February 2021 TPT Member Magazine

February 2021 TPT Member Magazine

HOSTED BY HENRY LOUIS GATES JR.

THIS IS OUR STORY. THIS IS OUR SONG.

FEBRUARY 2021

BEST BETS

INDEPENDENT LENS WOMEN IN BLUE Under the leadership of the Minneapolis Police Department's first female chief, women officers seek gender equity, redefining what it means to protect and serve. But a fatal shooting and a newmale chief risk their progress. TPT 2 Monday, February 8, 9 p.m. TPT LIFE Saturday, February 13, 9 p.m.

JOSEPHINE BAKER: THE STORY OF AN AWAKENING

Discover the amazing story of the first black superstar. Born into poverty in Missouri in 1906, Baker moved to France where she became a dancer hailed as the Queen of Paris, joined the French Resistance, created her dream family "The Rainbow Tribe," adopting twelve children from four corners of the world, and ultimately became a Civil Rights activist. TPT 2 Tuesday, February 2, 8 p.m.

ON THE COVER

THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG This two-part series reveals the broad history and culture of the Black church and explores African American faith communities on the frontlines of hope and change. Hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and featuring interviews with Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, Bishop Michael Curry, Cornel West, and more.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE GOIN' BACK TO T-TOWN Hear the extraordinary history of Greenwood, a successful Black community in segregated Tulsa. In a nostalgic celebration of old fashioned neighborhood life, Black residents of "T-Town" relive their community's remarkable rise and ultimate decline. TPT 2 Tuesday, February 9, 8 p.m TPT LIFE Thursday, February 11, 7 p.m.

TPT 2 Tuesday, February 16 & 23, 8 p.m. TPT LIFE Thursday, February 18 & 25, 7 p.m.

2

@tpt

/tptpbs

TUNE IN THIS MONTH Digital events for all ages

WATCH LIVE!

YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERT LIVESTREAM: MUSICAL MENAGERIE FRI FEB 12 3PM ON TPT 2 SAT FEB 20 3PM ON TPT MN Go on a musical journey to meet animals and experience their habitats! Presented in partnership with the Minnesota Zoo, and available via television and streaming.

WATCH WHEN YOU WANT!

YOGA AND MEDITATION AVAILABLE NOW Now more than ever, we’re all striving to find ways to incorporate wellness into our everyday lives. These offerings, featuring Minnesota Orchestra musicians, will help you become more present, grounded and in the moment—with music.

minnesotaorchestra.org/stream | 612-371-5656 |

All artists, dates and programs are subject to change.

TPT EVENTS

FEBRUARY 2021

TPT Editorial and Design Team Lynn Farmer, Vice President, Marketing and Communications Sarah D. Johnson, Managing Editor Ann Pavlish, Senior Designer Membership Hotline 651-229-1300 or toll free 866-229-1300 Lines are staffed 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday. Telemarketing Call-Back Line: 651-229-1395 Front Desk: 651-222-1717

SECOND SATURDAY

Saturday, February 13 | 8:30 a.m. & 10 a.m. This month, we're partnering with the Minnesota Zoo and the Minnesota Orchestra to bring you a very special event with music, animals, activities and more! Experts from the Minnesota Zoo will introduce us to a variety of animals and then the Minnesota Youth Orchestra will play music inspired by animals!

Twin Cities PBS invites families to enjoy activities, experiments, story time, games and experiences with PBS KIDS during Second Saturdays. Every month kids and families join us virtually to stay active and connected in a safe and fun learning environment. We will make this as interactive as possible, so find your favorite spot to watch and prepare to join us for a morning of fun! This is a free event but RSVP's are required. For more information and to RSVP, visit tpt.org/secondsaturdays.

