Friends Forum: A Series for Curious Minds

Lacie McMillin and Lisa Von Drasek discuss the Sonali Dev “Raje Series” on this installment of Read This Book! The Rajes are an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco. McMillin is a Undergraduate Services Specialist with the University of Minnesota Libraries. Von Drasek is curator of the University of Minnesota's Children's Literature Research Collection, home to the Kerlan Collection. The post Dev’s ‘Raje Series’ reviewed on Read This Book! appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Poet Freya Manfred read from her latest book, “When I was Young and Old” during a June 15, 2023 event at the University of Minnesota's Elmer L. Andersen Library. The post When I Was Young and Old, a reading by Freya Manfred appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

The 14th Annual Pankake Poetry reading, named for librarian Marcia Pankake, took place on April 4, 2023. Poet and cultural worker Sun Yung Shin read from her latest book of poetry, “The Wet Hex,” a finalist for the 2023 Minnesota Book Award for poetry. She described it as a book “about what our ancestors are asking of us.” Our audience, both in person and online, listened with rapt attention as she read. The post Pankake Poetry with Sun Yung Shin appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

A Feast of Words speaker Mike Dockry reminded the Friends of the Libraries group that all lands in the United States were formerly native lands. The post Let indigenous people lead appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Mary Moore Easter offered a captivating presentation on Dec. 6. With her co-presenters — Joan Hepburn, a retired Professor of English, with a concentration of West African theater, from St. Olaf College, and Siddeeqah Shabazz, actor at Pillsbury House Theater and the Guthrie Theater, as well as Executive Director of Kulture Klub Collaborative — Easter quoted from Winston’s brief court testimony, along with her own poems, to recreate the life of a woman who escaped to freedom in Minnesota. The post Keeping the Past appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

David Mura was the featured poet at the 13th Annual Pankake Poetry on April 7, 2022 at the University of Minnesota's Elmer L. Andersen Library. reading featuring Mura has written four books of poetry, has won numerous awards for his writing, and has taught at several colleges and universities, including the University of Minnesota. Following the reading, poet Ed Bok Lee and Mura engaged in conversation.  The post Pankake Poetry Reading featuring David Mura appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

“Humanities on the Front Lines: Public Partnerships and Transforming the University” was the title of the Jan. 27, 2022 presentation for A Feast of Words, an annual event presented by the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries and the Campus Club. Professor Jigna Desai and Associate Professor Tracey Deutsch discussed the important work of Minnesota Transform, a higher education initiative funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that addresses decolonial and racial justice in the University, Twin Cities, and state through public humanities projects. The post A Feast of Words: Minnesota Transform appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” said Larry McKenzie, award-winning coach, speaker, and author, during the Nov. 18 Friends of the Libraries event Amplifying Black Narratives: The Creation of Black Narratives. Among the important resources for creating Black narratives are people who serve as “mirrors” that reflect possibilities yet may be scarce in the community. McKenzie was joined by Sheletta Brundidge, Sagirah Shahid, and Dara Beevas. The post Deserving recognition appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

The Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries hosted an online panel discussion on Oct.... The post Amplifying Black Narratives: Black Publishers and Black Bookstores appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Jokeda (JoJo) Bell, Tia-Simone Gardner, and Catherine Squires joined moderator Cecily Marcus for a conversation... The post Amplifying Black Narratives: Past, Present, and Future appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

The 12th annual Pankake Poetry reading features poet Deborah Keenan, the author of 10 collections of poetry. Her book, “Willow Room, Green Door: New and Selected Poems,” received the Minnesota Book Award for Poetry. Following the reading, there will be a discussion with Keenan led by James Lenfestey. The post Pankake Poetry featuring Deborah Keenan appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, the Mapping Prejudice project has attracted media attention from across the globe. What began here has exploded into the largest protest in American history. The whole world was watching as our community was ripped apart, partly as a consequence of decades of unjust and discriminatory housing practices. Learn how community researchers are mapping the hidden histories of race and privilege in your neighborhood — and how you can join them. The post Mapping Prejudice appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Please join the University of Minnesota Libraries for an international virtual book launch for “The Selected Letters of John Berryman,” edited by Philip Coleman (Trinity College Dublin) and Calista McRae (New Jersey Institute of Technology). The editors and invited guests — including Eve Cobain, Henri Cole, Ray Gonzalez, Patricia Hampl, and Richard J. Kelly — will read from Berryman’s letters and consider his legacy in a discussion moderated by poet and critic Peter Campion. Bringing together scholars and poets from both sides of the Atlantic, the launch will explore how the letters shed light on Berryman’s life and work. The post John Berryman’s Selected Letters appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Emeritus Professor Dr. John S. Wright discusses his intellectual forebearers and the African American renaissance men and women who inspire his work. Dr. Wright will be joined by Cecily Marcus, Curator of the University Libraries’ Givens Collection of African American Literature, the Performing Art Archives, and the Upper Midwest Literary Archives. The post A Feast of Words: John Wright — the Unapologetic Omnivore appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

At a time when immigration is at the forefront of national news, we hear the singular voice of Wang Ping, a poet, writer, photographer, multimedia artist, and activist reading from her new book “My Name Is Immigrant.” Drawing from her own experiences and those of the immigrants she has met along the way, her poignant renderings are both moving and inspiring. Following the reading, there was a discussion with Wang Ping led by Cecily Marcus, curator of the Upper Midwest Literary Archives. The post Pankake Poetry featuring Wang Ping appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

