january 2012 northfield entertainment guide

[email protected]� © Northfield eNtertaiNmeNt Guide�

JaNuary 2012 Check�us�out�online�at�www.northfieldguide.com �

your source for Northfield-area happenings since 2005

Vol.�1,�Issue�1January 2012�7 Bridge SquareNorthfield, MN 55057507/[email protected]

Publisher:Rob SchanilecBy All Means Graphics

Advertising:[email protected] or 507/663-7937

Contributors:Felicia CrosbySusan HvistendahlLocallygrownnorthfield.org Northfield.orgNorthfield Music Collective

Online:at northfieldguide.com! A flippin’ cool digital edition, downloadable PDF, archives and content submission form.

ContentsGalleries��2

Theater��3

Sports��3

Happenings�� 4-14

Just�Curious: Susan Hvistendahl��18-19

Clubs,�Classes�&�More�� 23

December�Gigs��17

Dining�� 24

Advertisers’�Index�� 24

Historic�Happenings��20-22

On�the�Cover:�Join Scott Richardson and many others and give Old Man Winter a piece of your mind at the Northfield Historical Society’s Annual Winter Scream, Saturday, Jan. �4, �2-2pm in Bridge Square. There’ll be a communal sing-a-long, an ice cream social and optional chili at the Rueb-n-Stein as well as a coloring contest for the kids.

Happy Birthday to the Best

Burger in Town!

The Northfield Entertainment Guide congratulates

the Rueb ‘N’ Stein on

years of great food, great service and for being a great downtown neighbor. Stop in

and raise a glass to Joe and Jodi – here’s looking at you, kids!

2 [email protected]� © Northfield eNtertaiNmeNt Guide�

Eclectic�Goat�– 418 Division St. 507/786-9595 • Tu/W �0-5, Th �0-7, F/Sa �0-5, Su �2-4 – More than 120 artists represented. “A shop where...ART RULES!”

The�Flaten�Art�Museum/Dittmann�Center1520 St. Olaf Ave. • 507/646-3556 stolaf.edu/depts/art/ • M/Tu/W/F �0am-5pm, Th until 8, Sa/Su 2-5pm, closed through Jan. 6.Apprentice Art Exhibit – Jan. 6-Feb. 12 – work by art apprentices who graduated in 2011 and were awarded apprenticeships to work on their portfolios for a year.

Northfield�Arts�Guild��304 Division St. • 507/645-8877 northfieldartsguild.org • M-F �0-5Members’ Show – Through Jan. 7 – Guild member artists working in all media fill the gallery in this non-juried exhibition.

Here and Then – Through Jan. 7 – Mixed media paintings by Jill Ewald involve relationships between shape, form, color and texture in works that reference landscape and architectural space.

Surfacing – Jan. 11-Feb. 18 – Oil paint-ings by Paul Brokken and Carolyn Hartwell, functional sculptural ceramics by Juliane Shibata. Opening Reception: Jan. 13, 7-9pm.

In the Members’ Room: One Stroke at a Time – Jan. 11-Feb. 17 – Joyce Francis exhibits her ink and watercolor paintings. These works on paper are made using the Zentangle technique, a meditative art form that uses repeating patterns. Open-ing Reception: Jan. 13, 7-9pm.

Northfield�Arts�Guild��at�Allina�Clinic 1440 Jefferson Rd. • M-T 7-8, F 7-7, Sa 9-3Donna Jackson – Through Jan. 16 Fred Gustafson – Jan. 16-Feb. 27 – large-scale plates influenced by traditional Chinese painting styles.

Northfield�Senior��Center�Gallery1651 Jefferson Pkwy. • 507/664-3700 northfieldseniorcenter.org • M-F 7am-8pm, Sat 7am-5pm, Sun �0am-5pmQuilters’ Art – Through Jan. 29 – local quilt-artists display wall hangings and few bed-size quilts.

Paradise�Center�for�the�Arts321 Central Ave., Faribault • 507/332-7372 • paradisecenterforthearts.org Tu/W/F/Sa �2-5pm, Th �2-8pm, Su/M closed.Carlander Family Gallery: “It’s Greece to Me” – Jan. 13-Feb. 28 – Father James Cly Zotalis’ collection of pen/ink and wa-tercolors of current sites in modern day Greece, reflect the people and places of the Greek mainland and surrounding islands. Opening Reception: Jan. 13, 5-7pm.

Vranesh Boardroom Gallery: “I’m Just Trying to Tell You that This is the Direction our Body is Going” – Jan. 13-Feb. 28 – Alex Lange’s performance work that attempts to use the body to close the distance between Alex and the sun. The performance becomes a meditation on Alex’s spiritual experience. Opening Re-ception: Jan. 13, 5-7pm.

Corey Lyn Cregor Memorial Gallery: Katie Sohlobohm – Jan. 13-Feb. 28 – Student work. Opening Reception: Jan. 13, 5-7pm.

Studio�Elements�16 Bridge Square 507/786-9393 studioelements.net • Th 10am-8pm, F/Sa 10am-5pm, Su 12-4pm.Fine art, unique gifts and fun junk.

swag�– 423 Division St. • 507/663-8870 Tu-Sa, 10am-5pmHand-made, one-of-a-kind funky local art.

JaNuary 2012 Check�us�out�online�at�www.northfieldguide.com 3

TheaterHigh�School�One�Act�PlaysJan. 27-28, Feb. 3-4; 7-10pm High School Auditorium

Nakes�and�AloneJan. 20-21, 8pm Northfield Arts Guild TheaterNot much more naked than standing on a stage alone, and Bren-don Etter conjures that vulnerability in all its forms with “Naked and Alone.” Sixteen short plays – one person at a time – in sketches that run from monologues to dialogues with unheard characters, to stranger situations still. Provocative, with themes that span comedy to tragedy to the patently absurd, these short works are mostly actor-directed, with input from author Etter. Proceeds benefit the Arts Guild. Tickets ($�0) and more information at 507/645-8877 or www.northfieldartsguild.org.

S P O R T S Here are the home games…

Monday,�January�2BasketBall – St. Olaf Men’s vs. Gustavus Adolphus College, 7:30pm

Tuesday,�January�3Nordic ski – Raiders vs. Winona Senior, 3:30pmGymNastics – Raiders Girls vs. New Prague, 6:30pmhockey – Raiders Girls vs. Waseca, 7:30pm

Wednesday,�January�4BasketBall – St. Olaf Men’s vs. Concordia College-Moorhead,

7:45pm

Thursday,�January�5hockey – Raiders Boys vs. Farmington, 7:30pm

Friday,�January�6hockey – St. Olaf Men’s vs. St. Norbert College, 7:30pm

Saturday,�January�7swim & dive – St. Olaf vs. Macalester College, Hamline, �pmhockey – St. Olaf Men’s vs. UW-Stevens Point, 7:30pm

Tuesday,�January�10GymNastics – Raiders Girls vs. Farmington, 6:30pmBasketBall – Raiders Girls vs. New Prague, 7:30pmhockey – Raiders Girls vs. Academy of Holy Angels, 7:30pm

Wednesday,�January�11BasketBall – St. Olaf Men’s vs. Augsburg College, 7:30pm

Thursday,�January�12wrestliNG – Raiders vs. Rochester Century, 5pm Raiders vs. Farmington, 8pmhockey – Raiders Girls vs. Shakopee, 7:30pm

Friday,�January�13BasketBall – Raiders Boys vs. Red Wing, 7:30pm

Saturday,�January�14BasketBall – St. Olaf Women’s vs. College of St. Benedict, 3pmswim & dive – St. Olaf Intrasquad/Alumni Meet, 3pm

Sunday,�January�15hockey – St. Olaf Women’s vs. Lindenwood University, 2pm

Monday,�January�16hockey – Raiders Girls vs. Austin, 7:30pmBasketBall – St. Olaf Women’s vs. College of St. Catherine, 7:30pm

Tuesday,�January�17wrestliNG – St. Olaf vs. Waldorf College, 7pm

Wednesday,�January�18BasketBall – St. Olaf Men’s vs. St. Thomas, 7:30pm

Friday,�January�20Nordic ski – Raiders vs. TBA, 3:30pmBasketBall – Raiders Boys vs. Farmington, 7:30pmhockey – St. Olaf Women’s vs. Bethel University, 7:30pm