Advertising in TPT magazine: Deb Larson, Senior Sponsorship Manager 651-229-1454

Twin Cities PBS President and CEO: Sylvia Strobel BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Mary Lynn Carver (Vice Chair), Kit Dahl, Scott A. Dillon, Wayne L. Ducheneaux II, Joe Fleming, Peter S. Hatinen, Kristy Howe, Amy L. Jensen, Martha MacMillan, Dr. Fayneese Miller, Victor Miranda, MD, Michael Monahan, Somia Mourad, Robert P. Rinek, Robert Sit (Chair), Darrell Thompson, Sandra Vargas, R. Kirk Weidner, Donna Zimmerman Volume 48 Number 2 TPT magazine (ISSN 1059-9657) is published twelve times a year, in: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June, Jul., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. by Twin Cities Public Television, Inc., 172 East Fourth Street, St. Paul, MN 55101, a nonprofit corporation. Copyright © 2021. List Exchanges: To assist in building membership, Twin Cities Public Television on occasion may exchange names and addresses of its members with other organizations that may solicit or make contact with you by mail. If you do not want your information shared, please notify the membership department at 651-229-1300 or 866-229-1300. All rights reserved. TPT magazine is sent to those who contribute annually to TPT. Basic memberships are $50. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, Minnesota, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send change-of-address information to: Membership Department, Twin Cities PBS, 172 E. Fourth Street, St. Paul, MN 55101.

Sign up now at tpt.org/playdate!

4

@tpt

/tptpbs

A NOTE FROM SYLVIA

As we enter into February, I am reminded of my childhood growing up on a farm, and how this month signaled that it was a time for preparation and transition into spring. The sun sets a little later each day, the Artic blasts decrease in frequency and I begin my annual ritual of perusing seed catalogues for my summer vegetables and herbs. We have faced many challenges over the last year, and the prospect of spring brings a sense of renewal – a time to reflect, reset, and move forward.

Importantly, February is Black History Month, and at Twin Cities PBS (TPT) we are offering programming that celebrates the history, arts, cultures, lives, and experiences of Black communities. Black history is American history, and we are committed to telling the stories of how Black individuals, organizations, and movements shaped and continue to shape America. Our programs include: The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song, Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening, American Experience: Voice of Freedom and Independent Lens: Mr. Soul! Please visit tpt.org/blackhistory to learn more. We know that we must do more and do better to reflect our diverse communities in Minnesota, and we look forward to bringing you programming that honors Black, Indigenous, and communities of color throughout the year. We hope you will join us.

Best regards, Sylvia Strobel, President and CEO, Twin Cities PBS

Independent Lens: Mr. Soul!

Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening

The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song

5

TPT.ORG

HIGHLIGHTS FEBRUARY 1-7

Europe's New Wild The Missing Lynx Across the Iberian Peninsula, rewilding efforts allow the Iberian lynx — the rarest cat in the world — to flourish once again. In Portugal's Coa Valley, the introduction of ancient species heralds the return of the region's top predators. Part 1 of 4. TPT 2 Wednesday, February 3, 9 p.m. TPT LIFE Sunday, February 7, 9 p.m.

Masterpiece The Long Song

Finding Your Roots No Irish Need Apply

The handsome overseer Robert arrives, sparking a bitter rivalry between July and her mistress. Meanwhile, the field hands rebel against Robert's work demands. Part 2 of 3. TPT 2 Sunday, February 7, 9 p.m. TPT LIFE Wednesday, February 10, 9 p.m.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of actor Jane Lynch and comedian Jim Gaffigan, revealing the Irish American experience through their families. TPT 2 Tuesday, February 2, 7 p.m.

Uncovered: Minnesota’s Dental Crisis

Minnesota Experience This Free North

Ranking near the bottom of all states for Medicaid reimbursement, Minnesota faces an oral health crisis. More than a million Minnesotans cannot get the dental care they need. This program focuses on solutions, featuring three successful Critical Access Dental providers whose innovations, if adequately funded, could overcome barriers and eliminate health disparities. Produced with Apple Tree Dental. TPT 2 Sunday, February 7, 8 a.m. TPT MN Sunday, February 7, 7 p.m.

Celebrating the University of Minnesota’s 50th Anniversary of the African American Studies program, This Free North reflects on the people and events that led to its formation as well as its connection to, and influence on, contemporary students. A Twin Cities PBS original, produced with the University of Minnesota. TPT 2 Monday, February 1, 8 p.m. | TPT LIFE Thursday, February 4, 9 p.m.

