Recent content from Laurie Hertzel
Review: 'F. Scott Fitzgerald in Minnesota: The Writer and His Friends at Home,' by Dave Page with photographs by Jeff Krueger
NONFICTION: This big, lavish book explores the St. Paul streets that F. Scott Fitzgerald called home.
Bookmark: Writers and musicians organize to raise environmental awareness
Back in the 1960s, Minnesota poet Robert Bly and his friend David Ray, also a poet, formed a group called American Writers Against the Vietnam…
Unplanned teenage gig in Duluth library fosters love for children's books
When I was 13, I got a job shelving books at the public library in Duluth, the most stultifying job ever held by anybody on…
Fargo goes beyond the 'Ya, you betcha' and offers big surprises
The neon lights glow bright along downtown Fargo's Broadway strip.
Your ultimate guide to 45 books to read this summer
Our summer books guide highlights books of fiction, mystery and young-adult fiction.
Review: 'Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002,' by David Sedaris
NONFICTION: The first volume of the humorist's diaries, in which he traces his early years of struggle, the death of his mother and his rise to fame, is wildly entertaining but should be taken with a grain of salt.
Do you keep a journal of the books you read?
Every New Year’s Day, I vow to keep a record of every book I read over the next 12 months. I have a special notebook…
Reviews: 'Everything Is Flammable,' by Gabrielle Bell and 'Imagine Wanting Only This,' by Kristen Radtke
NONFICTION: Two memoirs told in graphic-novel form tell powerful — but very different — stories of destruction and rebirth.
'American Gods' — first the novel, then the TV series, now a coloring book
“American Gods,” the novel-turned-TV show that Neil Gaiman said could only have been written in the Midwest is now also a coloring book. Of…
Readers recommend the best books for reading aloud
The secret is out — you love reading aloud, and you love being read to. I knew it! And I am delighted. Last month I…
Minn. prof deemed funniest person in America debuts adult coloring book
Julie Schumacher's new coloring book (yes, you read that right) skewers the world of academe.
Review: 'A $500 House in Detroit,' by Drew Philp
NONFICTION: A young man bought an abandoned house in Detroit to rehab it — and became part of a community.
St. Paul writer Caitlin Bailey wins Lindquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry
The author will receive $10,000 and a publishing contract with Milkweed Editions.
Debut book catapults Minnesota author to literary stardom
Before it was even published, Twin Cities writer Lesley Nneka Arimah's first book was all the buzz.
Review: 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' by David Grann
NONFICTION: New Yorker writer David Grann delves into mysterious killings on the oil-rich Osage reservation in Oklahoma in the 1920s.
Minnesota Book Award winners include Kao Kalia Yang, Sun Yung Shin, Peter Geye, Shawn Otto
Surprises abound as newbie winners nudge venerable writers in several categories.
Young love, second chances and revolution: 7 books that feel like spring
In literature, spring isn’t just a time, it’s a symbol — of renewal and fresh starts, of surviving hardship, of budding love, of longing,…
Author James McBride finds humor in pain and pain in humor
The bestselling author doesn't find everything funny. Humor, he notes, depends on context. He will speak Wednesday night at the University of Minnesota.
National Book Critics award speeches are inspiring, filled with gratitude
The best thing about the National Book Critics Circle Awards ceremony in New York last month wasn’t the speeches, though they were great: It was…
Registration open now for F. Scott Fitzgerald conference in St. Paul
The annual international F. Scott Fitzgerald Society Conference will take place this summer in the writer's hometown for only the second time in its history.
Bookmark: Books to spark joy when read out loud
If we were lucky, we were read to when we were young. If we didn’t have parents or siblings to read to us (and I…
NBCC awards: The culmination of a long year of reading
I am still reading, kind of frantically, but I think by the time I head out to New York I will be ready. I am…
Minneapolis and St. Paul bookstores will hand out pocket-sized poems
Twin Cities bookstores will hand out pocket-size poems in March and April on the theme of migration.
Yaa Gyasi, author of bestselling "Homegoing," coming to the Twin Cities in March and May
Yaa Gyasi's family saga will spark a community conversation in Eden Prairie.