Saturday,�January�21track & field – Carleton Men’s College Triangularhockey – Raiders Girls vs. Chanhassen/Chaska, 2pm St. Olaf Men’s vs. Bethel University, 7:30pmBasketBall – Carleton Women’s vs. St. Olaf, �pm Carleton Men’s vs. St. Olaf, 3pm Raiders Girls vs. Rochester Mayo, 7:30pm

Tuesday,�January�24BasketBall – Raiders Girls vs. Academy of Holy Angels, 7:30pmhockey – Raiders Girls vs. New Prague, 7:30pm

Thursday,�January�26wrestliNG – Raiders vs. Waterville, Elysian, Morristown, Shakopee,

5pmhockey – Raiders Boys vs. Red Wing, 7:30pm

Friday,�January�27BasketBall – Raiders Girls vs. Shakopee, 7:30pmhockey – St. Olaf Men’s vs. University of St. Thomas, 7:30pm

Saturday,�January�28GymNastics – High School Girls Invitational, �0:30amswim & dive – Carleton vs. St. Olaf, ��am St. Olaf Invitational, 5pmBasketBall – St. Olaf Women’s vs. St. Mary’s University, �pm St. Olaf Men’s vs. St. Mary’s University, 3pmhockey – St. Olaf Women’s vs. University of St. Thomas, 2pm

Monday,�January�30BasketBall – St. Olaf Men’s vs. Hamline University, 7:30pm

Tuesday,�January�31GymNastics – Raiders Girls vs. Chanhassen/Chaska, 6:30pmBasketBall – Raiders Girls vs. Chanhassen, 7:30pmhockey – Raiders Boys vs. Chanhassen, 7:30pm


Mark�Mraz�•�8:30-11pmThe Tavern LoungeForget about life for awhile with the piano man. From Billy Joel to Kermit the Frog – Mraz tickles the ivories and entertains requests from the audience.

FRIDAY,�JANUARY�6

Joel�Kachel�•�5-8pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsThis original singer-songwriter is sure to get your attention with his engaging stage presence and lively music.

Fred�the�Bear�•�5-8pmThe Contented Cow

Michael�Perry�and�the�Long�Beds�Featuring�Andy�Dee�7:30pmThe Grand Event CenterMike will weave stories and humor (including material from the Clodhopper Monologues) throughout a lively concert of original songs, including those

on his most recent album, Tiny Pilot (Ambledown Records). Andy Dee is of the Big Top Chautaugua Blue Canvas Orchestra. Tickets: $�2 advance, $�5 at the door. Available at www.sneezingcow.com and at Monkey See, Monkey Read.

HAPPE N I NG SSUNDAY,�JANUARY�1

Politics�and�a�Pint�•�6pmContented CowJoin in on discussions concerning local issues at this “lightly mod-erated” open forum. For more information on topics, go to www.contentedcow.com.

Quiz�Night�•�8pmContented CowStop in anytime to sign up for this four-person team competition; prizes and the winning team may drink from the “Winners Mug” the week following their triumph!

MONDAY,�JANUARY�2

Northern�Roots�Session�•�7:30-9pmThe Contented CowAn informal weekly gathering of musi-cians to play acoustic music with roots in the north, particularly the Nordic countries. Participants and listeners of all ages and levels of experience are welcome.

TUESDAY,�JANUARY�3

Acoustic�Jam�Session�•�7:30-10pmThe Contented CowEvery Tuesday night show up with your unplugged instrument of choice and jam – or just show up and listen!

WEDNESDAY,�JANUARY�4

Traditional�Irish�Music�Session�•�7-9pmThe Contented CowA gathering of musicians and listeners in a relaxed, informal set-ting. Along with the music enjoy conversation, camaraderie and perhaps even a few Irish dance steps!

THURSDAY,�JANUARY�5

Matt�Arthur�&�the�Bratlanders�•�8pm-12amThe Contented CowMatt Arthur and the Bratlanders play original foot-stompin’ protest songs, hollerin’ gospel blues, and classic covers from such American legends as Johnny Cash, Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jeffer-son and Hank Williams.


Ben�Aaron�•�8-11:30pmThe Tavern LoungeAaron has been playing guitar since he was ten. Finding his voice and picking up harmonica were the last steps in order to become a true folk musician. Influences include the folk

revival, country blues and the new Americana music that is sweep-ing the nation.

KaraokeRueb ‘N’ Stein • 9pm Castle Rock and Roll • 9pm Jesse James Lanes • 10pm

Midnight�Collision�•�11pm-1amThe Contented Cow

SATURDAY,�JANUARY�7

AAUW�Presentation:�Women�in�Minnesota�Politics�–�Unique��Challenges�•�10amSt. John’s Lutheran ChurchRep. Sandy Wollschlager will present a video documentary she developed for Channel 2. Hosted by Jo Kleber and Greta Anderson.

Michael�Loonan�•�2-5pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsA professional piano player since �984, Loonan’s repertoire includes popular standards, contemporary classics, jazz and classical. And he sings, too!

Ameriikan�Poijat�Finnish�Brass�Band��7-9:30pmParadise Center for the Arts, FaribaultPresented by Dr. Paul Niemesto. One-hour concert followed by social dance. Narration by folklorist John Berquist. Visual presenta-tion on Minnesota immigrant life. And if you’ve got band music in your family history, bring stories and photos to share after the concert! Tickets: $�5 adults, $8 students with ID.

Top�Shelf�•�8-11pmThe Contented CowA five-piece, south metro blues/jazz band influenced by Susan Tedeschi, Basia, Santana, Jonny Lang, Delbert McClinton and Otis Redding, just to name a few. Female and male leads lend a gender-balanced set for a fun, danceable evening.

Steve�Howard�“Hillbilly�Music�for�the�Soul”�•�8-11:30pmThe Tavern LoungeBluegrass, blues and ’60s hits. Acoustic guitar, five-string banjo and voice.

DJ�MusicCastle Rock and Roll • 9pmRueb ‘N’ Stein

Alluvion�•�11pm-1amThe Contented Cow

SUNDAY,�JANUARY�8

Andrew�Walesch�•�2-5pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsA great performer who sings Sinatra, Dean Martin and originals.




Northern�Roots�Session�•�7:30-9pmThe Contented CowAn informal weekly gathering of musicians to play acoustic music with roots in the north, particularly the Nordic countries. Partici-pants and listeners of all ages and levels of experience are welcome.

HAPPENINGS�Friday, Jan. 6, continued

Michael Loonanphoto: Rod Wilson



Acoustic�Jam�Session�•�7:30-10pmThe Contented CowEvery Tuesday night show up with your unplugged instru-ment of choice and jam – or just show up and listen!


Traditional�Irish�Music�Session�•�7-9pmThe Contented CowA gathering of musicians and listeners in a relaxed, informal set-ting. Along with the music enjoy conversation, camaraderie and perhaps even a few Irish dance steps!

Alison�Rae�•�10pm-12amThe Contented CowSt. Paul-based musician “whose voice and songs come at you with all the power and hype of a falling snowflake…her talent has instantly hushed a room.” – Jim Walsh, MinnPost.


Ian�Alexy�•�8:30-11pmThe Tavern LoungeSinger/songwriter/guitarist Ian Alexy offers deft finger-picking, jazzy melodies and heart-warming tales of a well-traveled 20-something-year-old.

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Exhibit�Opening�Reception:�James�Zotalis,�Alex�Lange�and�Katie�Suhlobohm�•�5-7pmParadise Center for the Arts, Faribault“It’s Greece to Me” and “I’m Just Trying to Tell You that This is the Direction our Body is Going.” See galleries page.

Occasional�Jazz�•�5-7pmThe Contented CowMainstream classic jazz of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck and others in the same style.

treVeld�•�5-8pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsA group of string musicians who perform music that blends genres such as gypsy, swing, old time, celtic, bluegrass, blues, chamber and Nordic roots.