Minnesota Experience North Star: Civil War Stories

Four stories bring to light the hidden histories of African-American Minnesotans during and after the Civil War. These unsung heroes made unique contributions to the Union and their new state, but the details and records of their involvement still challenge historians. A Twin Cities PBS original production. TPT 2 Monday, February 1, 8:30 p.m. | TPT LIFE Thursday, February 4, 9:30 p.m.

6

@tpt

/tptpbs

EVENING FEBRUARY 1-7

7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30

1 Mon

Antiques Roadshow: Vintage Tucson 2021 Hour 2

MN Experi- ence: This Free North

American Experience: Freedom Summer

Independent Lens: Black Memorabilia

MN Experience: North Star: Civil War Stories

2

Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show

Legacy List with Matt Paxton BBC World News

Amanpour and Company

Start Up

LIFE

MN Original

Your Legislators

Native Report Native Report Writing In Peace and War

Angels: A Friendship Connection

Postcards

Around The Cor- ner with John McGivern

MN

2 Tue

Finding Your Roots: No Irish Need Apply

Josephine Baker: The Story of An Awakening Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries Death at the Grand

Frontline: China's COVID Secrets

Glacier's Park Night of the Grizzlies

2

Grantchester Season 2 on Masterpiece: Episode Three

Shetland

BBC World News

Amanpour and Company

Chavis Chronicles Common Ground

LIFE

MN Original

Around The Farm Table

Women Mak- ing Change

We’re In This Together

East Side Pride

Building East Side Com- munity

Next Steps: Committing to Community

Mysteries of Public Financ- ing

Poor Farm

MN

3 Wed

Nature: Pumas: Legends of the Ice Mountains Miss Scarlet and the Duke on Masterpiece: Inheritance (Part 3 of 6)

Beyond the Elements on NOVA: Reactions

Europe’s New Wild: The Missing Lynx (Part 1 of 4)

Almanac at the Capitol BBC World News

Mum

Escape to the Chateau

2

All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece (Part 4 of 7)

The Long Song on Masterpiece ( Part 1 of 3)

Amanpour and Company

Story in the Public Square Making It Up North

LIFE

Almanac at the Capitol

Devil’s Instru- ment

Sympathetic Strings: Sto- ries of the...

Arrival: Finding Home Stories of Women Making Their Homes in the US

Tales of the Road: Highway 61 Almanac: Hands-On History

Around The Cor- ner with John McGivern Ask This Old House

MN

4 Thu

This Old House

Father Brown: The Dance of Death

Vera: Black Ice

Mum

Eastenders

Eastenders

2

American Masters: Lorraine Hansberry

MN Experi- ence: This Free North Improving Your Home’s Performance

BBC World News

Amanpour and Company

Articulate with Jim Cotter

MN Experience: North Star: Civil War Stories Integrated Energy Solu- tions

LIFE

MN Original

Around The Farm Table

Ms. Scientist

Minnesota: A History of the Land: Second Nature/1945 and Beyond

Farm Fresh Road Trip 4

Off 90

Climate Smart: Cities Working Together

MN

5 Fri

Almanac

Antiques Roadshow: Celebrating Black Americana

American Masters: Sammy Davis, Jr.

Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone

2

Great Scenic Railway Journeys MN Original

Great Scenic Railway Journeys Around The Cor- ner with John McGivern

Washington Week Make Money Work

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover Make Money Work

Frontline: China's COVID Secrets

Amanpour and Company

Gzero World with Ian Bremmer Prairie Mosaic

LIFE

Built On Agriculture

Built On Agriculture

Almanac

State of Repair

MN

6 Sat

Midsomer Murders: The Dark Rider (Parts 1 & 2 of 2)

