Category Archives: reviews

Higher Ground

Last night I finally got to see Higher Ground, the film starring and directed by Vera Farmiga based on the memoir by Carolyn Briggs, This Dark World. It never came close enough for me to see it in the theater, … Continue reading

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Our Food Anxiety

I just finished devouring The Hunger Games, a book that is obsessed with food. As I was reading, feeling both uneasy that this is children’s literature and completely impressed by the writing and the evocation of a post-apocalyptic world, I … Continue reading

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American Wildernesses

I’ve been reading about and thinking about wildernesses lately, particularly American wildernesses. In part that is why we watched Meek’s Cutoff. Nothing like a good pioneer story to make you appreciate the American wilderness. Also, a friend loaned me her … Continue reading

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Meek’s Cutoff

We started the new year by watching a really wonderful movie that somehow didnt’ make it on my radar until I saw it on Euan Kerr’s Top 10 list on Minnesota Public Radio’s website. Technically, the movie came out in … Continue reading

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Two Good Books about Nuns

In my search for contemporary novels about American nuns, I’ve found only two. Both of them are fantastic books I’d recommend to anyone. They both share a strong message about religious life, as well as some other key similarities. The two novels are Mariette in … Continue reading

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Moneyball

I didnt’ have much interest in seeing Moneyball in the theater until a friend told me about his experience seeing it in a major metropolitan area (not Oakland). At the end of the movie, the audience stood up and gave … Continue reading

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The Killing

I wrote this post on June 21 and for some reason never posted it. Just found it in “drafts” so here it is, late– but I stand by it! My creative writing students know that I have a few rules … Continue reading

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The Jayhawks and Me

Reunited Jayhawks Marc Perlman, Karen Grotberg, Mark Olson, Gary Louris and Tim O’Reagan Last night a friend and I went to hear Gary Louris “and friends” play in St. Cloud at the Paramount Theater. It turned out to be a … Continue reading

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Minnesota Television

I am a fan of public television, which varies in different regions of the country. Since I’m in a “cultural critic” frame of mind, I thought I’d share what I love and dislike about Minnesota public television. First, I love that … Continue reading

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Three African Films

In the past week we have watched three amazing films set in Africa. Two were French and one was South African. All three focused on white characters, and so they were all about colonization to some extent. The first, and by … Continue reading

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