Arts�for�Martin:�Gathering�Community,�Creating�Art,�Celebrating�Martin�Luther�King�Jr.�•�7pmARTechJoin Northfield’s performing artists – from all disciplines, all ages and all levels, elemen-

tary to professional, for an evening of reflection on the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. Music, dance, spoken word, poetry and visual art meld together into a performance that thoughtfully and intentionally speaks to the legacy Dr. King left us. Presented by Mary Easter, professor of Dance and the Performing Arts Emerita at Carleton. Free and open to the public.

Exhibit�Opening�Reception:�Surfacing�and�One�Stroke�at�a�Time�•�7-9pmNorthfield Arts GuildSee galleries page.

The�Beguine�Brothers�•�8-11pmThe Contented CowBilled as an old-time country and western revue with smatterings of the Urban Hillbilly Quintet, among others.

Matthew�Griswold�•�8-11:30pmThe Tavern LoungeAcoustic/folk rock/pop.

The�8th�Street�Band�•�9pmThe Rueb ‘n’ Stein

KaraokeCastle Rock and Roll • 9pm Jesse James Lanes • 10pm

Mark�Mraz�•�9:30pmFroggy BottomsForget about life for awhile with the piano man. From Billy Joel to Kermit the Frog – Mraz tickles the ivories and entertains requests from the audience.


�Winter�Scream�II�•�12-2pmBridge SquareA day to declare our indepen-dence from winter. Activities include communal sing, ice cream social, coloring contest and chili.

Tim�Patrick�and�his�Blue�Eyes�Band�•�2-5pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsAlways a crowd pleaser with great American standards made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Tony Ben-nett, Nat King Cole and more.

New�Moon�Trio�•�5-8pmThe Contented CowHere’s a taste of �00 years of popular tunes, random requests and sponta-neous harmonies featuring Ross Cur-rier on bass, Lance Heisler on drums and Justin London on guitar.

treVold


Dirty�Petrov�and�the�Gentilionaires�•�11pm-1amThe Contented Cow


Tim�Patrick�and�his�Blue�Eyes�Band�•�1-4pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsAlways a crowd pleaser with great American standards made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Tony Ben-nett, Nat King Cole and more.




Martin�Luther�King,�Jr.�Community��Celebration�•�7pmNorthfield High School AuditoriumReginaldo Haslett-Marroquin will emcee. Keynote speaker, attorney John Fossum, will give a history and overview of international criminal law. There will be entertainment, refreshments and the Northfield Human

Rights Award will be given. Free and open to the public, ASL interpreted.


Comedy�Night�•�7-9pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsThree fantastic and hilarious comedians. One of the comedians was recently featured on the David Letterman show and is regularly on Comedy Central. Tickets: $20 in advance and space is limited. There will be a small number of tickets available at the door for $25. Ages: 2�+. Price includes light appetizers from Mill Street Tavern.

Spruce�Top�Review��8-11pmThe Contented CowEclectic repertoire of urban folk that may be familiar and obscure. Interpretations of folks like John Prine, Steve Earle, Bob Dylan and the Beatles, traditional and contemporary Irish music and more.

Relativity�•�8-11:30pmThe Tavern LoungeThis trio plays music from popular art-ists such as Missy Higgins and the Avett Brothers as well as many classic rock tunes by bands like Fleetwood Mac and John Mellencamp to such varied artists as the Indigo Girls, Damien Rice and Sarah McLachlan. Sit back and enjoy power harmonies by twin sisters Linda Wilson and Sandy Jensen (who also adds mandolin, harmonica and percussion)

and solid guitar and bluesy vocals by Toby Jensen.


Whiskey�Trick�•�9:30pmFroggy BottomsCountry cover acoustic duo: Lisa Rowland (vocals) and Jim Bro-phy (guitar) making their debut performance.

�0 [email protected]� © Northfield eNtertaiNmeNt Guide�

The�Butch�Thompson�Trio�•�7:30pmShattuck-Saint Mary’s, FaribaultA Minnesota musical treasure and Prairie Home Companion favorite, Butch Thompson is one of the world’s top jazz and ragtime performers! www.butchthompson.com. Tickets: $�5 adults, $9 students.

The�Counterfactuals�•�8-11pmThe Contented Cow

Jason Decker (guitar), Dan Groll (vocals, songwriter, guitar and drums) are both philosophy professors at Carleton. A counterfactual is a conditional sentence of the form “If it had been that p, it would have been that q.” Very philosophical – but unfortunately, nothing to do

with the name of the band. Dan had a band in Chicago of the same name, and so asked if he could keep it for this one. They said “no.” Influences include Elvis Costello, The Beach Boys, Willie Nelson, The Walkmen, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, M. Ward, Slayer and Sergie Rachmaninoff.

Mark�Mraz�•�8:30-11pmThe Tavern LoungeForget about life for awhile with the piano man. From Billy Joel to Kermit the Frog – Mraz tickles the ivories and entertains requests from the audience.


Tim�Brown�•�5-8pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsA full-time high school English teacher who performs songs from the ’60s and ’70s including James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce and Simon & Garfunkel, plus originals.




Poet�Ed�Bok�Lee�Reading�•�3:30pmViking Theater, St. OlafPoet Ed Bok Lee will read from his new col-lection “Whorled.” A question-and-answer session and book signing will follow.

Traditional�Irish�Music�Session�•�7-9pmThe Contented CowA gathering of musicians and listeners in a relaxed, informal set-ting. Along with the music enjoy conversation, camaraderie and perhaps even a few Irish dance steps.


Barb�Piper�•�5-7pmThe Contented CowModern folk, vocals/guitar with influences from Hoagy Carmi-chael, The Beatles and Bonnie Raitt to Susan Tedeschi, Brandi Carlile and Indigo Girls. Contrib-utes her talents to Area 5�, fronts

the blues/rock band, Top Shelf, and performs with a Faribault musical theater group at Paradise Center for the Arts.

Talk/Booksigning:�Dear�Folks�•�6-7pmNorthfield Historical SocietyLocal author, Don Peterson, will share on growing up in North-field in the �930s and ’40s and his experiences during the Korean War. His book is titled, “Dear Folks – a Compilation of Letters Written by a Solder to His Family at Home During the Korean War.”

JaNuary 2012 Check�us�out�online�at�www.northfieldguide.com ��

The�Mad�Ripple�•�5pm-1amThe Contented CowThe Mad Ripple is the nom de guerre of longtime Minneapolis writer and music lover Jim Walsh. He brings their traveling road show to the Cow for a two-night stand (also Jan. 2�). These shows will

be recorded and released on Mad Ripple Records later this year.

Sasha�Mercedes�•�8-11:30pmThe Tavern LoungeA chick-singer, guitarist and songwriter from the shores of Lake Superior. Her songs are filled with honesty and substance and sung with passion. Topics like brothels, one-night stands and transvestites are not taboo for

this edgy yet charming northern gal. She has traveled from coast to coast and abroad, performing and drawing inspiration for the material in her brilliantly crafted compositions, and has shared the stage with Dar Williams, Tracy Bonham, Guy Davis, Pete Seeger and others.

Northfield�Citizens�Online’s�20th�Birthday�Bash�•�8pmThe Grand Event CenterThe online community – supported by area journalists, techni-cal experts and you the public – has been delivering fast, event-packed Northfield stories for a couple of decades now, so its time to CELEBRATE! Performance by Matt Arthur & the Bratlanders, contests, prizes, great food and more.

Theater:�Nakes�and�Alone�•�8pmNorthfield Arts Guild TheaterSee theater page.



Joel�Kachel�•�2-5pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsThis original singer/songwriter is sure to get your attention with his engaging stage presence and lively music.

The�Mad�Ripple�•�5-8pmThe Contented CowSee Jan. 20 description.

Comedian�Jim�Wiggins:��The�Last�Hippie�•�8-10:30pmParadise Center for the Arts, FaribaultHas appeared on The Tonight Show and is a regular on Last Comic Standing. Tickets: $�7 members, $22 nonmembers.

Theater:�Nakes�and�Alone�•�8pmNorthfield Arts Guild TheaterSee theater page.

