Mpr News With Kerri Miller

Boyah J. Farah spent his earliest years in Somalia, surrounded by family and feeling free. War shattered that idyllic state, and forced his mother to walk her children to safety at a refugee camp in Kenya and eventually, to a new life in a suburb outside of Boston. It was traumatic, but Farah was grateful for the respite. Since a young boy, he had been infatuated with America, and now he was here, where the grass seemed to be miraculously short without the intervention of goats, and the houses were equipped with both cold and hot water. His family assimilated. He didn’t think much about his skin color. As an immigrant and English-language learner, he already knew he was different. He experienced freedom again once he started to drive. But that transition also revealed America’s racist underbelly. In his new, poetic memoir, "America Made Me a Black Man,” Farah recounts his frustration at learning that in America, Black people are never really free. On this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, Farah joined

As a child, Emily Bernard worried she was not black enough. As an adult, she wonders whether she's too black for America today. Her new book is built on that kind of nuance. "Black is the Body" is a collection of first-person essays that explore vast themes like race, identity and trauma — through the personal details of her own life. She was born in the South, lives now in the Northeast, and is married to a white man. "Blackness is an art, not a science," writes Bernard. "It is a paradox: intangible and visceral; a situation and a story." She believes that approaching these volatile topics through stories, not lectures, will create a safe place that nurtures vulnerability — and vulnerability is needed for true understanding. MPR News host Kerri Miller spoke with Bernard in 2019 about the complexity of being black in America today. It’s a fitting prelude to this week’s upcoming Big Books and Bold Ideas conversation with Boyah J. Farah about his journey from a refugee camp in

Lucrezia de’ Medici was only 13 when she was forced to marry Alfonso II d’Estej, the Duke of Ferrara; just 15 when she joined the court of her new husband. By age 16, she was dead. Only her officials portraits survive her. Many years later, Robert Browning wrote a poem based on one of those paintings, which loosely fictionalizes the short marriage of Lucrezia and the possibility that she was murdered by her husband. Maggie O’Farrell goes one step further, and imagines the young girl’s whole life, including the short time she spent as a wife in 16th century Italy. In O’Farrell’s new novel, “The Marriage Portrait,” Lucrezia knows her sole job is to produce an heir for the duke. But when no heir is forthcoming, and the duke grows increasingly unsatisfied, she worries that he might kill her to make way for someone more fertile. Could she be right? Or is her bored and quick mind simply connecting dots that aren’t there? “The Marriage Portrait” deftly tells Lucrezia’s story through her own lens and perspective.

Maggie O’Farrell’s last novel, “Hamnet,” the fictional story of William Shakespeare’s son who died at age 11, was an international best-seller. Her new novel, “The Marriage Portrait” also delves into history. O’Farrell was struck by Robert Browning’s poem, “My Last Duchess,” which itself was inspired by a painting of a young Italian woman who died in 1561, at the age of 16, just a year after she was married to the Duke of Ferrara. But did she die? Or was she poisoned? “The Marriage Portrait” reminded us of Lauren Groff’s 2021 hit, “Matrix,” set in medieval France. So for this week’s deep track, we thought we’d bring you the Talking Volumes interview MPR News host Kerri Miller did with Groff on the stage of the Fitzgerald Theater last year, where Groff describes the history, the art and the music that inspired her writing. Guest: Lauren Groff is the author of six books. “Matrix” is her most recent, released in 2021. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. Subscribe to the

John Bargaard — the central character of Peter Geye’s new novel — possesses powerful muscle memory from his days as a ski jumper. He remembers the intensity of focus, the feeling of flying through the air, the shattered glass moment of landing. But he’s just been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, and he faces the real prospect that his memories — and the secrets he harbors — will dim with his future. That’s the launching point of “The Ski Jumpers,” Geye’s latest book. Like many of his earlier works, this one is set in Minnesota, with winter as a backdrop to many pivotal scenes. But unlike books like “Wintering” and “Northernmost,” this one is personal. MPR News host Kerri Miller talks with Geye about what makes “The Ski Jumpers” so intimate to him on a special Big Books and Bold Ideas. Hear why this book took decades for Geye to write, how his own history of ski jumping inspired him and why the central questions of this book are the gateway to Geye’s truest religion. Guest: Peter Geye writes and li

