theme: "The Traditions Of Christmas: Those You Want and Those That Are Foisted Upon You." Guests include Robert Bly and Nirmala Rajashekar.
Is everyone a critic?
Professional criticism in newspapers may be declining, but the need for someone to weed through the wealth of media available online may be increasing.