Joe�Meyer�•�8-11:30pmThe Tavern Lounge

Priceless�•�9pmThe Rueb ‘n’ Stein

DJ�MusicCastle Rock and Roll • 9pm

Jim Wiggins



Daniel�Switch�•�1-4pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsAn acoustic artist with great guitar ballads.

Faculty�Recital:�Violinist�Andrea�Een,�Pianists�John�Jensen�and�Christopher�Brunelle�•�3:15pmUrness Recital Hall, St. OlafCelebrate Andrea Een’s 35 years of teaching at St. Olaf with the music of Bartok (Rumanian Dances), Bloch (Poem Mystique, Sonata No. 2) and Prokofiev (Sonata No. 2 in D major).








Metamorphomarathon�•�9amBuntrock Commons Crossroads, St. OlafA day-long, out-loud, �5-book marathon reading of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In conjunction with Classics �29, The Neverending Myth, and the college’s annual theme, Transformations.

Traditional�Irish�Music�Session��7-9pmThe Contented CowA gathering of musicians and listen-ers in a relaxed, informal setting. Along with the music enjoy con-versation, camaraderie and perhaps even a few Irish dance steps.

Lyric�Theater:�Transformations�•�8pmUrness Recital Hall, St. OlafA collection of poems based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, which Anne Sexton used to paint a disturbing emotional journey of her deeply troubled life. Conrad Susa wrote the demanding score in �972. Also Jan. 26-27.

Alison�Rae�•�10pm-1amThe Contented CowSt. Paul-based musician “whose voice and songs come at you with all the power and hype of a falling snowflake…her talent has instantly hushed a room.” – Jim Walsh, MinnPost.


Zorongo�Flamenco�Dance�Theatre��7:30pmShattuck-Saint Mary’s, FaribaultExperience the power and passion of fla-menco…a dance form that stirs the blood and lets the spirit soar! www.zorongo.com. Tickets: $�5 adults, $9 students.

Lyric�Theater:�Transformations�•�8pmUrness Recital Hall, St. OlafSee Jan. 25 description.

Marv�Gohman�•�8:30-11pmThe Tavern Lounge

Out of the Great North Woods of suburban Minneapolis/St. Paul comes a swaggering, foot-stompin’, heart-pumpin’ minstrel, laying waste to any instrument that comes within ten fingers of his sweaty reach. Furious fiddle and madcap mandolin struggle to punch holes in steel guitars. Wailing harp winds

up breathing hard. Has opened for notable artists including Jonny Lang, Glen Frey, Maria Muldaur, Colin Rae, Sammy Kershaw, John Michael Montgomery, Delbert McClinton, Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Los Lobos, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, 38 Special, Proclaimers, Al Green and Taj Mahal; Jammed with Lowen and Navarro; and sung with Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger.


Theater:�One�Act�Plays�•�7-10pmNorthfield High School AuditoriumSee theater page.

Lyric�Theater:�Transformations�•�8pmUrness Recital Hall, St. OlafSee Jan. 25 description.

Kinda�Kinky�•�8pm-12amThe Contented CowA Minneapolis-based Kinks trib-ute band. “...you can get a regular Kinks fix in the Twin Cities: The new tribute band Kinda Kinky.…hit all the standards with extra oomp. (“Lola,” “You Really Got Me”) and dug into gritty, rowdy nuggets (“Long Tall Shorty,”

“Sitting on My Sofa”), showed elegance on “Come Dancing” and peaked with the lesser-known ‘80s gem, “Better Things.” - StarTribune, Nov. 6, 20��. Band members are Dave Randall (vocals, guitar), Dandy (guitar, vocals), Lynn Zecca (bass, vocals) and Steve Kent (drums, vocals).

Mike�Pattinson�•�8-11:30pmThe Tavern Lounge


JaNuary 2012 Check�us�out�online�at�www.northfieldguide.com �3

Whiskey�Trick�•�9:30pmFroggy BottomsCountry cover acoustic duo: Lisa Rowland (vocals) and Jim Brophy (guitar).


The�Average�Janes�•�2-5pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsBack by popular demand. They sing a wide variety of music from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and today, and a little country without the twang.

January�Thaw�•�7pmParadise Center for the Arts, FaribaultDance off the winter blues with an evening filled with unbelievable music from The Par-adise Central Band. This year it’s a rockin’ Motown Review. Tickets: $�5 members, $�9

nonmembers, $8 children under �2.

Theater:�One�Act�Plays�•�7-10pmNorthfield High School AuditoriumSee theater page.

The�RCAs�•�8-11pmThe Contented CowThe Rice County All-Stars are Aaron Hagenson, Peter Lynn, Terry VanDeWalker and Aaron Anderson – that would be a dose of Last Known Whereabouts, a dash of Deputies, a smidgen of Big Wu and Mr. Sticky to taste – the All-Stars.

Jeff�Ray�•�8-11:30pmThe Tavern LoungeMighty fine guitar and harp. Ray walks a thin line between blues and folk, one minute strutting a slide-guitar ballad on the resonator guitar, the next minute blasting off into a one-man-band train ride. “Ray has a quality that could only

come by blending the birthplaces of Bob Dylan and the blues.” – Des Moines Register.


Fristad�Jazz�Combo�•�11:30pm-1amThe Contented Cow


Prairie’s�Edge�Human�Society’s�Annual�Pancake�Breakfast��8:30am-12pmNorthfield Eagles ClubAll proceeds benefit the animals at Prairies’s Edge Humane Soci-ety. Tickets: $6.

Andrew�Walesch�•�2-5pmCannon River Winery, Cannon FallsA great performer who sings Sinatra, Dean Mar-tin and originals.

Politics�and�a�Pint�•�6pmContented CowJoin in on discussions concerning local issues at this “lightly moderated” open forum. For more information on topics, go to www.contentedcow.com.





High�School�Music�Ensembles�•�7:30-10pmNorthfield High School Auditorium

Acoustic�Jam�Session�7:30-10pmThe Contented CowEvery Tuesday night show up with your unplugged instrument of choice and jam – or just show up and listen!

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Average Janes

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The 8th Street Band .............................................�3 – Rueb-N-Stein

Ben Aaron ........................................................................... 6 – Tavern

Acoustic Jam Session .................................................Tuesdays – Cow

Ian Alexy............................................................................ �2 – Tavern

Alluvion ...................................................................................7 – Cow

Ameriikan Poijat Finnish Brass Band ........................7 – Paradise Center for the Arts

The Average Janes ................................... 28 – Cannon River Winery

The Beguine Brothers ..........................................................�3 – Cow

Tim Brown .............................................. 20 – Cannon River Winery

The Butch Thompson Trio......................... �9 – Shattuck-St.Mary’s

The Counterfactuals ............................................................�9 – Cow

Dirty Petrov and the Gentilionaires ...................................�4 – Cow

Fred the Bear ...........................................................................6 – Cow

Fristad Jazz Combo ..............................................................28 – Cow

Marv Gohman .................................................................. 26 – Tavern

Matthew Griswold............................................................ �3 – Tavern

Steve Howard ...................................................................... 7 – Tavern

Joel Kachel ........................................... 6, 2� – Cannon River Winery

Kinda Kinky ..........................................................................27 – Cow

Michael Loonan ....................................... 7 – Cannon River Winery

The Mad Ripple ..............................................................20, 2� – Cow

Matt Arthur & the Bratlanders .............................................5 – Cow

Sasha Mercedes ................................................................. 20 – Tavern

Joe Meyer .......................................................................... 2� – Tavern

Michael Perry and the Long Beds .......6 – The Grand Event Center

Midnight Collision .................................................................6 – Cow

Mark Mraz ...................5 – Cow, �3 – Froggy Bottoms, �9 – Tavern

New Moon Trio ....................................................................�4 – Cow

Northern Roots Session ........................................... Mondays – Cow

Occasional Jazz .....................................................................�3 – Cow

Mike Pattinson ................................................................. 27 – Tavern

Barb Piper .............................................................................�9 – Cow

Priceless .................................................................2� – Rueb-N-Stein

Alison Rae .......................................................................��, 25 – Cow

Jeff Ray .............................................................................. 28 – Tavern

The RCAs ..............................................................................28 – Cow

Relativity ........................................................................... �4 – Tavern

Spruce Top Review ...............................................................�4 – Cow

Daniel Switch .......................................... 22 – Cannon River Winery

Tim Patrick and his Blue Eyes Band .......................... �4, �5 – Cannon River Winery

Top Shelf .................................................................................7 – Cow

Traditional Irish Music Session ..........................Wednesdays – Cow

treVeld ..................................................... �3 – Cannon River Winery

Andrew Walesch ................................. 8, 29 – Cannon River Winery

Whiskey Trick ............................................. �4, 27 – Froggy Bottoms

Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre .......... 26 – Shattuck - St. Marys

January�Gigs

Coming�Next�Month�–�Mark�Your�Calendars!Feb.�10-12,�16-18:�Theater:�Noises�Off�

Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault • paradisecenterforthearts.org

Feb.�11:�AAUW�Speaker�Lequetta�DiggsDiggs was involved in first successful sit-in at Kansas drugstore in �958, contributing to desegregation of lunch counters.

