Kfai's Minneculture

If you only know MinneCulture as a seasonal podcast, you're in for a treat. Between seasons, we make shorter stories that we call 10,000 Fresh Voices. These stories cover all kinds of things from a synchronized swim team to a scheme to build a domed city in the Minnesota woods. And we're going to start sharing them with you here. Welcome to MinneCulture Shorts! This episode features three stories highlighting some amazing Minnesota women. The stories in this episode were written and produced by: Britt Aamodt "Miss C.H. Lippincott: Seedswoman of Minneapolis" Diane Richard "How a Grunge-Glam Designer Survived Project Runway"Emily Bright "Meow! The Kids Book That Changed The Genre Forever"KFAI's MinneCulture is hosted and edited by Erika Janik. Support for MinneCulture is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.Subscribe to the KFAI newsletter

When freedom seekers stepped off the steamboat in St. Paul, local people of color met them at the landing. Underground Railroad agents worked as barbers, musicians, laundresses, steamboat stewards and cooks. Some of these residents had never been enslaved and grew up in eastern cities. Others fled the South to settle in Minnesota — a territory that was supposed to be free, yet tolerated slavery within its borders. Local sheriffs and Southern enslavers spent weeks offering bribes to find people sheltered in places like the church belfry, the ice cream saloon, a horse stable hayloft and the home of William and Adeline Taylor. In the season 9 finale of MinneCulture, historians share the little-known story of St. Paul’s Underground Railroad. This episode was written and produced by Michelle Bruch. MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Support for MinneCulture is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. Citations:‘Reminiscences of the Underground Railway,’ St.

The Mississippi River is one of the defining geographic features of our state. The river's headwaters begin up north in Lake Itasca and meander for 650 miles through the cities, bluffs, forests and iron ranges of Minnesota, before crossing the border into Wisconsin and Iowa. The River has long captured our imagination. And, for many, it has provided a home.Boathouse communities, though less common today, have long formed up and down the river. These enclaves of shanty boats and floating homes provide affordable living and organic community for residents. Producer Gina Favano spent 10 years living in a boathouse on Latsch Island, home to the only legally sanctioned year round habitable boathouse community left on the Mississippi. She has documented the story of a floating neighborhood, their struggle to maintain their legality, and the people who call it home.This story was written and produced by Gina Favano. Portions of this episode were originally published on Gina's podcast Back Channel Radio. Gina is curr

The M.A. Gedney Pickling Company was established in Minneapolis in 1881 by a man named Matthias Gedney. The Gedney Company contracted with hundreds of Minnesota farmers to grow the cucumbers used for their pickle products. Many of the farmers, in turn, ended up paying their children to pick the cucumbers as part of their summer chores, using the money to pay for school clothes and other needed items for the family. In the later 20th century, the Gedney Company identified itself as the Minnesota Pickle. The company partnered with the Minnesota State Fair to market it’s “State Fair” Pickle line, taking winning recipes from the Fair and selling them in stores. Producer John Gwinn tells this story of the M.A. Gedney Pickling Company and its impact on our state. This episode was written and produced by John Gwinn. Additional edit and mix support provided by Mason Butler.MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Support for MinneCulture is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural

Chinese food is a staple of the American diet. But the story of how Chinese food became popular in the United States – and specifically in Minnesota – is a story of racism, mixed identity, adaptation, and cultural preservation. This story from producer Sheila Regan traces the history of Chinese cuisine in Minnesota — from the Canton Cafe in the 19th century to iconic establishments like the Nankin Cafe, from canned chow mein products produced in Duluth to the beloved fast casual Leeann Chin. Minnesota’s relationship with Chinese food is both complicated and delicious.This piece is possible thanks to the digital collections of both the Minnesota Historical Society and the Hennepin County Library, as well as MNHS's Gale Family Library. Sarah Refo Mason’’s archival interviews and writings were invaluable in putting together this piece. The idea for this piece came from the play “Blended Harmony: The Kim Loo Sisters” by Jessica Huang, produced by Theater Mu and the History Theater. Huang’s source material was a b

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious and infectious disease. As the Trump administration freezes foreign aid, tuberculosis is resurgent worldwide. In Minnesota, the numbers are falling with 21 Minnesota counties reporting a total of 160 new cases of active tuberculosis last year. But those numbers are still chilling when you consider that there was a time when TB was the leading cause of death. Before antibiotics were discovered and offered a cure for TB, the only weapon available to stop its spread was to identify and isolate the sick.Here in Minnesota beginning in the 1930’s we have woman to thank for helping control the disease in the state: Dr. Kathleen Jordan. Dr. Jordan developed an early form of contact tracing, working to detect the illness before it became active.This was at a time when few women sought careers in medicine. But having contracted the disease herself, Dr. Jordan was on a mission. From her base in Granite Falls, she traveled the state to test mostly children since they were often good pr

