Meet Emily Bright

Emily Bright is a newscaster and weekend host at MPR News. She produces two weekly arts and books features, Art Hounds and Ask a Bookseller, and also fills in as a host for other shows across MPR News. Emily has worked for MPR News since 2017.  

Emily came to radio with a background in writing and teaching, having taught English at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin-Eau​ Claire for several years.  

Before MPR News, she worked as community features editor at WXPR​ in Rhinelander, Wis. Her freelance work in print and radio has appeared in MinnPost​, “KFAI​ -​ 10,000 Fresh Voices,” “PRX Re-mix​,” and Brains On!, a science podcast for kids from American Public Media. She also cowrote and produced season three and four of KFAI's “MinneCulture​” podcast.  

Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Williams College and a master’s degree in poetry from the University of Minnesota. She is the author of the forthcoming poetry collection, “Fierce Delight: Poems of Early Motherhood” (North Star Press, 2025) and co-author of “Powerful Ideas in Teaching: Creating Environments Where Students Want to Learn.” 

Emily loves Minnesota's thriving literary scene. She’s also happy to live in a state with an official state muffin (blueberry).  

You can find Emily Bright on X.