The Secret Life of Libraries was a smash hit to a crowded room of Libraries friends on Monday, December 9 at Coffman Memorial Union Theater. Watch it now on YouTube! It truly was an evening of radio antics with A Prairie Home Companion veterans, Sue Scott, Tim Russell, and Richard Dworsky, who wrote the radio play based on the collections and the intrigue at the University of Minnesota Libraries. The post ‘The Secret Life of Libraries’ now on YouTube appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Watch or listen to "Truth, Tweets, and Tomorrows" — featuring Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero in conversation with journalist Tom Weber. This event, held May 17, 2019 at the University of Minnesota, was sponsored by the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries. The post Ferriero talks about archiving presidential records appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Teaching poetry while in prison, being present at an airport bomb explosion, and traveling internationally have shaped Jim Moore as a writer and pivotal figure on Minnesota’s poetry scene for more than four decades. Moore read from his works at the 2019 Pankake Poetry event, held April 3 at the University of Minnesota. The post Pankake Poetry reading with Jim Moore now online appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Sara Evans, Regents Professor Emerita at the University of Minnesota, led a panel of powerful women, including Carolyn Chalmers, Lindsey Middlecamp, Simran Mishra, and Mariam Mohamed, that considered the rise of the #MeToo movement in historical context: What is its breadth and depth? Will it result in lasting cultural change? The post #MeToo event video now online appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Chef Sean Sherman presented at the 2018-2019 kickoff of the Friends Forum on October 16 at the Bell Museum. His topic: Reclaiming the Culture of Indigenous American Cuisine. The post Chef Sherman presentation now on YouTube appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Joseph Haj, the Guthrie's eighth artistic director and his Associate Artistic Director, Jeffrey Meanza, discussed the value of the western canon, its continuing relevance, and its agency for social change May 2 at the University of Minnesota Friends of the Libraries' annual celebration. Haj also talked about the history of the Guthrie and its longstanding importance to Minnesotans. The post Joseph Haj: A Conversation appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Margaret Hasse read from her most recent publication, Between Us, as well as other works at the Pankake Poetry Reading on April 11, 2018 at the University of Minnesota's Andersen Library.  The post Pankake Poetry Reading with Margaret Hasse appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Alan Page has had an extraordinary career trajectory. Discover his motivations and passions in this conversation with Gary Eichten, known and revered for his many years as an MPR host and news editor. The discussion took place May 9, 2017 at the University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center as part of the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries annual celebration. The post Alan Page, in conversation with Gary Eichten appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

J. Ryan Stradal and food writer Beth Dooley embarked on a delightful excursion through today’s food scene with stories of farmers, cheese makers, butchers, home cooks, chefs, sommeliers, and restaurateurs at the 3rd Kirschner Lecture December 1, 2016 at Cowles Auditorium at the University of Minnesota.  The post 3rd Kirschner Lecture with Beth Dooley and J. Ryan Stradal appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Joseph Ellis presented 'The Second Founding: Four Men Who Created a Country' on September 28, 2016 at the University of Minnesota's Ted Mann Concert Hall. Ellis, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783–1789, discussed one of the most crucial periods in American history — the years between the end of the Revolution and the formation of the federal government — and the men most responsible for the creation of the United States: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. The event, attended by nearly 700 people, was sponsored by the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries. The post Joseph Ellis – The Second Founding: Four Men Who Created a Country appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Kevin Kling takes a look at stories of stories, the role of stories in our lives, and memories as alibis or evidence. Why do we need stories? Are stories medicine? And, of course, there will be stories. All this and more at the University of Minnesota Friends of the Libraries annual celebration on May 4, 2016. The post Kevin Kling: Books Cast Their Spell on Me appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Pop Wagner, a mainstay of the Minnesota music community, performed December 9, 2015 at a special event, sponsored by the University of Minnesota Friends of the Libraries.  The post Pop Wagner: Rolling on a Winter’s Night appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Celebrated lion researcher and conservationist Craig Packer takes us into the complex, tooth-and-claw worlds of lion conservation and behavior in this September 30, 2015 event at Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota.  The post Lions in the Balance: Man-Eaters, Manes, and Men with Guns appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Noted cookbook author and internationally acclaimed proponent of vegetarian cooking, Deborah Madison was the featured speaker at the University of Minnesota Friends of the Libraries annual celebration. Formerly the manager of the farmers market in Santa Fe and co-founder of the Monte del Sol Edible Kitchen Garden, Madison has a long-abiding passion for local/regional foods and those who produce them. The post Deborah Madison on Garden Paths, Recipes, and Building One’s Library appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Michael Dennis Browne, poet and University of Minnesota Emeritus Professor, read from his new book, “The Voices,” and Kathy Saltzman Romey led a musical performance by the University Singers at the annual Pankake Poetry Reading event on April 16. The post Pankake Poetry reading with Michael Dennis Browne appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Richard Moe presents Roosevelt's Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War on November 18, 2014 at the Paul and Joan Nagel Lecture in Cowles Auditorium at the University of Minnesota.  The post Richard Moe presents Roosevelt’s Second Act appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Wendy Lehr, the celebrated Twin Cities actor, director, and teacher presented "My Life in the Theater: I Always Said Yes!" at the University of Minnesota Friends of the Libraries Annual Celebration on May 12, 2014 at the University of Minnesota Rarig Center. The post My Life in the Theater: I Always Said Yes! appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Will Shortz: An Evening with the Puzzle Master was presented September 12, 2013 by the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries at Ted Mann Concert Center.  The post Will Shortz: An Evening with the Puzzle Master appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.

Ed Bok Lee was the featured speaker at the April 17, 2013 Pankake Poetry Reading at Elmer L. Andersen Library.  The post Pankake Poetry Reading with Ed Bok Lee appeared first on UMN Libraries News & Events.