The yellow pages for literary goodness in the Twin Cities. This page is neither definitive nor static. Let me know if I’ve missed something that should be included here. Thanks!
Booksellers
Birch Bark Books: books, native arts, jewelry, and community events (Minneapolis)
Boneshaker Books: (Minneapolis)
Bumper Crop Bookshop (fka Bibliopolis): Specializes in used, rare and out-of-print books (Northeast Minneapolis)
Common Good Books (St. Paul)
James and Mary Laurie Booksellers: Antiquarian books (Downtown Minneapolis)
Magers and Quinn: Great selection of used books (Uptown, Minneapolis)
Mayday Books (Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis)
Micawber’s Books (Intersection of Como and Carter, St. Paul)
Once Upon A Crime: mystery books (Uptown, Minneapolis)
The Red Balloon Bookshop: Children’s books (Grand Avenue, St. Paul)
True Colors (fka Amazon) Bookstore: oldest independant feminist bookstore in North America (Chicago and 48th, South Minneapolis)
Wild Rumpus: Children’s books (Minneapolis)
Libraries
Hennepin County Library: 41 branches
Library Foundation of Hennepin County: Hosts literary events, book sales, and the “Talk of the Stacks” author discussion series.
Ramsey County Library: 7 branches
St. Paul Public Library: 14 locations, including the roaming Bookmobile
Friends of the St. Paul Public Library: Hosts the annual Minnesota Book Awards.
University of Minnesota Libraries
Classes & Community
Club Book: inviting national and regional authors to Twin Cities public libraries
The Loft Literary Center: The nation’s largest literary center.
IFP Center for Media Arts: Great resource for screenwriters.
Minnesota Center for Book Arts: Workshops, events, exhibitions, and more on the craft of bookmaking.
Open Book Building: A space for literary folks, housing the Loft, Milkweed, and MN Center for Book Arts, as well as event/meeting spaces, coffee shop and bookish retail store.
The Playwrights’ Center: Home of PlayLabs and classes for theater-minded writers.
Story Farm
Talking Volumes: Live author discussions and book signings.
Twin Cities Book Festival: Annual event hosted by the Rain Taxi Review of Books
Minnesota Blogs
Master list: Local Directory for Minneapolis, MN (From Minnesota.com)
Choice literary-focused blogs:
Books & Bars (reinventing the book club)
Collections Up Close (blog of the Minnesota Historical Society)
Common Good Books blog
Magers and Quinn Booksellers blog
Minnesota Reads
Mr. Micawber Enters the Internets
University of Minnesota Press Blog
Miscellaneous
Book Mooch: book sharing collective.
Electric Arc Radio: a Literary-Musical Tragicomedy on 89.3 The Current that aired from Jan. 6-27, 2008.
IndieBound: National community of independent booksellers.
MiniStories: Mnartists.org’s quarterly flash-fiction competition, coordinated by Electric Arc Radio’s Geoff Herbach
Minnesota Literacy Council: Trains volunteers to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) and works to improve literacy throughout the state with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Minnesota Reading Corps: Provides reading tutors to children age 3 to grade 3, an AmeriCorps program.
Women’s Prison Book Project: Located in Minnesota, WPBP provides donated books to women in prison nationwide.
Publications and Publishers
Magazines/Weeklies
American Craft Magazine
City Pages
Do It Green! Magazine: a great resource for Minnesotans to care for the earth. This publication is now annual (and only $7!)
Downtown Journal
Edible Twin Cities: Super awesome local foodie mag
Lavender Magazine: Minnesota’s GLBT mag
METRO Magazine
Minnesota: University of MN Alumni magazine
Minnesota Good Age
Minnesota Monthly
Minnesota Parent
Minnesota Women’s Press
MinnPost.com: A thoughtful approach to news
Mpls/St.Paul Magazine
New Moon Girls (for girls 8-15)
Rain Taxi: Review of books, books, and more books
The Rake (online only)
Twin Cities Daily Planet: “Local news for global citizens”
Utne Reader
Twin Cities Runoff: Stories from the thaw
VitaMN: Twin Cities culture and events mag
Publishers/Distributors
Afton Press
Carolrhoda Lab
Capstone Publishers
Coffee House Press
Consortium Book Sales and Distribution
Graywolf Press
Lerner Publishing Group (several imprints, including Carolrhoda Lab)
Milkweed Editions
Minnesota Historical Society Press
Quayside Publishing Group (several imprints including Voyageur Press)
Raven Publications
Scarletta Press
University of Minnesota Press
Literary Journals
Dislocate (University of Minnesota grad lit journal)
InDigest Magazine: Very cool online literary journal published by David Luke Doody and Dustin Luke Nelson
Ivory Tower (U of M undergrad lit journal)
Knockout Literary Magazine
The Minnesota Review
Paper Darts: Artsy lit mag with short stories, poetry and lovely graphic design
The Talking Stick
Whistling Shade
Reference/Industry Resources
League of Minnesota Poets
Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association
MnKnows: “Dig deeper @ your library.” Portal to Minnesota’s online library services.
NewPages.com: all about independent press and publications around the nation. Great resource!
Springboard for the Arts: resources and business counseling for artists/authors
