Pratfalls of Parenting

“Stop asking if we want to be connected, the answer is that we do.” Leadership and Engagement Director for the Bush Foundation and Twin Cities Twitter user extraordinaire Lars Leafblad talks about coming into a well-established organization and trying to build upon its strengths while incorporating new ideas. He talks about building relationships in person […]

  “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make any money with a music degree.” Musician, Professor, and Improviser Bernie Armada talks about how he ended up teaching rhetoric. He also talks about how heavily influential mentors can be. And he shares how teaching helped him overcome his public performance anxiety. “Relics from […]

“I wanted to quit playing music because it grates on me, in a way.” Musician and front man from the band Van Stee, Charlie Van Stee, talks about trying to keep collaboration equal when the band is named after him. Charlie talks about working with musicians and a producer who push him beyond his creative […]

“You can never be good at parenting all the time.”  Broadcast journalist Mary Lahammer talks about journalism as a family business. She shares some of the personal relationships that inform how and why she reports on various issues. And Mary talks about the lack of separation between life and work. “People joke that I took […]

“When the Forbes list of the 100 richest people comes out there aren’t journalists on there.” Journalist Rick Ellis talks about his checkered career path that has included stand-up comedy, journalism, radio, television, and running his own entertainment journalism website. He talks about how much he has always enjoyed writing and how his obstinance is what […]

“I hate to be categorized as a thing.” Artist Peter Haakon Thompson talks about not wanting to bedefined by any one element of his work or life. He talks about going from a focus on photography to wanting to broaden out what he calls his art practice. And he shares how his interests always find […]

“I’m amazed at how neurotic and superficial I am about my kid.” New mother to an 18 week old daughter Jacquie Fuller talks about how having worked in radio for several years prepared her for the lack of sleep that comes with new parenthood. She talks about the tension a newborn can put between new […]

“You slap a wig on me, I’ll talk to you all day!” Actors Emily and Josh Jabas talk about how theater is what brought them to one another and the challenges parenthood has presented in trying to continue making theater. Josh and Emily talk about how sharing a circle of friends made their relationship easier […]

  “I consider myself the uber-listener.” Minnesota Public Radio Program Director Steve Nelson talks about the changing world of public radio and the job of being an “Uber-Producer.” He talks about launching MPR’s music station, The Current, eight years ago and how that opportunity helped bring him to Minnesota. And Steve shares how writing for […]

  “No matter how fast you’re moving, you’re always two hours behind.” Video and Film-maker Justin Staggs talks about how many years of long hours spent shooting and editing videos prepared him for the long-term sleep deprivation of parenthood. He talks about using the family camcorder as a child and remaking his own versions of […]

“I feel like I’m raising dangerous boys.” Metal worker Marlaine Cox talks about how she got into working with metal and sculpture. She talks about being the odd maker and builder of the family and how that showed itself early on. And Marlaine talks about creating how own private world within the bunk beds she […]

“I never really had any other career path.” Writer and editor Ira Brooker talks about the difference between working as a corporate copy writer and writing about entertainment. He talks about trying to make freelance writing his full time job. And Ira talks about the value he got from studying writing at University. “Getting how […]

“He just learned this year that not every dad goes away 30 weeks a year for work.” Chef, writer, TV maker Andrew Zimmern talks about how traveling for work 30 weeks a year puts pressure on his family. He talks about how his being away a lot is normal for his son but still has […]

“I decided at a very early age that I wanted to learn everything.” Kate-Madonna Hindes talks about her desire to learn literally everything in the world. She talks about not needing to the work that’s driven by passion be the work that generates the most income. And she talks about being a poor single-mother and […]

“Boring a child is one of the kindest things you can do to a child.” Teacher and poet Heid Erdrich talks about the solitary work of writing poetry. She talks about becoming a curator of work by visual artist due to her desire to collaborate with more artists. Heid talks about how curating can be […]