The St. Paul Public library is scaffolding my efforts to read as far as I can into the International Booker Prize longlist before the shortlist announcement at the end of March. (All of the novels-in-translation on the list are new in the UK and/or Ireland, but are not necessarily new in the USA.)
Oh, it's lovely, Laurel.
black raspberries, 1891
black raspberries, 1891
“The media has covered the high drama on the streets as well as…those hiding at home. We focused instead on the daily soldiering on that often goes unnoticed: a chef in her idle kitchen, a barber at work, a tailor waiting for customers who never come — because what else can one do?”
These lively watercolor-sketches appeared in the Star Tribune on Sunday. I love this artwork and text about immigrant businesses--and the encouragement to get out and support them. (gift link)
Poster with a yellow background and words written in and around a flower and its stems: "War is not healthy for children and other living things"
A timely reminder:
*The Wax Child* is waiting for me at my public library and I cannot wait to read it. And I love this thread full of rabbit holes.
Last year I read the shortlist of translated books, and it was a highlight of my 2025 reading. This kind of project helps me be a more adventurous reader, and the Booker website offers a scaffold. I'm starting with *Taiwan Travelogue*, published in the USA by Minnesota publisher Graywolf Press.
I'm not sure how many of the 13 books on the Booker International Longlist I'll manage to read before the announcement of the 6-volume shortlist at the end of the month. Fingers crossed that I'll choose titles that make the shortlist so I can get those read by the prize announcement day in May!
That's so amazing! I'm guessing that your public library might be able to help with equipment. A storyteller from the start!
(Walker gallery admission is always free to children and teens 18 and under.)
The Walker is free from 5:00 on Thursdays. And! on First Saturdays, ie next Saturday. Check it out!
Photo from Walker Art Center website: two adults and a child pictured with brightly-colored art on a gallery wall.
Hey MSP, "Show & Tell: An Exhibition for Kids" at Walker Art Center right now is great. This photo from their website doesn't do it justice--there's interactive stuff, a cinema, a reading area, room to move, etc, all located in a gallery next to a lobby space. walkerart.org/calendar/202...
As hard as we are fighting, book bans are having an impact on the books being written and published. To put this another way, a very small number of well-funded people who don't write books, don't teach books, don't work in libraries are trying to decide what books are available for everyone else
Love this! And hooray @subtextbookstore.bsky.social !
A traditional gansey sweater, blue.
from the gallery scottishgansey.org.uk/historic-gan...
NEW: Guards have taken away crayons, colored pencils & paper during recent room searches at Dilley, according to detainees and others. After one inspection, the children just “cried and cried and cried,” a mother said. The facility denies the claims.
By @mckenziefunk.com @micarosenberg.bsky.social
📱 | St. Paul, Minnesota (2026)
Gusty northwest winds 10-12 mph loft this vibrant blue #Minnesota flag, purchased from the delightful owners of Mischief Toy Store @mischieftoy.com on Grand Ave.
#LEtoileDuNord
Minnesota has a Medicaid fraud rate that is almost 1/3 the national average. A federal court should throw out this decision in 30 minutes
A reminder that Minnesota as a whole sends more revenue to the federal government than it gets back, and on a per capita basis Minnesotans contribute more revenue to the federal government than residents of almost every other state in the nation.
www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapped-u-...
From witchcraft to warfare, trauma to transformation, resilience to cruelty, the longlist for the International Booker Prize 2026, supported by Bukhman Philanthropies, shines a light on a vast range of experiences.
thebookerprizes.com/everything-y...
Looking for a picture to mark the beginning of time offline, I found these lovely strawberries. When I googled the variety, the AI response was "there is no widely recognized variety of strawberry called 'Goree.' You may be referring to Oreo Strawberry Cream cookies" Ha! Time offline a good idea!
"'It was time to speak up,' Stenvik said in an interview with MPR News. 'I'm glad that we did, because I think that there's some disbelief, because it's so shocking and so aggressive and violent and harmful to children.'”
More Letters from Minnesota here: lithub.com/tag/letter-f...
More essential writing on Minnesota schools and families from @eshockmanwrites.bsky.social at @mprnews.org. A heartbreaking story of fear, anguish, hard work, and leadership, expertly told.
Cheering for Minnesotans this morning. Jessie Diggins on Olympic snow. Keith Ellison at the Senate hearing. Teachers and parents staying strong for traumatized children. Mutual aid organizers continuing their work.
“I think I’m the most grateful, happiest bronze medalist in the history of the world,” she said.
If families can safely leave hiding…if kids can safely go back to school…if small businesses can safely open their doors again…
Then this is a massive, massive win for the people of Minnesota.
We don’t know yet if this is true. For now, it’s words. But I have (very fragile) hope for our community.
