C-SPAN looks around St. Paul

C-SPAN has St. Paul in its camera lens this week.

The national cable public affairs network, perhaps best known for its unblinking (and sans commentary) coverage of congressional debates and hearings, is in the capital city this week for a series on St. Paul’s history and literary life that it plans to air in September.

C-SPAN executive producer Mark Farkas popped in on Wednesday’s City Council meeting to talk about what his crew was doing and to thank the city for its hospitality. The crew will return to Washington, D.C., next week to produce 16 to 18 pieces on St. Paul, he said.

Sure to be included: the Hmong culture, the State Capitol, the Minnesota History Center, poet laureate Carol Connolly, a gangster tour with author Paul Maccabee, and F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Summit Avenue district. Visits also were made to Fort Snelling, the Alexander Ramsey house, and Garrison Keillor’s Common Good bookstore.

St. Paul is one of several cities across the country on which C-SPAN is training its spotlight this year. Last weekend, Des Moines was the featured city on C-SPAN’s 2014 Cities Tour. St. Paul’s turn will come the weekend of Sept. 20-21.