America is a land divided between those who dwell in cities — diverse, educated and growing economically — and those who live in the country — white, uneducated and dependent on dying industries. Or so the narrative goes. But research shows the so-called urban-rural divide is mostly a myth that is hurting the country as a whole. Monday, on a special Minnesota Now, MPR News host Kerri Miller and two guests — both of whom have deep roots in rural America — debunked some myths and shed some light on the realities of rural America. Guests: Lisa Pruitt is professor of law at UC Davis School of Law where she specializes in rural issues. She will be at the Westminster Town Hall Forum on October 25 to host a session called “Mending the Rural-Urban Rift.” Loka Ashwood is a sociologist and an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, where she focuses on rural communities and their participation in democracy. For more on Kerri Miller’s series of town halls throughout Minnesota focusing on the rewards a

Talking Volumes returned to the Fitzgerald Theater in person on Sept. 14 to kick off the 2022 season. MPR News host Kerri Miller was joined by scholar and writer Karen Armstrong to discuss her new book, “Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World.” In this uncharacteristically short but powerful book, Armstrong pierces the modern veil of busyness and technology and lures us back to a sense of wonder with the world around us. Drawing on her vast knowledge of the world’s religious traditions, she vividly describes nature’s central place in spirituality across the centuries. In doing so, Armstrong shows modern readers how to rediscover nature’s potency and form a connection to something greater than ourselves. Guest: Karen Armstrong is a scholar and the author of numerous books on religion, including “The Case for God,” “A History of God,” “Islam,” and “Buddha.” Her new book, released Sept. 2022, is “Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World.” To listen to a ligh

Karen Armstrong entered a convent when she was 17. When she was last on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater, in 2019, she said she treated getting into heaven like getting into the University of Oxford. “My early experience of religion — both before I became a nun and during it — was all about me,” said Armstrong. “[It was] about my feelings about the Lord, my meditations and my progress, and was I going to be a good nun or was I going to get into heaven? Lots of times I doubted that.” Armstrong and her peers were told not to focus on the outside world, but to look inward instead. She laughed while remembering one notable exception, during the Cuban missile crisis. They were warned about the threat of war, but were never told that the threat was over. “For three weeks, we were sort of scanning the horizon for mushroom clouds until eventually one of us had the courage to say, ‘What happened about Cuba?’” She left the convent decades ago, but has spent several years closely examining religion. In 2019, she publishe

All animals use their senses to perceive the world, humans included. But not every animal senses the same thing. In Pulitzer prize-winning science journalist Ed Yong’s new book, he explores the way each species sees the world through its own sensory viewpoint and explains why that should both delight and humble us. “Senses always come at a cost,” Yong writes. “No animal can sense everything well.” In “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us,” Yong invites us to break out of our human sensory bubbles to consider the unique ways that dogs, dolphins, spiders, bats, octopus and countless other animals experience their surroundings. On this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, Yong joined MPR News host Kerri Miller to share stories about why jumping spiders have eight eyes, how octopus arms operate without the brain, why Morpho butterflies have ears on their wings — and why we should gently resist the tendency to view other animals’ senses through the limited view of our own. Guest:

Americans love their pets. In 2018, we spent more than $72 billion feeding them, grooming them, training them, medicating them and — much to the pets’ regret — clothing them. Dog owners, in particular, are quick to say dogs are special — not only because they are smart and social creatures, but because dogs love us back. But do they really? Or are they just happy to see us because we hold the keys to the food? One animal behaviorist says he’s done the research and he’s convinced that dogs do form emotional attachments with their owners. Enjoy this fun and enlightening conversation from 2020 between MPR News host Kerri Miller and Clive Wynne — both certified dog lovers — as they talk about Wynne’s research on canine love. And let it whet your appetite for this Friday’s Big Book and Bold Ideas show, when Miller will talk with science journalist Ed Yong about his new book: “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us.” Guest: Clive Wynne, animal behaviorist, founding director of th

