David Beard
Oral Histories of Poetry in Duluth
Bart Sutter has shared with me some of his important work as poet laureate. Below is a document from his collection, a partial transcript of a panel he organized. The panel set out to construct an oral history of poetry in Duluth.
I would love more info about the panel or about the clubs and organizations listed therein. (more…)
We are here. Hear us! An invitation to participate
This event looks pretty cool, and everyone is invited to tell their story. It grows out of the Green Card Voices project. (more…)
Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards 2023 Call for Nominations
Lake Superior Writers is seeking nominations for the 2023 Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards.
The categories have changed and are as follows: Nonfiction; Fiction; Children’s Literature; Middle Grade/Young Adult; Poetry; and Memoir. Art/Photography is now part of the Nonfiction category. A $40 entry fee is required for each nominated title. (more…)
My retirement fund in squished pennies
I told artist Moira Villard that she was my retirement plan, as I pressed six pennies at the Duluth Public Library on Saturday. Someday, when she’s even more famous, these pennies will be worth more than a cent! (more…)
List of Duluth Authors from Duluth Public Library Vertical File
It used to be, a library committed to local information had to keep it in a “clippings file” or “vertical file.” The local history room at the Duluth Public Library still has one and has a master entry on clippings about authors from/in Duluth. (more…)
Ladies’ Literature Class of Duluth
The Duluth Ladies’ Literature Class leaves few electronic traces outside the local collection at the Duluth Public Library. (more…)
Lester Park Literary Club
In visiting the new local history librarian at the Duluth Public Library, I am uncovering even more gems about the history of writing and literature in Duluth.
One of those gems is the Lester Park Literary Club. (more…)
Historical Documents of the Vista Fleet
Old adverts for Vista excursion-boat tours of the harbor tell us something about why people would visit Duluth and take the boat tour — to see the ships from around the world. The lake and the city skyline mattered less than the almost cosmopolitan dimensions of the Vista experience. (more…)
Literary History of Duluth: Lost Hills Books
I’m attempting to piece together the literary history of Duluth. I’ve just learned about Lost Hills Books.
If you know an author with Lost Hills, or know someone who worked with/at the press, please let me know. Email: dbeard @ d.umn.edu
Some thoughts about the Globe News transition
Photo from Globe News Facebook page
When I moved to Duluth in 2005, I didn’t visit Superior until I’d lived here for a few weeks. My then-wife lived in Madison and I drove there every other weekend to see her; on the weekends I remained in Duluth, I was a workaholic, trying hard to clear my calendar so I could travel the 5.5 hours each way to visit her.
It was a few weekends in when I finally had “enough time” to cross the bridge. I was so excited to see Globe News. (more…)
Call for Poems and Nonfiction Writing (Journals, Essays, etc.) about “What I Learned from a Travel Experience”
University of Minnesota Duluth students in Writing Studies 4200, “Writing and Cultures,” will edit a collection of creative writing (poems and nonfiction) about what can be learned from a travel experience. They are soliciting writings from everyone (students, alumni, and the broader community) on this topic for inclusion in the collection. (more…)
Media Excavations: Chun King
I’d never seen the canned and frozen food magnate Jeno Paulucci until I found this ad in the Media History Digital Library. (more…)
Local podcast challenging to listen to
… and I don’t mean in terms of the audio quality.
This Duluth-based podcast has international reach. What They Don’t Tell You About Being a Survivor is “a podcast that builds community amongst those affected by trauma, with the purpose to promote healing and social change.” What makes it challenging to listen to is the intensity of the topics, the intensity of the personal experiences shared. According to the website … (more…)
Award for global engagement goes to Duluthian
Dan Nolan recently won a statewide award for teaching about internationalization. Below is the news release for the announcement, but I thought it might be more important to remind folks of the cool work Dan has also done for internationalization for the city of Duluth. (more…)
Initiatives in telehealth, as reported by CSS students
I have a pet interest in rural health issues. So I was very interested in a presentation recently to Wilderness Health. (more…)
What was the WEBC Traffic Tower?
According to the Duluth News Tribune, this WEBC Traffic Tower was located in a glass enclosure on the roof of the building on the northwest corner of Fourth Avenue West and Superior Street. (more…)
WDSM: Queen of the Towers
Collected here are 1950s-era advertisements for WDSM-TV, the forerunner to KBJR-TV. The ads appeared in Broadcasting and Sponsor magazines and can be found in the Media History Digital Library. (more…)
Comparing Little Italy to Duluth
Oddly, this ad uses Duluth as a benchmark against which a reader might understand how many Italians are in New York. For a while, Duluth was one of the 100 biggest media markets in the United States, and so among media professionals it could serve as a benchmark.
From the Media History Digital Library.
Traditional Christmas folk musical stylings of Goat Hill Quartet
On Saturday, I was at Wussow’s for coffee, and midway through the morning Goat Hill Quartet appeared. The group’s traditional Christmas folk musical stylings raised money for Loaves and Fishes.
Media Excavation: WHYZ in the Age of the Seaway
WHYZ was the ABC affiliate in Duluth — I think it would become WDIO? Or did WDIO begin after WHYZ died? (more…)
KDAL sells the Duluth-Superior-Iron Range market
KDAL 610 AM is a commercial talk radio station in Duluth, owned and operated by Midwest Communications. There was also a KDAL-TV, which later became KDLH and then merged with KBJR. (more…)
Media Excavations: Ojibway Publications
Well, I’m not sure how to feel about posting this advert pulled from the Media History Digital Library, because the name of the company bears no connection to the people, that I can tell …
… but Ojibway Publications was a nationally significant trade-magazine publisher located in Duluth. (more…)
Duluth, a Cosmopolitan City
Advertising campaigns for Duluth’s KDAL radio in the trade press were intent on revealing the cosmopolitan dimensions of Duluth. These ads both reveal Duluth’s unique industries and reveal that some of Duluth’s retail, especially, can stand shoulder to shoulder with other major urban areas. (more…)
Media Excavations: Duluth-Superior Television Revolution
This ad campaign, luring businesses to advertise on TV in Duluth/Superior uses a picture of supporters of the Revolutionary government of Cuba manning a machine gun post overlooking one of the main streets, Zapata Avenue, into the heart of Havana, Jan. 4, 1959. (more…)