Kildahl Park Point, 10am • aauwnorthfield.wordpress.com

Feb.�16:�Civil�War�ProgramNorthfield Historical Society • northfieldhistory.org

Feb.�17:�Northfield�Winter�StompNorthfield Armory

�Feb.�17-19,�24-26:�Theater:�Arsenic�and�Old�Lace�Northfield Arts Guild Theater • northfieldartsguild.org

Feb.�25:�Pines�and�Vines:�Second�Annual�Wall�of�Wine�&�Beer�Tasting�EventParadise Center for the Arts, Faribault • paradisecenterforthearts.org

Cannon�River�Winery�Music�Series�•�cannonriverwinery�comMichael Loonan – Feb. 11, 2-5pm • The DitchLilies – Feb. 12, 1-4pm

Tony Williams – Feb. 19, 1-4pm • treVold – Feb. 25, 5-8pm

Keep�us�posted�•�[email protected]�•�507/663-7937


Just Curious about

SusanHvistendahl

By Felicia Crosby

Many of us know the talented Susan Hvistendahl best from her “Historic Happenings” column right here in the Northfield Enter-tainment Guide. We love what Susan’s uncovered about Northfield’s history, and we decided to do a little uncovering ourselves, about Susan and a little of what makes her tick. Here she is on history, baseball, interviewing Dr. Ruth and Yogi Berra’s advice on mar-riage.

From South Dakota to St. Olaf, the East Coast and now North-field: where is home? Even while living for 30 years in New York, I think the Midwest was “home” because most of my family and friends were here. My daughter, Laurel, is an attorney in San Francisco but I am not tempted to move west because I consider Northfield home now. But San Francisco is a great place to visit.

Professorial parents: My father, Jake, was head of journalism at Iowa State University in Ames and my mother, Marion, taught English at Grand View Col-lege in Des Moines. They both taught before that at South Dakota State in Brookings, where we lived throughout my youth.

Which came first: the passion for history or the love of writing? I was co-editor of my high school paper so love of writing came first. I discovered a passion for local history when I wrote a story in �987 about the discovery of old trunks in a hayloft in Peekskill, N.Y., which had belonged to a man who had served in Congress

with Lincoln. It was a treasure trove of letters (including presidents Lincoln and Filmore, Gov. Samuel Tilden and Horace Greeley), old maps and postcards. Several stories resulted and I made copies of everything for the local library.

That fueled my interest in preserving local his-tory.

On having Dr. Ruth as a neighbor: I interviewed the merry

munchkin of sex therapy prior to a benefit talk she gave in �986 for the Lake Oscawana Civic Association in Putnam Valley,

N.Y. Her family had a lake cottage near where I lived. USA

Today had just quoted her on the front page saying, “Ruth to Retirees, Use It or Lose It!” and she was promoting a new book and a board game, “Dr. Ruth’s Game of Good Sex,” with great, bubbly good humor, as always.

Writing about baseball – and lunch with Yogi Berra: I interviewed Roger Kahn (whose book The Boys of Summer is considered a baseball classic) and later on he hired me to do research for several books, including The Era, 1947-1957, Games We Used to Play, The Head Game and Pete Rose: My Story written by Roger with Pete Rose. I talked with many ballplayers, including Hall of Famers Pee Wee Reese, Warren Spahn, Roy Campanella, Don Drysdale, Yogi Berra and Bruce Sutter. Roger and I had lunch with Yogi in New Jersey to talk about his experiences with pitchers for The Head Game. Yogi was a wonderful conversationalist but did not come up with any “Yogi-isms.” He did advise me not to marry a ballplayer, however. (I was already married then)

What history should remember about Pete Rose: I met Pete Rose at a book signing and we talked about his mother – he signed the book I helped research (yes, I paid for the privi-lege). I think he should be remembered the way he signed that book, Pete Rose, Hit King. And no use keeping him out of the Hall of Fame, since Ty Cobb was no angel (sliding into bases with sharpened cleats to maim

the opponent) and he’s a member.

How did you find yourself in so many cob-webby, research-rich cubbies? I have noticed that the archives of St. Olaf, Carleton and the Northfield Historical Society are all in the lowest possible floor of the buildings. But they are kept pretty free of cobwebs.

Writing The Lyceum: The book I wrote for the Northfield Historical Society last year came from my “Historic Happenings” column in NEG of May 2009 about Northfield’s oldest building, the Lyceum at �09 E. 4th St. The Lyceum was built in �857 and started as a debating society, first library and reading room for the settlers. NHS hired me to expand on that story for the Northfield History Series of books and I spent a year


on further research, with access to the minutes of Lyceum meetings and letters of founders John and Ann North from that period.

How did we get so lucky to get you in the Entertainment Guide? Publisher Rob Schanilec and I cooked up the idea of a column about historic happenings at Froggy Bottoms early in 2007 because he was (and is) a strong supporter of local history as well as chronicler of the monthly entertainment scene. My first column in February of 2007 was about how Northfielders found fun in frigid days gone by.

Is there a career with the ukulele ahead…….? My fellow Tuesday night acoustic jam players at the Cow would laugh at that idea, but I have had fun learning more than the three chords I knew on uke when I was a camp counselor many years ago. I picked uke up again last February to escape the winter dol-drums and it worked.


Getting�Down�to�Brass�TacksJoin Northfield’s very own Dr. Paul Niemesto and the Ameriikan Poijat Finnish Brass Band at the Paradise Center for the Arts on Jan. 7, at 7pm for a delightful evening of Finnish brass music. Started by Dr. Niemesto – the force of nature behind the Vintage Band Festi-val – in �990 and internationally known, this septet weaves tradi-tional and newer music, celebrating Finnish musical art with its own American accent. Tickets are $�5 for adults and $8 for students with ID. For more information and tickets, go to www.paradisecenterforthearts.org or www.ameriikan-poijat.org. And enjoy. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

I�Scream�You�Scream�We�All�Scream�On�the�SquareReady to give Old Man Winter a message he won’t soon forget? Join the crowds at Winter Scream II on Saturday, Jan. �4 from noon to 2 on Bridge Square and let it all out. Put together by the good folks at the Northfield Historical Society, this second annual thumbs-down to winter includes a communal sing, an ice cream social, a chili option at the Rueb-N-Stein and a coloring contest for screamers age 2-�0. Screamers of all ages are invited to submit lyrics for the Winter Scream

anthem, sung to the Twisted Sisters’ “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” For more information on the coloring contest, the lyric contest, or all things scream-related, go to www.northfieldhistory.org. And get ready to give those lungs a work-out.

A�Little�Guffaw�With�Your�Wine?For an evening of laughter and light noshing, make sure to head to Comedy Night at Cannon River Winery, Jan. �4, from 7 to 9pm. This guaranteed break from the winter blues showcases the talents of three comedians – one of whom is both a Comedy Central regular and a former guest on “David Letterman” – in the oaken atmosphere of the Winery, with appetizers provided by Mill Street Tavern. Price is $20 in advance and space is limited (there will be a limited number of seats at the door); please note that the event is for comedy connoisseurs 2� or older. For more information, call 507/263-7400 or go to www.cannonriverwinery.com.