Frankie Drake Mysteries - Season 1: Episode 2

(9:15) The Mal- lorca Files

Modus- Season 2: Episode 8

Thou Shalt Not Kill -Season 1: Episode One

2

Stage: Lowertown Line 313 & Minnesota Original 511

Avett Brothers at Red Rocks

Independent Lens: Black Memorabilia

POV Shorts

Independent Lens: Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities

LIFE

Backroads

Prairie Musi- cians

Living with Parkinson’s

Concussions and Female Athletes The Long Song on Masterpiece ( Part 2 of 3) Europe’s New Wild: The Missing Lynx (Part 1 of 4) This Is Minnesota Orchestra Osmo Vanska Conducts New Year’s Eve

Our Environment and Our Health Josephine Baker: The Story of An Awakening

Hearing Loss Matters

Getting There

Concussion Dilemma: Min- nesota Reacts

MN

7 Sun

Miss Scarlet and the Duke on Masterpiece: Inheritance (Part 4 of 6) Nature: Pumas: Legends of the Ice Mountains

All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece (Part 5 of 7)

Mum

Mum

2

Beyond the Elements on NOVA: Reactions Evolution, Sustainability and AI

Front and Center: Lovelytheband

Austin City Limits: Texas Icons: Jerry Jeff Walker & Billy Joe Shaver

LIFE

Uncovered: Minnesota’s Dental Crisis

Black Bril- liance

MN Original

Stage: This Is Minnesota Orchestra: Spirit and Soul

MN

Access • Compassion • Excel lence A PPLE T REE D ENTAL

A TWIN CITIES PBS ORIGINAL

FEB 7 | 8AM | TPT 2 FEB 7 | 7PM | TPT MN

TPT.ORG/UNCOVERED

7

TPT.ORG

UNDERSTANDING You

COMMUNITY STORIES WITH IMPACT. TPT CELEBRATES MINNESOTA’S DIVERSITY.

TPT.ORG

8

@tpt

/tptpbs

TPT PARTNERSHIPS PRODUCTIONS

Learning for a Lifetime Children are learning machines,

absorbing knowledge and skills from an early age. We help young children deal with feelings and make friends, but then we stop. Yet adolescence triggers major rewiring of the brain, and relationships are the key to the success of that process. Social and emotional learning equips teens for a lifetime of success in a complex world. Produced with REL Midwest. TPT MN Sunday, February 14, 7:30 p.m. TPT 2 Sunday, February 28, 8:30 a.m.

Uncovered: Minnesota’s Dental Crisis Ranking near the bottom of all states for Medicaid reimbursement, Minnesota faces an oral health crisis. More than a million Minnesotans cannot get the dental care they need. Uncovered: Minnesota’s Dental Crisis focuses on solutions, featuring three successful Critical Access Dental providers whose innovations, if adequately funded, could overcome barriers and eliminate health disparities. Produced with Apple Tree Dental. TPT MN Sunday, February 7, 7 p.m. | TPT 2 Sunday February 7, 8 a.m. TPT.ORG tpt.org/ uncovered

A Dogs Service From nightmare interruption to

lessening anxiety well-trained service dogs can provide veterans living with PTSD wide-ranging help that can allow the veteran to return to a closer-to- normal life. Produced with Believet. TPT MN Sunday, February 28, 7:30 p.m.

TPT Partnerships Our award-winning TPT Partnerships team relentlessly pursues the stories that inspire, educate, and shine spotlights on local communities. Since 2003, our team has partnered with more than 250 organizations to create almost 900 programs and multi-media projects that span a spectrum of topics and issues that are relevant to Minnesotans. For more information, visit tptpartnerships.org.

9

@tpt

2-2

/tptpbs

TPT.ORG

HIGHLIGHTS FEBRUARY 8-14

Minnesota Experience Jim Crow of the North

Roots of racial disparities are seen through a new lens in this film that explores the origins of housing segregation in the Minneapolis area. But the story also illustrates how African American families and leaders resisted this insidious practice, and how Black people built community —within and despite — the red lines that these restrictive covenants created. A Twin Cities PBS original production. TPT 2 Monday, February 8, 8 p.m. | TPT LIFE Thursday, February 11, 9 p.m.