Between 1925 and 1945, 2,204 people — 77% of whom were women — were eugenically sterilized in Minnesota. Minnesota's sterilization program targeted "sexually promiscuous" women and impoverished people. The intended goal of the program was to lessen poverty and welfare costs by ending the family lines of people deemed "immoral" or "feebleminded." A woman named Rose DeChaine was sterilized by this program. But her sterilization didn't end or fix any of her family's problems. Instead, Rose's time in the system set off a chain of hurt and dislocation that continues to echo throughout her family into the present day.This story was written and produced by Matthew Schneeman. Special thanks to Molly Ladd-Taylor whose research inspired and shaped this piece. Ladd-Taylor also provided an introduction to John Erickson, whose family's story is featured prominently in this episode.MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Support for MinneCulture is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultu

In the Mississippi River, between the Franklin Avenue and Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridges, sits an abandoned ruin. The ruin is almost invisible from the river bank. You may never know it exists unless you’re paddling directly on top of it, or avoiding its edges in a motor boat. The ghostly structure was once a fully operational lock and dam, the very first built on the Upper Mississippi River: The Meeker Island Lock and Dam.In the season 9 premiere, producer Lydia Moran inspects this industrial ruin to understand why and how the slow moving river we know today was "invented" at the turn of the 20th century. Plans to remove the Upper Mississippi’s locks and dams might reinvent the river once again.This episode was written and produced by Lydia Moran. Mixing by Kalen Keir. Special thanks to Paddle Bridge Kayak Tours.MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Support for MinneCulture is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Season 9 of MinneCulture drops on March 27. This season features:lots of local food historystories about life and commerce along the Mississippi Rivera Minnesota woman who developed a new form of contact tracing for tuberculosisa barber and fiddler who helped run the Underground Railroad in Minnesotaa haunting story about Minnesota's 20th century sterilization programa jingle for pickles that will get stuck in your head....and so much more!Stories by Michelle Bruch, Gina Favano, John Gwinn, Lydia Moran, Sheila Regan, Matthew Schneeman, and Alison Young. Hosted by John Gebretatose. Edited by Julie Censullo.MinneCulture is a production of KFAI - Fresh Air Community Radio in Minneapolis, MN. Support for MinneCulture is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

In the 1970s, lesbian and feminist organizations popped up in cities across the nation. Minneapolis and Saint Paul were no exception. Here in the Twin Cities, the Amazon Feminist Book Store, Lesbian Resource Center, and Lesbian Feminist Organizing Committee all provided space and community for newly out lesbians and queer women.At the same time, a small network of transgender women started their own type of organizing, one that relied more on mutual support than a physical meeting place.But these groups weren’t mutually exclusive. In the late 1970s, a trans woman named Sissy Potter tried to join a lesbian feminist group called A Woman’s Coffee House. She’s probably not the only one, either. On the season 8 finale of MinneCulture from producer Kira Schukar, Sissy’s letter sparks a conversation about feminism, gender, and transfeminism in the Twin Cities and beyond.Content warning: This podcast contains a transphobic slur and comments.MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Supp

Take a dive into comedic history in this story about the beginnings of the Brave New Workshop. The Brave New Workshop was founded by a former circus former named Dudley Riggs. In the mid 20th century, a new kind of humor was taking the world by storm, and Riggs tapped into the zeitgeist of improvisation that had no limits. KFAI's Sheila Regan weaves together the voices of past and present company members, archival audio, and an interview with Riggs himself in this celebration of comedy that speaks to its time. MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

KSTP-AM is one of Minnesota’s oldest and formerly most successful radio stations. By the 90's, it had been mostly forgotten, as fans flocked to FM. While music fans enjoyed the stereophonic sounds on the other side of the dial, a new form of radio program began to emerge. Before long, talk radio flourished across the United States, and nowhere was it strong than at “The Talk Station.” Fueled by a desire to shake up the radio landscape, Hubbard Broadcasting’s Ginny Morris took charge of the station and hired a new set of voices in the Twin Cities to break up the status quo. It was an eclectic cast of characters, and none of them were more unique than Tommy Mischke. Left to his own devices and given the keys to a late night kingdom, the renegade broadcaster blazed his own path. Hear from his colleagues and managers to get the inside story about what made The Mischke Broadcast one of Minnesota’s favorite radio shows, it’s legacy and why it’s a show that could only happen here.Today, Tommy Mischke might be known

Minnesota was the first state to take Big Tobacco to trial in 1998. The biggest lawsuit in the state’s history forced the tobacco industry to take down cigarette billboards and release millions of internal documents that filled a Minneapolis warehouse.When vaping e-cigarettes gained popularity among youth in the late 2010s, the Minnesota Attorney General’s office sued again, this time against market leader Juul Labs and the company’s Big Tobacco investor Altria. The lawsuit lifted thousands of new tobacco documents into the public archive.KFAI's Michelle Bruch talked to people who worked on both trials — on both sides of the case — 25 years apart.Support for MinneCulture on KFAI is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. Season 8 of MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo.Music: 'Ants in my pants' - SUPERARE