It’s a music extravaganza on MPR Day at the Minnesota State Fair. On Friday, MPR News host Kerri Miller hosted a special live program of music and music trivia at Dan Patch Stage in front of the Grandstand. Kerri talked with members of The Family Stone, who are performing Friday and Saturday at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell at the State Fair. In 1966, saxophonist Jerry Martini and Sly Stone co-founded Sly and the Family Stone, one of the first major interracial and mixed gender bands in the country. The California band reflected the counterculture of the 1960s and laid a foundation for the street funk, soul and disco music of the 1970s. Martini and a new lineup are continuing the legacy with classics, like “Dance to the Music” and “Hot Fun in the Summertime.” Guests: Sean McPherson is the music director and afternoon host of Jazz88-KBEM and a former host on 89.3 The Current. He’s also co-owner of Trivia Mafia and bassist for Heiruspecs. Sarah Alfano is a bass player and backup vocalist for the Minneapoli

If someone asks you how old you are, you’ll probably answer with the number that reflects the birth date on your driver’s license. But scientists are learning that chronological age is not the same as your biological age. Technology has given researchers the tools to measure countless metrics and cross-reference them to get a better picture of your true age. One of those researchers is Morgan Levine. This week, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, she spoke with host Kerri Miller about how your biological age can give you a glimpse into the future, but one that you have the power to alter. “Your biological age on any given day is not your destiny,” she writes in her new book, “True Age: Cutting-Edge Research to Help Turn Back the Clock.” Guest: Morgan Levine is a aging researcher, an adjunct professor of pathology at Yale and the founding investigator at Altos Labs, a biotech firm that aims to develop life extension therapies. Her new book is “True Age: Cutting-Edge Research to Help Turn Back the Clock.” To li

Dan Buettner's specialty is Blue Zones — communities where people live the longest, healthiest lives on the planet. He researched and wrote about these communities in his book, "The Blue Zones Solution.” He also helped create new Blue Zones in places like Iowa, New York and Minnesota. His work mirrors that of Yale researcher Morgan Levine. She studies aging and longevity, and she’ll talk about the latest science with host Kerri Miller on this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas. Until then, be inspired by this 2015 discussion Miller had with Buettner at the Minneapolis Foundation’s Face Forward Conference. Guest: Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist andproducer, and New York Times bestselling author. He’s written several books about Blue Zones. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the late

When Oscar Hokeah set out to write a multi-generational novel about a Kiowa and Cherokee family in Oklahoma, he was writing what he knew. Hokeah grew up in Tahlequah, Okla., a member of both Cherokee Nation and the Kiowa Tribe. He saw the intertribal dynamics that play out when 39 different tribes live in close proximity. He knew the generational trauma caused by colonization and forced migration. He felt the defiance of encountering injustice and watching youth struggle to find a path of honor, even on a road littered with hardships. So his novel, “Calling for a Blanket Dance,” follows the life of a young Native man, Ever Geimausaddle, as he walks many of the same roads. But because Hokeah also knows the way of redemption lies through community, he tells Ever’s story through 12 different perspectives, ranging from his grandmother to his adopted son. The result is a coming-of-age tale that is uniquely Kiowa and Cherokee, and that celebrates connection, family and honor. On this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas

N. Scott Momaday draws inspiration from his Native American heritage, the grandeur of the New Mexico landscape and his world travels. Novelist Oscar Hokeah shares the sentiment. He calls on the collective wisdom and voices of his Kiowa and Cherokee community in Oklahoma to bring to life a multi-generational family drama in his new book, “Calling for a Blanket Dance.” You’ll hear Hokeah’s conversation with Miller on this Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas show. In the meantime, enjoy Miller’s similarly themed discussion with Momaday, from the special 2021 Talking Volumes series that centered on race. Guest: N. Scott Momaday is an internationally renowned poet, novelist, artist, teacher, and storyteller whose works celebrate and preserve Native American heritage. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must