Dave Chappelle The Mark Twain Prize

Finding Your Roots The Shirts on Their Backs

Masterpiece The Long Song Facing labor unrest and financial ruin for the plantation, Robert's sanity starts to unravel, with devastating effects on July. Years later, she makes a remarkable discovery. Part 3 of 3. TPT 2 Sunday, February 14, 9 p.m. TPT LIFE Wednesday, February 17, 9 p.m. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents the 22nd annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Dave Chappelle. TPT 2 Friday, February 12, 9 p.m.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals the immigrant roots of actors Tony Shalhoub and Christopher Meloni, introducing ancestors who came to America to build a better life. TPT 2 Tuesday, February 9, 7 p.m.

The Mallorca Files To Kill a Stag

When a groom to be is found dead in the swimming pool of a luxury villa, Miranda and Max believe it's the work of a prostitute who stuns her clients and then robs them. Part 6 of 10. TPT 2 Saturday, February 13, 9:15 p.m.

Masterpiece Miss Scarlet and the Duke: Cell 99

Searching for the secret to her father's fate, Eliza goes to an abandoned prison. When the Duke joins her, they stumble on a nefarious criminal enterprise. Part 5 of 6. TPT 2 Sunday, February 14, 7 p.m. | TPT LIFE Wednesday, February 17, 7 p.m.

10

@tpt

/tptpbs

EVENING FEBRUARY 8-14

7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30

8 Mon

Antiques Roadshow: Vintage Orlando Hour 1

Minnesota Experience: Jim Crow of the North

Independent Lens: Women In Blue

Independent Lens: Accept The Call

2

Josh Groban: An Evening of Harmony

Rick Steves and the Trav- L-Ator

Legacy List with Matt Paxton BBC World News

Amanpour and Company

Start Up

LIFE

MN Original

Your Legislators

Native Report Native Report Nourish Hope: Progress Starts with Food

Somalia: A Nation of Poets

Postcards

Around The Cor- ner with John McGivern

MN

9 Tue

Finding Your Roots: The Shirts on Their Backs Grantchester Season 2 on Masterpiece: Episode Four

American Experience: Goin’ Back to T-Town

Frontline

Beyond the Elements on NOVA: Reactions

Europe’s New Wild: The Missing Lynx (Part 1 of 4)

2

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries Game, Set & Murder Iraq and Back: Minnesotans’ Stories

Shetland

BBC World News

Amanpour and Company

Chavis Chronicles Common Ground

LIFE

MN Original

Around The Farm Table

Justice Matters

Our Rights

Our Rights

Our Rights

MN

10 Wed

Nature: Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas Miss Scarlet and the Duke on Masterpiece: Inheritance (Part 4 of 6)

Beyond the Elements on NOVA: Indestructable

Europe’s New Wild: Return of the Titans (Part 2 of 4)

Almanac at the Capitol BBC World News Jingle Dress Tradition

Mum

Escape to the Chateau

2

All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece (Part 5 of 7)

The Long Song on Masterpiece ( Part 2 of 3)

Amanpour and Company

Story in the Public Square Making It Up North

LIFE

Almanac at the Capitol

Relish

Relish

Schmeckfest: Food Traditions of Germans from

Almanac: Hands-On History Eastenders

Around The Cor- ner with John McGivern Ask This Old House

Nature: Walking with Emerson & Thoreau

MN

11 Thu

This Old House

Father Brown: The Cat of Mastigatus American Experience: The Murder of Emmett Till On The Trail: An In Wisconsin Special

Vera: Home

Mum

Eastenders

2

American Experience: Goin’ Back to T-Town

Minnesota Experience: Jim Crow of the North

BBC World News

Amanpour and Company

Articulate with Jim Cotter

LIFE

MN Original

Around The Farm Table

Birds of Wisconsin

Minnesota: A History of the Land: The Northern Forest

Minnesota’s Deadliest Bliz- zards

Off 90

MN

12 Fri

Almanac

Antiques Roadshow: American Stories

Dave Chappelle: The Mark Twain Prize

Richard Pryor: Icon

Breaking Big

2

Great Scenic Railway Journeys MN Original

Great Scenic Railway Journeys Around The Cor- ner with John McGivern

Washington Week Decoding Truth and Trust In Advertising

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover Planting Cre- ativity: Artists, Place & Trans

