Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/category/lifestyle/page/10/)
It was nice to be spoiled by the lovely sun and some warmth so late in the season, but last week’s chill and rain told me two things: one is that I have to go into some warm coffee shops and bookstores for the 2015 Saint Paul Almanac Literary Festival. The second is that we have to hope and pray for great weather for the Saint Paul Art Crawl this weekend! Continue Reading
I was walking out to the chicken coop in the early morning, a pail of seeds and cracked corn swinging on my left and my right hand raised to shade my eyes. The sun, just a few degrees above the trees, hit the dew-drenched grass and sent spears of bright light into the air. It was like a white fireworks: busy, slightly chaotic, riotous. Continue Reading
When Sal Kravik became a vegan 12 years ago, she didn’t eat the way she does now.”When I first changed my diet … there were so few options,” Kravik said. “Vegan cheesecake was not a thing.”Now Kravik volunteers for Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) and wants people to understand that living the vegan lifestyle doesn’t mean eating bad tasting food. And the word is spreading.The nonprofit, which advocates empathy for animals and a move towards plant-based diets, held their third annual Twin Cities Veg Fest on Sept. 28 at the University of Minnesota with record high attendance. About 2,300 people attended the festival, which hosted a variety of vegetarian and vegan vendors.The Herbivorous Butcher, which creates vegan substitute meat, made their debut at Veg Fest this year. Continue Reading
My Minnesota mind cannot help but wonder if we are going to be “punished” for the abundance of beautiful weather that has greeted the many wonderful activities in the Capital City. One look at the Almanac arts calendarand that imposed pennance is not in sight. The summer officially ended under the cover of a deceptive sun and a couple of kind, brief sprinkles of rain. That’s great momentum to carry us into this week. Continue Reading
I went to listen to Steve Almond discuss his newest book called Against Football. It wasn’t so much that I am a passionate hater of football. More precisely, I was wondering what a former fan of the game had to say about how he arrived at the topic. Steve is a talented writer who has really forged his own creative writing path. I knew this book was not a diatribe in the formal sense….I knew it carried some weight. What he said was that it really came down to the fact that he was ashamed of his love for the game despite the growing evidence that football harms people for life and that the industry itself does little to protect those who play it. Furthermore, he said, “We need to write about what brings us shame.” Continue Reading
I would like to call this moment in time a “breather”: a time for us to pause and smile after a very huge and successful book release party, a very busy weekend for Storymobile at both the Selby Avenue Jazz Fest and Seitu Jones’s Create: A Community Table, and so many things that have been going on in Saint Paul over the past several weeks. Soon, the Almanac Literary Festival will begin. We will be busy all over town, sharing stories and meeting our neighbors all over again. In this in-between time, we keep busy with other things. I have some ideas here, and you can find more in the Almanac arts calendar. Continue Reading
Sept. 22 marks the official start of fall, offering a bounty of colorful fall foliage, apple orchards, corn mazes, and an endless wave of pumpkin flavors! Below we’ve highlighted an assortment of festivities in the Twin Cities (and beyond) to help you get the most out of the season. Please share with us your favorite thing about fall by taking our poll below! <a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/8320869/”>What do you enjoy most about fall?</a>Looking for Halloween and Dia del los Muertos events? See: Creeps, crawls, candy and more: Halloween highlights in the Twin Cities. Also, if you know of great upcoming holiday or seasonal events, spread the word by using our calendar or send an email to paigeelliott@tcdailyplanet.net.Fall AttractionsTwin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze 8001 109th Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 | 952-992-9326Weekends: 10am – 6pm; Admission: $12 per guest. Continue Reading
There is a great mystery and powerful music playing that we don’t
hear and stories full of magic, so many stories that life isn’t
long enough to tell them all. –Garrison Keillor
Yesterday was one of those days that everywhere I went I met cool people who told me their stories. Two characteristics they had in common: passion in the way they live their lives and a willingness to talk about it. Continue Reading
Our neighbors are fabulous and brought that to Thursday’s book release party, as they do to everything Saint Paul. Even though the festiveness of the summer weather is escaping, our warmth and energy were enough to make it a great gathering. I hope you had a chance to get your copy of the 2015 Saint Paul Almanac. If not, there are still many chances, at our local coffee shops, bookstores, and even at the airport (a great idea as you are headed out of town to meet people who need to know Saint Paul). The community of arts events continues. Just check out the Almanac arts calendarand keep reading! Continue Reading
When I was a kid, I watched the Olympics on television and they had this artist with a big mustache painting a big canvas. That painter was Saint Paul native Leroy Neiman. Whenever there was a dull moment or a break in the action, the announcer would ask, “What’s Leroy Neiman up to?” and the cameraman would pan to the painter daubing the canvas with bright pigments. Somehow, Neiman was able to finish the painting just as the games ended. It was real performance art. Here’s a YouTube video showing Neiman painting. Here’s another one. Continue Reading