Two books tell the story of Russia – of now, and of then
It has been many years since I have been to Russia, but my interest in that fascinating country has never dimmed. When I visited in…
REVIEW: 'The Stranger in the Woods,' by Michael Finkel
NONFICTION: Michael Finkel's fine exploration of the mysterious life of a hermit fails to answer the key question: Why?
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Readers suggest big, thick books as winter drags on
It's still February, and we're still looking for "bloated books" to while away the dark evenings.
St. Paul's Penumbra Theatre founder Lou Bellamy wins 2017 Kay Sexton Award
Award honors those who have devoted a lifetime to literature and books.
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You could be 'writer in residence' for the Mall of America
The Mall of America is looking for a writer to spend five days writing about the mall.
The dubious art of 'decorating' with books
The beauty of books comes from the fact that the writers come in different shapes, sizes and colors — as well as mind-sets, points of view, background and attitude.
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Read, discuss, act: New Little Free Library book club inspires community action
When you think about it, there’s not much of a leap from reading a good book to doing a good deed. People who like to…
What books should President Donald Trump read? From Cormac McCarthy to Dr. Seuss, readers have suggestions
Last week, the New York Times reported on a typical day in the White House for Donald Trump. “Mr. Trump,” the story noted, “who does…
Review: 'The War Within: Diaries From the Siege of Leningrad,' by Alexis Peri
NONFICTION: A riveting work draws on diaries of Leningrad residents during the city's World War II siege.
12 books to read for understanding, community building, resistance and action
The country has inaugurated a new president, a man who ran on a platform of deporting immigrants, registering Muslims, draining the “swamp” of politics and…
Louise Erdrich leads finalists for Minnesota Book Awards
The Minnesota Historical Society Press and the University of Minnesota Press each have four finalists.
Mpls. author Barnhill wins Newbery Award, children's literature's highest honor
Kelly Barnhill was sound asleep Monday when her cellphone rang at 5 a.m., blasting the theme from the TV show "Wonder Woman" and jolting her…
Big fat books to help winter go fast
By this time of year, polar vortex or El Niño, it doesn’t matter: It feels like winter will never end. The up side, of course,…
Review: 'Krazy,' by Michael Tisserand
NONFICTION: A fascinating biography of George Herriman, the creator of the comic strip "Krazy Kat," and a man who slipped past the color line.
What's the best response to book contract for internet troll Milo Yiannopoulos?
There's been a lot of outrage in the past week over the Breitbart News editor's recent book deal.
Review: 'Birds Art Life,' by Kyo Maclear
NONFICTION: A profound, charming memoir of art, books, life — and birds.
Bookmark: Turning the page to 2017
Many years ago, one of my colleagues went to Ireland and came back with a sticker, which he gave to me. It’s green, white and…
Review: 'War Diaries,' by Astrid Lindgren
NONFICTION: In empathetic entries, writer Astrid Lindgren guides readers through a Scandinavian view of WWII.
Roxane Gay, Elizabeth Strout, George Saunders, and more: Books to watch for in early 2017
So 2016 is slithering to a close. It’s been a year, eh? Let’s look ahead. Here are some books coming up in the first half…
Reviews: 'Dogs on Instagram,' and 'Cats on Instagram'
NONFICTION: The dogs and cats of Instagram are hamming it up in two new books of mostly pictures.
What's the best book you ever got as a gift? Readers share stories
"The Pickwick Papers" and "The Tawny Scrawny Lion" were among the favorites.
Memoirs that captivate, from Regina McBride, Danielle Flood and Decca Aitkenhead
It’s the voyeur in me, maybe. Or the years spent as a newspaper reporter. But for whatever reason, I am fascinated by the lives of…
Review: 'Shakespeare and Company: A History of the Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart,' edited by Krista Halverson
NONFICTION: An affectionate, gossipy history of the legendary Parisian bookstore Shakespeare and Co.
10 websites for lovers of the written word
It is probably a bad idea to write this, because we already spend way too much time on the web. But as I sit at…
The 50 best books for holiday giving
Our annual holiday books guide highlights a dozen novels and a dozen books of nonfiction, as well as a liberal sprinkling of glowing picture books; important young-adult fiction; bold, gorgeous graphic novels, and regional books steeped in sense of place.
Review: 'Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary,' by Joe Jackson
NONFICTION: This sweeping biography of the visionary Black Elk is also a history of the destruction of an ancient culture.
