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My favorite things Minnesota
No, I am not there, but this is atonement for my unintended slight of the state on Saturday.
Music: Dylan, Dylan, and Dylan. Bringing it All Back Home is his best album, and don't forget Blood on the Tracks and Love and Theft, among many others. Did I mention the guy is a first-rate author, an amazing DJ, and a passable actor as well? I've found that relatively few intelligent people appreciate Dylan as a vocalist (don't forget the Bing Crosby influence) and guitarist (one of the best of his time, though not technically), don't be distracted by the lyrics.
But yes there is more. My favorite Prince songs include "Starfish and Coffee," "Glam Slam," the Purple Rain "medley" on side one, and "Seven," most of all the acoustic CD single version. My favorite Replacements songs are "I Will Dare" and "Skyway."
Film: The Coen brothers have many good films, most of all Fargo, Raising Arizona, and Brother, Where Art Thou? Much of Fargo is set in Minnesota.
Literature: F. Scott Fitzgerald is an obvious first, Sinclair Lewis I don't enjoy much. Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato is a neglected classic. Ole Rolvaag isn't bad. I believe Anne Tyler is from the state, Breathing Lessons is worth reading for a tale of dysfunctional families.
Artist: Duane Hanson -- the guy who makes the sculptures that look like people -- is the obvious pick. Any painters other than (ugh) Leroy Nieman?
Small town: "Small" isn't quite the right word, but Duluth is a beauty, and yes Highway 61 runs up there.
Museum: The Walker Art Center is one of the most dynamic arts institutions in the United States. Here is a good article on the arts scene in Minneapolis.
I won't call them "best", but Winona Ryder, Charles Shulze, and Garrison Keillor count for something.
The bottom line: Education and intellect kick in here in a big way. Minnesota is one of the best states.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on December 6, 2006 at 07:10 AM in The Arts | Permalink
Comments
You left out Harold Stassen, Hubert H. Humphrey and Jesse Ventura. Oh wait, this is a posting about "favorites", isn't it?
Posted by: Peter K. at Dec 6, 2006 8:19:26 AM
Radio: Prairie Home Companion or Marketplace? PHC is still through
Minnesota Public Radio, but I'm not so sure about Marketplace.
Posted by: hamilton at Dec 6, 2006 8:48:31 AM
Hallelulah, brother!
Posted by: Dudeman at Dec 6, 2006 9:36:14 AM
Theater: The Guthrie, in Minneapolis.
Posted by: Donald A. Coffin at Dec 6, 2006 10:02:14 AM
I often have trouble understanding modern arts. A week ago, I went to see the Duane Hanson exhibit at the Michener Museum in PA. Honestly, it felt to me very much like Madame Tussauds with ordinary people in everyday settings.
Posted by: Yan Li at Dec 6, 2006 10:27:39 AM
First time poster.
Minnesotans: does it really matter if someone slights MN???
I have lived in Minneapolis for 7 years.
But I'm from San Francisco, and have lived in Seattle, SF, San Diego, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta.
Of those cities, it is true: Minneapolis is not a "tourist" city.
That doesn't mean it's "boring". big difference.
There is far more to do here in Mpls than in San Diego (can only go to the beach so many times) or Houston (what is there to do there again?) or Atlanta (no arts, no theatre)
Seattle and Minneapolis are near identical in many ways, both size, social climate, and identity (except we don't have a big needle that locals don't go to anyway)
SF and Chicago do have way more "to do". (if you can afford it)
Some unique things I'd add to your list:
1) boundary waters. Nowhere else can you be in true unspoiled nature
2) Theatre in general: Mpls is known to have the 2nd best theater scen in the country, next to NYC (and it's actually true)
3) Mall of America (I hate it, but the US=Shopping, and the MOA=shopping) Poeple fly direct from Japan to go to the MOA for a day. Sad.
That said, living here is about restaraunts, and biking/hiking, going out on "the lakes", being outside, etc.
It's NOT about going to the Empire States Building or going to Alcatraz or something.
Thus, it's NOT touristy. But also NOT boring.
Posted by: Dr-J at Dec 6, 2006 10:27:50 AM
Not sure you'd call them literature but two good Minnesotan authors I enjoy reading are Vince Flynn and P.J. Snow (mother and daughter collaboration, I guess that makes a total of three authors then.)
Posted by: david stevens at Dec 6, 2006 10:28:33 AM
Miller's Crossing is an underappreciated Coen Brothers classic. The dialogue and cinematography, with proper credit to Barry Sonnenfeld, are fine examples of the craft. Sonnefeld also shot Raising Arizona, which must be viewed in wide-screen to appreciate how much the camera adds to the humor of that film.
Posted by: Soya at Dec 6, 2006 10:34:57 AM
Rapper: Atmosphere
Posted by: josh at Dec 6, 2006 10:58:57 AM
Forgetting James Lileks?
Posted by: Patrick R. Sullivan at Dec 6, 2006 11:31:22 AM
Minnesota is a great state, but it has a real winter, not the fake winter we see in DC. People are active and outside all year.
In addition to Boundary Waters, don't forget Isle Royale, an incredibly beautiful place (OK, it's technically in Michigan, but most people get there from Grand Portage, MN).
Twin Cities is a great place to raise kids.
