The Minnesota Book Awards. I attended the 27th annual Minnesota Book Awards on April 18. I’ve attended for a few years now and I plan to make it an annual pilgrimage. Minnesota: the state where hundreds of people convene to celebrate literature. I so enjoy the opportunity to see old friends, meet new friends, and bask in all things literary. It’s a great excuse to get dressed up for literature. It’s like the Oscars. Except smaller. And in Minnesota. And for books, not movies. But still.

Here’s my Storify on the event:

KMSU’s “Shuffle Function” 24-hour pledge drive. Local radio is where it’s at. In Mankato, we’re fortunate to have KMSU radio, an independent station affiliated with Minnesota State University, Mankato. The station features local music, independent music, news from the BBC and an opportunity for students (many of them my mass media students) to work in the news business. A KMSU staple for many years has been the morning “Shuffle Function” show, hosted by Tim and Shelley. You want to hear an eclectic curation of music (lots of vinyl)? Then listen 6-9 a.m. each weekday morning. As I type this, Tim and Shelley are 16 hours into their 24-hour show/pledge drive. They’re doing a great job! Talk about dedication to local radio.

Stories. Real stories. True stories. The Mass Media department at MSU hosted Media Day on Tuesday with keynote speaker Boyd Huppert of KARE-11. Boyd is known for his “Land of 10,000 Stories” segment, which I watch on a regular basis. But hearing Boyd speak of his philosophy behind the stories and how to tell stories was so enlightening. How do we tell the stories of others, and why? Quite simply, it’s the human connection that we crave. I personally am inspired to think about how I tell the stories of others from now on.

Enjoy one of Boyd’s stories on Earling and Emmett, a unique friendship between a WWII veteran and a little boy. These stories went viral and can be found all over the web on various news sites.