Mike Sawyer fell in love with old folk music in his 20s, picking up the banjo and playing at festivals and jams around the state. But after a while, he began to wonder why nearly all the songs he and his fellow musicians were playing came from Appalachia and the South. What happened to early musical traditions from Minnesota? Now, Mike’s on a mission to uncover the roots of Upper Midwest folk music and keep it alive for future generations.This documentary was produced by Britta Greene and James Napoli, and edited by Julie Censullo. Special thanks to Jim Leary and the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for sharing many of the audio recordings included in this piece, including from the Down Home Dairyland recordings. Additional thanks to Rob McGinley Myers, Nancy Rosenbaum, Sophie Nikitas, Cris Anderson and members of the Upper Midwest Folk Fiddlers. You can find more of Mike’s research and recordings on his websites: Upper Midwest Old Time and the Midwest F

Every year, people on a canoe trip to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) need to be rescued from a dangerous situation. In modern times, the call for help can come from a cell phone, a satellite phone, or an emergency beacon like a Garmin inReach. But it wasn't always this easy to help people who recreate across the canoe-country wilderness. In this story from KFAI producer Joe Friedrichs, we learn about the history of search and rescue operations inside the most visited wilderness area in the nation, the Boundary Waters. --MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. MinneCulture is a production of KFAI. Support for MinneCulture has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Peter Jesperson is a music legend. Born in Minnesota, Jesperson was a seminal figure in the Minneapolis punk and new wave scene of the 1970's and 1980's. He co-founded Twin/Tone Records, worked at Oar Folkjokeopus record store and the Jay's Longhorn bar, and is credited with discovering the Replacements. He later served as the band's manager.In "Lost in the Songs," producer Todd Melby interviews Jesperson about his love affair with music, his relationship with the Replacements, and his addictions.---Breakmaster Cylinder composed two of the songs in this documentary. Their work can be found at BreakmasterCylinder.com. Other music was by The Replacements, Patti Smith, The Safaris and the Suicide Commandos.Peter Jesperson’s book is titled “Euphoric Recall.” It was published by MNHS Press.Audio mastered by Alex Simpson.For more of Todd's work, check out toddmelby.comMinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cul

MinneCulture is BACK for season 8! This season, we are bringing you 7 brand new audio documentaries about the people, places, and cultural phenomena that make Minnesota...well, Minnesota. Make sure you're subscribed to MinneCulture so you don't miss any of these fascinating stories about our state. Season 8 is produced by Michelle Bruch, Joe Friedrichs, Britta Greene, Todd Melby, James Napoli, Sheila Regan, Kira Schukar, and Kyle Shiely. Hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. MinneCulture is a production of KFAI. Support for MinneCulture is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

In the most basic sense, what’s commonly referred to as “the fur trade” was a period of cultural and economic exchange between Native Americans and European Americans, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. As the pages of history were put down, one aspect that was continually overlooked is the role women played at home, in the woods, and throughout many aspects of life during the fur trade. The simple truth is that Indigenous women actively contributed to the success of the North American fur trade, according to Karl Koster, a Minnesota historian who specializes in the history of the iconic fur trade. In this MinneCulture In-Depth feature, KFAI contributor Joe Friedrichs explores the role of women during the fur trade as told through the lens of a Grand Marais woman, Laura Powell Marxen. Laura continues to trap and sell fur on Minnesota's North Shore, much like her great-grandmother, Mary Ottertail, did in the early 1900s near what is now the end of the Gunflint Trail. Season 7 of the MinneCulture

By 1965, the Beatles were the biggest music group in the world. They sold millions of records. They recorded songs that were not only popular but also took music in new directions. And everywhere they went, they stirred up an excitement so hysterical and commonplace there was a word for it: Beatlemania. Minnesota fans had fallen in love with the Lads from Liverpool the moment they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. But the Beatles passed Minnesota by on their first North American tour, and there was no guarantee they would stop by on their second. But they did. This is the story of how the Beatles came to Minnesota for one magical and madcap night in August 1965 from the people who were there. KFAI's Britt Aamodt has the story. Season 7 of the MinneCulture podcast is edited and executive produced by Julie Censullo and hosted by John Gebretatose Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Archives tell an important story. The people in them—and the people left out—say a lot about our politics, culture, and consciousness. In the 20th century, it wasn’t uncommon for archivists to choose which artifacts made it into the official record based on what they thought defined our history. This means that a lot of people—especially queer people—were left out of the archives. Their lives were erased. But over the last few decades, historians are uncovering those queer lives. In this episode of MinneCulture, KFAI’s Kira Schukar takes us into the Minnesota Historical Society archives to share a story about love, letters, and resilience. Spanning almost 100 years, this narrative follows a first lady, a philanthropist, and the queer activists who wanted their story to be told. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. Season 7 of the MinneCulture podcast is edited and executive produced by Julie Censullo and hosted by John Gebretatose. Ph