Many Americans don’t know that the histories of the United States and Mexico are inseparably intertwined. But historian Kelly Lytle Hernández says you cannot fully understand one without the other. We fought wars over the same territories, influenced each other’s politics, and remain deeply connected economically. Our stories circle around each other, shaping immigration policies and policing. And if we don’t know how we got here, says Hernández, we won’t know how to move forward. Her new book, “Bad Mexicans: Race, Empire, And Revolution In The Borderlands” tells the true story of a Mexican band of rebels, the magonistas, who helped launch the Mexican Revolution in 1910 and whose actions still affect the borderlands today. She talked about what she learned while researching her book and why she believes the U.S. ignores its history with Mexico at its own peril with host Kerri Miller on this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas. Guest: Kelly Lytle Hernández is a professor of history, African-American studies and

Minnesota Public Radio Indivisible Radio examined America in transition, during President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. This week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas features a conversation with historian Kelly Lytle Hernandez about her new book, “Bad Mexicans.” It tells the dramatic and often overlooked story of the magonistas, the migrant rebels who sparked the 1910 Mexican Revolution from the United States, and how their escapades threatened to undo the rise of Anglo-American power, on both sides of the border, and created the world of fraught immigration we live in today. To prepare for that discussion, here’s a selection from the archives — a 2017 “Indivisible” conversation Miller had with Eboo Patel and Tamar Jacoby that examines how America’s history as a land of immigrants can be maintained under then President Trump’s divisive immigration policies. Guests: Eboo Patel is the founder and president of Interfaith America (formerly Interfaith Youth Core) and the aut

For more than 170 years, Caleb Wilde’s family has served their Pennsylvania community by facilitating funerals. He has walked beside countless grieving people as they say goodbye, memorialize and weep. He’s attended thousands of funeral services, filled with comforting messages about heaven and future reunions. But despite that — or maybe because of it — Wilde says he’s skeptical about life after death. “I have become a fundamentalist of doubt,” he writes eloquently in his new book. “Death is so sudden and so final that in order for humans to cope with mortality, they make up a place that is immortal and eternal — the afterlife.’ That book, “All the Ways Our Dead Still Speak,” is a thoughtful reflection of Wilde’s experiences as a funeral director. He no longer believes in heaven or hell — at least not in the traditional sense. But he also cannot dismiss the experiences and even conversations some grieving families have with their dead loved ones. Friday, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, host Kerri Miller sp

Fifty-seven years ago this week, on Aug. 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the landmark Voting Rights Act, with Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders looking on. It was a turning point in American history. At the time, Pres. Johnson called it “a victory of freedom for the nation.” Thursday morning, in a special edition of Big Books and Bold Ideas, host Kerri Miller examined whether the commitment of that milestone legislation still holds all these years later, particularly as the Supreme Court takes on one case that could upend state election laws and another that challenges a key section of the Voting Rights Act. Her guide was Professor Carol Anderson, one of the nation’s foremost scholars on equity and voting and the author of “One Person, No Vote.” Guest: Carol Anderson is a professor of African-American studies at Emory University and an accomplished author. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast 

Even though Americans are living longer — the share of the U.S. population 65 and older has more than tripled over the last century — we are still profoundly uncomfortable with dying. In fact, the end of life is so medicalized, death is often viewed as a failure, rather than accepted as a fundamental stage of life. Sunita Puri wants to change that. Her book, "That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour," is a masterful memoir of helping people to die — and live — well. It chronicles her journey of becoming a palliative care doctor near the end of her medical school training after she realized medicine had little to say about patients' suffering and mortality. It mirrors thoughts shared by author and sixth-generation funeral director Caleb Wilde in his new book, “All the Ways Our Dead Still Speak.” Wilde’s tender and personal reflections on what it’s like to grieve loved ones and grapple with death will be the conversation on this Friday’s installment of Big Books and Bold Ideas. Unti