How do you choose your next book? Readers reveal their secrets
Can't decide on a book? Read reviews, turn to page 69, or just let your cat pick.
Colson Whitehead, Rep. John Lewis win National Book Awards
The annual awards ceremony was infused with politics and the 2016 presidential election. Finalists with Minnesota ties missed out.
Review: 'Footnotes From the World's Greatest Bookstores,' by Bob Eckstein and Garrison Keillor
NONFICTION: Illustrated anecdotes from 75 indie shops — most living, a few sadly dead.
Review: 'Schoolhouse,' by Marc Nieson
NONFICTION: A New York City writer heads to Iowa to escape a tortured romance and finds his true self in the countryside.
As libraries change, we lose little pieces of history, like card catalogs
Everything about a library opened doors, let in light, told you more than you had ever expected to know. Perhaps best was the card catalog which was filled with history and possibility.
Bookmark: Scary books to read for Halloween
I don’t like being scared. The older I get, the more susceptible I am to “ghoulies and ghosties/And long-leggedy beasties/And things that go bump in…
Best-selling author Ann Patchett gets up close and personal
The novelist broke a longtime vow, drawing on her own life for her latest book.
How poet Elizabeth Alexander turned sorrow into a celebration of love
In her acclaimed memoir, author Elizabeth Alexander writes about the excruciating loss of her husband – but also of their joyous life together.
Elizabeth Alexander, Colson Whitehead and others lined up for Talking Volumes
Funny and serious, fiction and nonfiction, the book club's 16th season has something for everyone.
Meet Marlon James, other top writers at Twin Cities Book Festival
Meet favorite authors and pick up some books at the annual Twin Cities Book Festival.
Review: 'The Trespasser,' by Tana French
FICTION: A beautiful woman is killed, and everyone around her has a different story.
Bookmark: Contest with major award announced for Midwestern fiction writers
It's a well-known fact that right after I moved away from Duluth, the town became hip. Brewpubs and galleries opened; food became artisan and locavore;…
So many books, so little time: How do you choose what to read next?
There are millions of books out there, and new ones publish every week. What's your method?
Review: 'Moscow Nights,' by Nigel Cliff
NONFICTION: An affectionate, entertaining biography of American pianist Van Cliburn, whose passion for Russian music briefly paused the Cold War.
University of Minnesota and Mankato State bringing in big writers this fall
I am trying to imagine what a conversation might be like between Claudia Rankine and Marilynne Robinson. Two brilliant women, successful writers, deep thinkers. What…
Fall brings big books and big author events to the Twin Cities
Get hip to fall's biggest books, plus local readings by Jonathan Safran Foer, Michael Chabon and more.
When squiggles became words: Readers share stories of learning to read
Some of you learned to read by looking at photo captions in National Geographic, the printing on your mother’s cigarette pack, the label on your…
Review: 'Leave Me,' by Gayle Forman
FICTION: A woman starts over in implausible yet entertaining "Leave Me."
Review: 'Generation Chef: Risking it All for a New American Dream,' by Karen Stabiner
NONFICTION: You'll gobble up this delicious behind-the-scenes account of a start-up restaurant in New York City.
Review: 'How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide,' by Ron Padgett, pictures by Jason Novak
POETRY: Ron Padgett's poem comes to bemused life with Jason Novak's cartoons.
Why do books publish on Tuesdays?
This week, on Tuesday, Ann Patchett’s new novel, “Commonwealth,” will be published. So will Ian McEwan’s “Nutshell,” and Marisa Silver’s “Little Nothing.” “The Lesser Bohemians,”…
20-year-old St. Paul poet wins prestigious national award
With his poem "what the dead know by heart," Donte Collins has won the Most Promising Young Poet Award from the Academy of American Poets.
10 books – both fiction and nonfiction – to read for Labor Day
Labor Day, of course, is not a holiday to mark the end of summer and the beginning of school. That’s just what we pretend it…
The life-changing moment of learning to read
I learned to read in the quiet of an upstairs bedroom in our house in Duluth, the room where my little brothers slept side-by-side in…
Gryphon Press marks 10th anniversary, recommends animal books for kids
Emilie Buchwald, scholar, editor and author, has always been passionate about books. A co-founder of Milkweed Editions, she worked there for 24 years, publishing the…
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