Going�it�“Alone”Not much more naked than standing on a stage alone, and Brendon Etter conjures that vulnerability in all its forms with “Naked and Alone” at the Northfield Arts Guild Theater, Jan. 20 and 2�. Sixteen short plays – one person at a time – in sketches that run from monologues to dialogues with unheard characters, to stranger situations still. Provocative, with themes that span comedy to tragedy to the patently absurd, these short works are mostly actor-directed, with input from author Etter. With only two perfor-mances, at 8 each night, this Arts Guild fundraiser is guaranteed to sell quickly. For more information and tickets ($�0), call 507/645-8877 or go to www.northfieldartsguild.org.

A�Night�With�Michael�Perry�and�the�Long�BedsJoin best-selling author/humor-ist Michael Perry (Pop.485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time) and his band the Long Beds at the Grand, Jan. 6 at 7:30pm, for a lively evening of music, stories and laughs. Appearing with special guest Andy Dee, Mike and the boys will weave tales – including material from the Clodhopper Monologues – between and around original songs. Tickets are $�2 in advance; $�5 at the door. For more information and reservations, go to www.sneezingcow.com or Monkey See Moneky Read Bookstore, 507/645-6700.

Send us your shorts! (keep ‘em brief) Send to [email protected] by mid-month.


Northfield�Public�Schools�Community�Services�– 507/664-3649

Northfield�Senior�Center�– www.northfieldseniorcenter.org 507/664-3700 – Programs for active older adults in a pre-mier fitness facility with an indoor pool and certified fitness instructors. Bike club, hiking trips, ping pong, nutrition talks, art classes, writing classes, card groups, dining center, fitness classes and more.

Paradise�Center�for�the�Arts�– 507/332-7372 Find art-related classes for kids and adults at www.paradisecenterforthearts.org.

Black Boot Art Club, Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6, 13; 3:30-5pm – Colored pencil, colored chalk, oil pastel, markers and crayons. Create land-scapes, animals, people/portraits and all things interesting. $42 members, $54 nonmembers, ages second grade and up.

River�Bend�Nature�Center, 507/332-7151 – classes and activi-ties at www.rbnc.org.

Time Travel – History Tours of River Bend – Join a naturalist for a journey back in time to discover the history of the land. Travel is by golf cart. Tours last �.5 hours and can accommo-date up to five people. Call to schedule. Donations welcome.

VFW�–�Sundowners�Car�Club – First Wednesday of each month, 7:30pm. Anyone who has an interest in street rods, cus-toms, antiques, special interest or foreign is welcome to attend.

Cannon�River�Woodcarving�Club�–�507/339-0336�Third Monday of the month, 7pm, Ivan Whillock Studio, Faribault

Cub�Scout�Pack�300�– 612/490-4048, www.cubs300.org

Glass�Garden�Beads�Beading Class – 507/645-0301 First and third Mondays

Just�Food�Co-op�– 507/650-0106 – Mondays: Knitting Night, 7-9pm, 507/645-6331 – knit, chat, share ideas and get help.

MOMS�Club�– [email protected] – First Wednesday of each month, 10am, St. Peter’s Church. If you are a full-time or part-time stay-at-home mom, this club may be for you. MOMS Club is a local chapter of the International MOMS Club, an organization dedicated to providing support and a sense of community for stay-at-home moms.

Northfield�Arts�Guild�– 507/645-8877 – Find classes for kids and adults at www.northfieldartsguild.org.

Northfield�Buddhist�Meditation�Center�–�Children’s Circle Class (ages 3-9) – Sundays, 3-4pm – Children and their parents meditate, do yoga and learn about Buddhism in a fun, peaceful atmosphere of exploration. Everyone welcome.

Northfield�Public�Library�– 507/645-6606 Closed Jan. 1 and 16.First Steps Early Literacy Center, Mon, Fri and Sat, 10-2pmPatty Cake Infant Lapsit, Tue, 10-11amToddler Rhyme Time, Wed, 10-11amPreschool Story & Craft Time, Thu, 10-11amHot Read for Cold Nights, Jan. 9-March 2 – reading program for adults. Read books, earn Chamber dollars! Sign up at the upstairs reference desk.

Clubs,�Classes�and�More…

Got�Content�for�the�Next�Northfield Entertainment Guide?

• Advertising • Happenings • Classes • Clubs • Galleries • Restaurants •

Contact us. We’re fun to work with.507/663-7937 • [email protected]


the Arts Award for lifelong contribution to American Letters and Award of Merit Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Reviewing Against the Grain for the Minneapolis Star Tribune of Nov. �8, 2007, Keith Harrison (English professor and writer-in-residence at Carleton �968-�996) noted that Whittemore is “one of a handful of poets in the language who can be outrageously funny and serious in the same poem.” It is “honest, but by God, you have to read closely because often it is very reticent, very nimble and tongue-in-cheek.” The memoir was written in third person, with Whittemore referring to himself as “R,” which Harrison wrote

“allows him to reveal doubts about himself and the role of a poet.”

Whittemore was born in New Haven, Conn., on Sept. ��, �9�9, and graduated from Yale University in �94�. He and his roommate, James Angleton, started a literary magazine called Furioso, which published poets such as Ezra Pound and Williams Carlos Williams. At Yale, Whittemore began a friendship with English profes-sor Arthur Mizener, which continued with correspon-dence through Whittemore’s service with the U.S. Army Air Force as a transportation and supply officer in England, North Africa and Italy during World War II. Whittemore’s first book of poetry, Heroes

and Heroines, was published in �946.

Mizener had become head of the English Department at Carleton College in January of �946 and Whittemore, who had started graduate work in history at Princeton but was unsure of this path, accepted the invitation of his mentor and friend to come to North-field. (Mizener left for Cornell University in �95�, the year his best-selling biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, A Far Side of Paradise, was published.)

Whittemore wrote that his life in Minnesota began in �947 when he and two other new teachers, Gene and Hans, boarded with

banker John Nutting and his wife Elizabeth at the mansion two blocks from campus, now used as the home of Carleton presidents. (Car-leton archivist Eric Hillemann identified Gene as music professor Gene Bailey and “big and noisy” Hans as Joseph Rysan, assistant profes-sor of German and Russian.) Hans, noticing that Whittemore owned a car, “concluded that car and person had appeared in his life in order to take him to Dundas.”

Why Dundas? Dundas had two bars and Northfield was dry. Whittemore wrote: “If some dutiful social scientist were to have wandered through the Midwest in mid-20th

HISTORICHAPPENINGS

NORTHFIELD STYLE

By Susan Hvistendahl

Whittemore�Remembered:��Carleton’s�Poet�LaureateNorthfielders reading Reed Whittemore’s memoir Against the Grain: The Literary Life of a Poet (Dryad Press, 2007) may have an irresistible urge to start with Chapter 7, “Out in Minnesota,” which tells of the years from �947-66 when he taught at Carleton College. However, they will probably first read the foreword to the book, written by Garrison Keillor.

Keillor wrote, “Reed Whittemore owns the only sort of immortality that matters to a writer, which is to have written things that people remember years later.” For example, “There is the perfect imagist poem about the enormous silence that follows after a high school band finishes practicing on the foot-ball field in a small town.” (That small town would be Northfield.) Keillor says that what makes Whit-temore “permanently readable and relevant is his wit and humor, which is the underground spring that keeps the gardens of American literature green.” Keillor took a class from this “movie-star handsome poet and teacher” in Minneapolis in July of �964 and fell under the spell of Whittemore’s poems.