And the Guthrie (when we lived there the Guthrie preview tickets were an amazing bargain) and Children's Theatres in Minneapolis are outstanding. If the Children's Theatre puts on Cinderella as a holiday panto, it is NOT to be missed.
Also, James Lileks is in Minnesota.
Posted by: Chug at Dec 6, 2006 11:35:03 AM
what purple rain medley?
(and do you mean glamslam off lovesexy or the escape version from the single of alphabet street?)
as for dylan, i just don't get it. i know he's one of the greats, i know his lyrics are great, i know everyone covers his songs. but he does nothing for me (and i'm a musician). i suppose eventually i'll come around, as you ultimately do to most great music.
Posted by: dj superflat at Dec 6, 2006 12:02:53 PM
Does this mean Tyler doesn't like The Big Lebowski, or just that the other Coen brothers' movies are that much better?
Posted by: urstoff at Dec 6, 2006 12:11:33 PM
Do not forget the skyway.
In January you can have meetings in a half dozen
different buildings and still leave your coat in the hotel.
Posted by: spencer at Dec 6, 2006 12:26:12 PM
How could you all forget the Mary Tyler Moore Show?
What other place could make you toss your hat in the air from sheer joy?
I've never actually been to Minneapolis, or anywhere near it, but the MTM show makes it look a great adventure.
Posted by: Bruce G Charlton at Dec 6, 2006 12:32:31 PM
Kinda surprised no one has mentioned it yet...
Jessica Biel from Ely, Minn.
Posted by: Ex-MN-pat at Dec 6, 2006 12:34:29 PM
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Dylan. It inspired me to expand on one point.
Just like the delivery of lyrics in a musical theatre have more to do with timing and charisma than endowment of vocal power (which is given at that level), the movements of Dylan's right hand on the guitar empower his music with sickly sweet emotional content. His poetry often hangs on these complex progressions of single notes envoking his rather blatant individualism. Without this style many of his wandering folk ballads are infused with intensity almost uniformly lost by covers of his music. A possible exception to this is a cover of "Most of the Time" by Ani Difranco where her manipulation of the banjo breaks my heart every time. Compare this with the fireworks of Jimmy Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower" which, while dominating on another vector, cannot compete on Dylan's home turf.
Posted by: Michael T. at Dec 6, 2006 12:38:59 PM
The Big Lebowski is, by far, the movie I most enjoy watching repeadedly. Tyler, asince you responded to the request for "Favorite things Minnesota," maybe I could get a list of factors that tend to make a movie watchable numerous times. Whaddya think?
Posted by: steve at Dec 6, 2006 12:58:13 PM
O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" is one of the best works of "fiction" I have read in the last ten years. Amazing to discover how many Minnesotans have had such an important impact on my (Californian) life, from Dylan of course to the Coens and never forgetting the amazing Duane Hanson. To this day, my wife and I still remark on aomeone, or more lilely a group of someones, looking "just like a Duane Hanson."
Posted by: martin at Dec 6, 2006 1:24:43 PM
It also has the longest life expectancy of any state in the US
at over 79 years, the only state to have that.
Posted by: Barkley Rosser at Dec 6, 2006 1:28:00 PM
The stretch of Highway 61 that runs between Duluth and Two Harbors was named for my paternal grandfather, Arthur Valentine Rohweder. He was responsible for conceiving, designing and implementing the country's first industrial safety program for the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad in the 1920s. His program, which eschewed the now-popular blame-game in favor of immediate on-site, open, honest investigations of accidents, was responsible for a reduction of per year deaths from the hundreds to single digits for the railroad. He used that experience to help create the Minnesota Safety Council and National Safety Council, but unfortunately in today's litigious environment his methods are ignored. My dad tried to popularize them for medical safety, but failed.
Posted by: Christina at Dec 6, 2006 2:00:07 PM
"The Big Lebowski" has my favorite "Minnesotan" scene of all time (despite the fact that I think it takes place in Los Angeles). The dude goes to the grocery store, buys a pint of half and half, and pays with a 79 cent check. Haven't ever seen that anywhere else but here in Minnesota
-matt, 15 year resident, originally from Cleveland
Posted by: fasolamatt at Dec 6, 2006 2:43:27 PM
Tyler: great choices; you know your Minnesota stuff well. I was particularly impressed that you picked O'Brien and Hanson. Also, slamming Sinclair Lewis in an understated Minnesota Nice way was both correct and appropriate. Babbitt truly blows.
From the readers: also very good choices, particularly, Atmosphere, the architecture (I'll reiterate my vote for the Sullivan building in Owatonna from the last post's comments), and the lakes'n'nature stuff.
Dr. J: an accurate slight of MN is fine (the people are very reserved, the government is way too big and ambitious), but inaccurate or misleading slights will be politely corrected.
Favorite thing Minnesota of the day.: Pierre-Marc Bouchard's amazing game-winning spinorama shootout goal last night.
Posted by: beedubs in mpls at Dec 6, 2006 2:55:48 PM
Miller's Crossing.
Posted by: slh at Dec 6, 2006 3:02:08 PM
I hate the skyway. It is intolerably hot and dry in the winter.
Posted by: Mike Linksvayer at Dec 6, 2006 4:46:20 PM
