Arts & Culture

On this episode, three poems with different takes on nature -- Kylie Howatt from Northwood does Don't Bother the Earth Spirit by Joy Harjo (Poet Laureate of the US). Jacob Klaudt perfroms Eagle Plain, by Robert Francis, and Zoey Wood from Solen does Dawn by Ella Higginson.  Credit to North Dakota Council on the Arts, the Poetry Foundation and Humanites ND.

Performances from the 2020 North Dakota Poetry Out Loud Contest at the Heritage Center in Bismarck.  Cassandra Rostvedt (one of the 5 finalists) does Dead Butterfly by Ellen Bass, an interview with first-time judge Shaunane Tangney, Katy Meester doing Requests for Toy Piano by Tony Hoagland, Jacob Klaudt does Eagle Plain by Robert Francis, Gabi Oberg from Washburn performs Prints by Joseph Bruchac, Alexandra Puetz of Wyndmere does The Albatross by Kate Bass, and Kylie Howatt of Northern Cass does Then and Now by Tom Clark. 

"In the late 1960s, French new wave actress and "Breathless" star Jean Seberg becomes the target of the FBI due to her support of the civil rights movement and her romantic involvement with Hakim Jamal -- a Black Panther activist."

Mira Osborne from the Minot Magic City Campus does "Where the Wild Things Go" by D. Gilson, and Maria Kalb (who took top honors in North Dakota) does "Snowflake" by William Baer.  Maria also talks about her take on the poem. Sign up for the podcast!

Bill Thomas, Prairie Public's radio director, is also a judge for Poetry Out Loud. He visits with Ashley Thornberg on the Main Street show to share more hightlights from this year's event. Abby Wuollet (Ray) does Do Not by Stevie Smith; Mira Osborne (Minot Magic City Campus) does John Keats' dramatic When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be; Judge and poet Shadd Piehl talks about what it's like for a poet to hear someone else perform their work; Mira Osborne again to do Where the Wild Thing Go, by D. Gilson; finally, the statewide winner, Maria Kalb (St. Mary's Central, Bismarck), does Burning in the Rain, by Richard Blanco.

Not bad, says Matt.

They were forecasting high winds and 3 to 5 inches, some of the high schools might not make it, but the competitors, coaches, parents and friends made their way to Bismarck for the statewide showdown.  You might be thinking Class B basketball, but it was North Dakota's 2020 Poetry Out Loud statewide finals.  In the dramatic theatre at the Heritage Center, with the audience in steeply raked seating, 17 poetry champions (2 schools did cancel) recited 2 poems, by recognized, published poets, one from before 1900.  A panel of judges quickly scored each performance on understanding, physical pr

Since 2008, NPR's popular Tiny Desk Concerts have carved out an online space for intimate musical performances, by both undiscovered and established talents. Taylor Swift has done one. And so have five unknown, unique musicians who won the first Tiny Desk Contests. The 2020 edition is happening now, and Tiny Desk founder Bob Boilen wants to see lots of entries from North Dakota, Eastern Montana and Northwest Minnesota. 

Not Matt's cup of tea