Alleen Brown

Alleen Brown's picture

Biography

About me

Alleen Brown was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her journalism degree came from the University of Minnesota. Her second language came from Buenos Aires. And her loyalty to frigid Minnesota came from a childhood spent in the shadow of the State Fair. Alleen's work has been published in the Pioneer Press, MinnPost.com, In These Times magazine and Huffington Post. She can be reached at alleenbrown [at] tcdailyplanet [dot] net

Favorite Places: 
Her back balcony, her front porch and her side garden
Twitter: 
AlleenBrown

How local are those flowers in the window? Part 2 of 4: Minnesota's flower king

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

Photos by Alleen Brown

In sleepy August, when warm breezes blow and the sun shines endlessly, small flower fields ring the Twin Cities. Their proprietors, who in many cases are vegetable growers first, saturate farmers markets with deep red, yellow, and purple flowers. It’s a time to forget that for seven months of the year, flowers are not a part of the Twin Cities’ landscape.

MORE »

How local are those flowers in the window? Part 1 of 4: The challenge of defining "local"

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

Renee Arcand, in Stillwater, grows flowers and arranges them for brides as well as selling some at the local farmers' market. Photo by Alleen Brown.

Right now business at Amelia’s Flower and Garden Shoppe is driven by soldiers returning from war and marrying, by the deaths of Korean War and World War II vets, and by the arrival of Southeast Asian immigrants with new floral traditions. The business feels the downward pull of a slumping economy that encourages even the affluent to skip the flowers.

MORE »

Please don't eat the erasers: School stories from Minneapolis, St. Paul teachers

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

Minneapolis Public Schools start today, and the St. Paul district starts next week. No one’s been through as many first days of school as teachers.

MORE »

Finding one thing to like: Stories from Twin Cities teachers

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

Michelle Forsyth, a sixth grade teacher at St.

MORE »

How to share an adult: Stories fromTwin Cities teachers

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

As a music teacher at Minneapolis’s Whittier elementary school, Kristin Bennett works with 125 to 140 kids each day.

MORE »

More fun for students: School stories from Minneapolis teachers

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

ESL teacher Stephanie Burnes co-teaches fourth graders in Andersen’s MORE »

Cautious hope as Twin Cities immigrant students apply for deferred action

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

Oscar Martinez: "I'm not afraid." (Photo by Alleen Brown)

The pieces of Morelos, Mexico that remain in 18-year-old Oscar Martinez’s memories include himself on horseback at two years old, the death of a nameless dog, and the creek he crossed on his way to

MORE »

Heated discussion of MSS special education response at Minneapolis school board meeting

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

At Tuesday’s Minneapolis school board meeting, board members and one community activist spoke out about the North Minneapolis charter Minnesota School of Science

MORE »

Do students with intellectual disabilities like Down syndrome belong in college?

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

Ally Herber is a student at Massachussetts Bay Community College.

CORRECTION 7/31/2012 - All it is for now is a faculty member’s dream. Lynn Stansberry-Brusnahan, a special education professor at St.

MORE »

Cityview leaves North Minneapolis special education students behind

By Alleen Brown, TC Daily Planet

Minnesota School of Science student works on an experiment. (Photo courtesy of MSS)

Last week, the families of 40 Minneapolis students with significant special needs received an unwelcome phone call.

MORE »
Syndicate content