The book jacket of Against the Grain summarizes some of Reed Whittemore’s achievements: author of 20 books of poetry, criti-cism, biography and literary journalism; consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress (now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate); nominee for the National Book Award for poetry for The Mother’s Breast and the Father’s House; founder of two respected literary magazines, Furioso while a student at Yale and the Carleton Miscel-lany during his �9-year career at Carleton; teacher at the University of Maryland; literary editor of the New Republic; biographer of poet William Carlos Williams; recipient of the National Council of

Photos of Reed Whittemore. Photos courtesy Carleton College Archives

Reed and Helen Whittemore on their wedding day, Oct. 3, 1952. Photo courtesy Helen Whittemore

JaNuary 2012 Check�us�out�online�at�www.northfieldguide.com 2�

century looking for a representatively dull seedy backcountry burg he’d have settled for Dundas on the spot.” Hans and Whittemore “settled on it” two or three times a week for a little vodka and bourbon. This would lead Mizener to say to Whittemore in the presence of “other lofty English teachers and the Dean of Men” at a Carleton Tea Room lunch, “What did you booze hounds do for the world down in Dundas last night?”

Whittemore’s first class was Sophomore Lit on the second floor of Willis Hall. He described himself standing in front of “hand-some and intelligent (mostly)” students who were “chatting and giggling,” and who stopped giggling and grabbed notebooks as soon as he started lecturing (and went overtime) about the French Revolution. Whittemore wrote, “First pedagogical lesson: a small class of intelligent gigglers is not a squad on a drill field.”

The second lesson the new teacher learned was “adjusting his new pedagogy to conversational classes rather than 50 minute lectures” and eventually Whittemore “began even to think that yes he could be a teacher for a year or two without losing his mind.” Of course, he still had to face grading 300-word papers “and if there ever was a course designed to make clear how hard it is to be a teacher at all, Freshman Comp was (and is) it.”

Whittemore wrote that he began liking the Midwest. The town of Northfield had important items on his wish list: “The list favored easy access to life’s necessities, and Northfield’s main street had a food store, a drug store, a doctors’ building, a clothing store, and a sedately uncomfortable hotel. Just off the main street it also had an old-fashioned movie house that showed at least one Jesse James film a year.” He also enjoyed the “relatively relaxed life” with his

friends “over a pool table after a chatty lunch.” One unnerving thing for this Easterner: “the endlessness of the plains” in every direction beyond the town’s borders.

Whittemore revived Furioso in the spring of �947. Said Whit-temore: “Furioso took arms against the academic world, the new criticism, the writing world, the advertising world, General Mac-Arthur, and the production of H-bombs.” He kept the magazine going through the spring of �953, a total of 29 issues. Its ending afforded Whittemore more time to write poems, essays and reviews for major literary magazines.

Early in �952, Whittemore met Helen Lundeen, a Carleton student from Fergus Falls, at a student-faculty party. He wrote that she was �2 years younger, “more impulsive” and “thoroughly familied.” They married in October, lived in a farmhouse on the edge of Northfield and spent summers at Lundeen family cottages on Otter Tail Lake. Three of their four children were born in Northfield, Cate, Ned and Jack. (Daisy was born in �967 in Washington, D.C.)

In January of �960, a new literary magazine called the Carleton Miscellany was introduced. In the first issue, Whittemore wrote that the Miscellany would be “modeled in part” after Furioso, and the symbol of that magazine, “a sort of chimney sweep,” would be retained. Carleton English professors Wayne Carver and Erling Larsen worked as associate editors with Whittemore. (Carver told

Discussing the debut of the Carleton Miscellany in 1960 are (l to r): Wayne Carver, Erling Larsen and Reed Whittemore.

Photo and image courtesy Carleton College Archives

The�High�School�Band�by Reed Whittemore

On warm days in September the high school band Is up with the birds and marches along our street, Boom boom, To a field where it goes boom boom until eight forty-five When it marches, as in the old rhyme, back, boom boom, To its study halls, leaving our street Empty except for the leaves that descend to no drum And lie still. In September A great many high school bands beat a great many drums, And the silences after their partings are very deep.

Courtesy Dryad Press


idle for a whole year ($�5,000 worth) was not a bad fate.” He told a Washington newspaper that he enjoyed the fascinating dinner-party conversations about politics and government.

Whittemore was welcomed warmly. The Washington Post wrote in October, “There’s a kook loose in the Library of Congress. He’s a lovely, lively, lilting, lyrical fellow who bears the somber pedagogical title of ‘Poet-in-Residence.’” Whittemore was said to have charmed a gathering with a poem about “the freshman fire that is held every year on a

bald spot on the top of the hill at Carleton College in Northfield,

Minn.” To the delight of those present, the poem ended with a rhyme of “gosh” and “frosh.” In other poems he read, Whittemore “impressed his audience with his sprightly sense of humor and eye-wide observance of the hum-drum daily things that go on in the world about him.”

The Whittemores returned for one more year in Northfield, living in a college-owned house on Nevada Street. In �966, they moved back to Washington, D.C., where Whittemore worked at the Na-tional Institute of Public Affairs. He was a professor at the Uni-versity of Maryland from �967-84 and literary editor of the New Republic from �969-73.

Whittemore came back to Carleton to give a Ward Lucas lecture in �969 and returned again in �97� to receive an honorary degree of doctor of letters. Former Carleton president Laurence Gould returned from Arizona to honor Whittemore, describing him as having “hammered from the tensions of his life both a literary life and life style that melds the music of driftwood with the lean dry agonies of skepticism.” He quoted Whittemore’s shortest poem, “It is not clear where we go from here/ Or, for that matter, who we’re.”

Whittemore’s poem, “The High School Band,” was one of four used by St. Olaf professor and composer Carolyn Jennings in her choral song cycle, “Sitting on the Porch,” which was premiered by the Northfield Chorale in �987. The work was commissioned by the Northfield Arts Guild under a grant from the Composers Commis-sioning Program. Jennings told me, “The poets were all Minneso-tans or (like Whittemore) had spent significant time in Minnesota. The work was scored for mixed chorus and piano.”

Whittemore took a two-week trip to the USSR in �974, sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the Moscow Writers Union and had a trip to Israel in �983, sponsored by USAID. In �988 he launched yet another literary magazine Delos, which contained works translated from other languages.

In the publisher’s Afterword in Against the Grain, Merrill Leffler wrote that Whittemore had begun to notice problems with his memory as he was completing the first draft of this memoir. Subse-quently, Whittemore was diagnosed with dementia and, at age 92, is now in a nursing home near Washington, D.C., where his wife still lives. Leffler e-mailed me that some of Whittemore’s memories are strong, “though which ones are unpredictable,” and that there

me that Carleton President Larry Gould was making plans to have such a literary magazine when Carver was recruited for the English Department in �954 and Gould finally “got it off the ground” for Whittemore in �960.)

The first issue of ��2 pages had two stories, poetry by �8 poets, essays, personal journals and other prose. It featured Whittemore’s Byronic epic in five cantos, “The Odyssey of a B**t,” which Whittemore had read to great applause at a college convocation in Skinner Memorial Chapel the preceding fall. The Min-neapolis Sunday Tribune reviewed the first issue on Feb. 7, �960: “There’s an element of mischief in it which sparks the scholarship and taste shown in the selection of contents,” due to editor Whittemore’s “uncivil tongue” and ability to “make his sentences and meters dance while thumbing a nose.” The conclusion: “The magazine is lively, literate and knowing, and deserves long life.” Robert Hatch, literary editor of The Nation, wrote, “I like your first issue; it’s good to be reassured that there are some professors around with a mental age of less than 75.”

Before its demise in �980, the Carleton Miscellany published �,944 works by 824 contributors, including 40 Carleton faculty and staff and many prominent literary figures. The list can be seen at apps.carleton.edu/digitalcollections/miscellany. Carolyn Soule was man-aging editor from �963-80. The last Miscellany of Winter, �980, was a “Ralph Ellison Festival.” Editor Keith Harrison wrote in this issue that the magazine had to “bow to other needs of the College” in “a time of budgetary constraint.” He added, “The withering dialectic of money must have its say.”

In the fall of �964, Whittemore began a sabbatical from Carleton as a consultant in poetry at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. There were only a few obligations, including introducing visiting poets, speaking to various groups and putting on a show twice a year. Whittemore wrote, “To have been hired to be largely

A�Teacher�by Reed Whittemore

“And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.” ((Chaucer))

He hated them all one by one but wanted to show them What was Important and Vital and by God if They thought they’d never have use for it he was Sorry as hell for them, that’s all, with their genteel Mercantile Main Street Babbitt Bourgeois-barbaric faces, they were beyond Saving, clearly, quite out of reach, and so he G-rrr Got up every morning and G-rrr Ate his breakfast and G-rrr Lumbered off to his eight o’clock Gladly to teach. Courtesy Dryad Press

Whittemore reading his poetry at a Skinner Memorila Chapel convoca-tion at Carleton, Oct. 23, 1959. Photo courtesy Carleton College Archives.


are times when Whittemore has “strong glints of wit in a frail body.”

Current Northfield residents who were pres-ent during Whittemore’s time at Carleton shared some memories with me about those days. George Soule, a fiction editor for the Carleton Miscellany after Whittemore’s departure, was a student of Reed Whitte-more as well as a Carleton faculty member with him for a couple years. Soule said, “He was my teacher for Shakespeare’s histo-ries and comedies in the mid-50s and he was brilliant. I still trade off his insights.” Whittemore’s class “prepared me to read literature incisively better than any other course I took.” Bill Huyck, a classmate of Whittemore’s wife, Helen, and long-time Carleton track, hockey and cross country coach, remembered the Whittemores as the “center and motivators” of faculty social life, “friendly, informal, hospitable, gener-ous and inclusive.” Huyck said Whittemore “never seemed egotisti-cal or self-centered” and was “a remarkably accomplished and modest fellow.” Wayne Carver, who started the Carleton Miscellany with Whittemore and continued with it for �7 years, called Whit-temore “the best editor I’ve ever seen.” Carver also said that with Whittemore’s Ivy League background, he had to make “strenuous efforts to become a Midwesterner.”

It was perhaps inevitable that Whittemore would leave Northfield to return to the East coast. But his influence still is felt in the lives

Whittemore teaching at Carleton, 1959. Photo courtesy Carleton College Archives

he touched while here. Marc Reigel (Carleton Class of �967) of Owatonna, now living in Columbus, Ohio, had Whittemore for a freshman rhetoric course. He said, “Although I was an �8-year-old student at Carleton in �963, I recall that Mr. Whittemore taught us as though we were peers in the writing process.” Reigel, who went on to earn an advanced degree in American Literature, taught high school English and later worked as an independent education consultant on grant writing, feels that the inspiration of Whittemore shaped, informed and supported his work.

“I often used the metaphor of the ‘pebble and the pond’ with my students: throw a pebble in the pond and watch the ripples expand in concentric circles

beyond the splash point,” said Reigel. “Nearly 50 years later, I can recall that a

‘pebble in the pond’ at a small college in Minnesota, Reed Whit-temore, produced a ripple effect far beyond the initial ‘plink’ we teenagers perceived.”

My thanks to Eric Hillemann and Carol Thunem of the Carleton College Archives and to Merrill Leffler of Dryad Press for permission to use Whittemore’s poems (see www.dryadpress.com for information on ordering Whittemore’s memoir Against the Grain: The Literary Life of a Poet).


Bittersweet�Cafe�–�212 Division St., lobby level (Archer House Inn) •bittersweeteat-ery.com • 507/645-5661 • Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, Sat 7am-5pm, Sun 7am-2pm. Fair trade/organic coffee; baked goods; gluten-free treats; sandwiches and salads, Bridgeman’s ice cream, catering and events.

Castle�Rock�N�Roll�Bar�and�Grill�–�27798 Chippendale Ave • 507/645-0676 • Facebook: Castle Rock N Roll Bar and Grill – 11-1am (every day). Great burgers and pizza, with daily specials. Located at the corner of Hwy. 3 and Cty. Rd. 86. Private party room available.

The�Cheese�Cave�–�318 Central Ave., Suite 6, Faribault • www.cheesecave.net 507/334-3988 – Wed 10am-5:30pm, Thu-Sat 10am-8pm – A light menu of fresh salads and sandwiches, a couple gourmet pizzas and cheese plates to compliment whatever you are drink-ing. Wines, spirits and Summit beer on tap.

Fireside�Restaurant�–�37540 Goodhue Ave., Dennison • 507/645-9992 • firesidelounge.net T-F 11am-close, Sa/Su 9am-close, closed Mon. A menu to satisfy all tastes, from burgers and sandwiches to steaks and shrimp dinners. Friday night fish special, Saturday night prime rib special and Sat/Sun breakfast specials.

Froggy�Bottoms�River�Pub� Page�23�307 S. Water St., 507/301-3611 • Sun 11am-9pm, Mon/Tue 11am-11pm, Wed-Sat 11am-1am – Upper-class bar food including appetizers, salads, burgers and more. Open for lunch and dinner. Entrees starting at 5pm.

The�HideAway�–�421 Division St. • 507/664-0400 Mon-Fri, 6am-10pm, Sat-Sun 7am-10pm – Cozy bistro atmosphere serving unique appetizers and sandwiches. Coffee drinks, wine and beer specialties.

James�Gang�Coffeehouse�&�Eatery� Page�6�2018 Jefferson Rd. • 507/663-6060 • Mon-Fri 6am-8pm, Sat-Sun 7am-5pm – Voted Best Coffeehouse in southern Minnesota. Fresh daily roasted coffee. Wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads, desserts, ice cream and non-espresso drinks. Free wireless internet and business catering available.

J.�Grundy’s�Rueb�‘N’�Stein� back�cover�503 Division St. • www.ruebnstein.com 507/645-6691 • 11am-close – Great burgers and famous Ruebens. Casual relaxing atmo-sphere. Huge selection of imported and domestic beers, fine spirits and wines. Game room, happy hour 3:30-6pm, Karaoke on Fridays at 9pm.

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Mandarin�Garden�Restaurant – 107 East 4th St. • MandarinGardenNorthfield.com 507/645-7101, Lunch: Wed-Fri 11:30am-2pm, Dinner: Tue-Thu 4:30-9pm. Open until 10 Fri and Sat. Authentic Peking and Szechuan cuisine, freshly prepared, dine-in or take-out.

Northfield�Golf�Club�–�707 Prairie St. 507/645-4026 • Sun-Thu 11am-8pm, Fri/Sat 11am-9pm – Whether seated in the main dining room, bar, or member’s lounge, beautiful panoramic views of the golf course provide a charming atmosphere. Lunch and dinner menus with a variety of cuisine to savor.

The�Ole�Store�Restaurant�–�1011 St. Olaf Ave. • 507/786-9400• www.olestorerestau-rant.com – Mon-Sat 4-10pm, closed Sundays – Contemporary dining with neighborhood charm. Relax at a table with linens and fresh flowers or sit in our cozy lounge. A full menu in-cluding appetizers, rustic flatbread pizzas, salads, soups, entrees, steaks, fresh seafood, sandwiches and gourmet desserts. Reservations available.

Perkins�Restaurant�&�Bakery�–�1401 Riverview Drive • 507/645-4830 • Sun-Wed 5am-11pm, Thu-Sat 24 hrs – Breakfast all day. Favorites include buttermilk pancakes, three-egg omelettes and hearty scrambler dishes. Also serving sandwiches and dinner entrees. Weekday breakfast and lunch specials. Free wi-fi available.

Quarterback�Club�–�116 3rd St. W. 507/645-7886 • Mon-Sat 6am-9pm, Sun 10:30am-8pm – Family friendly dining in Northfield for 37 years. House specialties include broasted chicken, BBQ ribs and flame-broiled hamburgers.

Subway� Page�10�Hwy. 3 and 19 • 507/645-7226 • Open 24 hours/7 days a week – Fresh sandwiches, salads, flatbread, breakfast and more.

The�Tavern�of�Northfield�– 212 Division St. 507/663-0342 • www.tavernofnorthfield.com Sun-Thu 6:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 6:30am-11pm, lounge open daily 3pm-midnight. Located in the historic Archer House since 1984, The Tavern offers casual dining with a wide variety of homemade menu items and specials daily featuring fresh fish on Fridays and prime rib on Saturdays. The Tavern Lounge sports a deck overlooking the Cannon River, appetizers and a full bar with live music Thur-Sat.

Now, Get Yourself Covered.Advertising and HappeningsCall 507/663-7937 or email [email protected]

january 2012 northfield entertainment guide

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