Frontline

BBC World News

Amanpour and Company

Gzero World with Ian Bremmer Prairie Mosaic

LIFE

Rise and Fall of the Nonpar- tisan League: We’ll Stick We’ll Win

Almanac

State of Repair

MN

13 Sat

Midsomer Murders: Murder of Innocence (Parts 1 & 2 of 2)

Frankie Drake Mysteries - Season 1: Episode 3

(9:15) The Mal- lorca Files

Grantchester Season 2 on Masterpiece: Episode One

Thou Shalt Not Kill Season 1: Episode Two

2

Stage: Art Is....Healing

Jazz Ambassadors

Independent Lens: Women In Blue

Independent Lens: Accept The Call

LIFE

Backroads

Prairie Musi- cians

Crossing The Threshold

Heroes & History

Getting A Handle On Diabetes

Love of Car: Transportation As We Age Seaside Hotel on Walter Presents: A Summer by the North Sea Front and Center: Robby Krieger and Friends Stage: Hippocrates Cafe: Re- flections on the Pandemic

Getting There

Critical Links: Community Health Workers

Brighter Fu- tures: Childhood In Balance

MN

14 Sun

Miss Scarlet and the Duke on Masterpiece: Inheritance (Part 5 of 6) Nature: Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas

All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece (Part 6 of 7)

The Long Song on Masterpiece ( Part 3 of 3)

Mum

Mum

2

Beyond the Elements on NOVA: Indestructable

Europe’s New Wild: Return of the Titans (Part 2 of 4) Jeremy Messersmith: A MN Original Special

Austin City Limits: Allen Tous- saint: New Orleans Legend

LIFE

Why Cultural Heritage Mat- ters

Learning for a Lifetime

Facing Race Awards

American Dream Under Fire

This Is My Home

Bound By Earth: Archaeology In Minnesota

MN

This is Minnesota Orchestra Musical Menagerie with the Minnesota Zoo A Young People's Concert Go on a musical journey to meet animals and experience their habitats! Presented in partnership with the Minnesota Zoo. TPT 2 Friday, February 12, 3 p.m. TPT MN Saturday, February 20, 3 p.m.

11

TPT.ORG

tpt.org/aatc

with Mary Lahammer

Your Government, In-Depth and Explained.

From interviews with leading lawmakers to the analysis tying it all together, Almanac at the Capitol is your window into Minnesota state government.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS TPT 2 10 p.m. & TPT MN 7 p.m.

®

12

@tpt

/tptpbs

NEXT AVENUE - SPECIAL SECTION

WELCOME TO THE NEXT AVENUE SPECIAL SECTION

How to Embrace the Joys of Winter This Year By Wendy Helfenbaum

Move over, hygge. After many months cooped up at home since the pandemic started, many of us may be totally over the Danish concept of cozy cocooning indoors. Instead, more people are embracing the joys of friluftsliv – Norwegian for "open air living." As snowbirds wonder whether heading south is too risky due to the pandemic and gathering indoors still isn't safe, many might worry about a long winter with not much to do. However, making a commitment to celebrate time outdoors can help make colder months bearable by boosting both our physical and mental well-being, experts at Marian University in Indianapolis say. Just two hours a week spent in a natural environment has a positive effect, according to a recent study in the journal, “Nature.” "There's no one-size-fits-all to have a good wintertime mindset; it's meant to be flexible, where you think about the possibilities you might have been closed off to before," says Kari Leibowitz, a Stanford University research fellow who recently spent a year in Norway's Arctic city of Tromsø.

John LaPlante, 57, fell in love with snowboarding in 2003 when he moved from Chicago to St. Paul. He had recently started skiing, but found the local venue, Buck Hill – where Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn learned to ski – wasn't challenging enough. "I saw a kid on a snowboard who looked like he was having a great time, so I thought I'd try it," recalls LaPlante. When he couldn't find information about the sport geared towards older adults, he started a blog called GraysOnTrays.com that became a digital community for snowboarders. The site offers fitness and safety tips, snowboard resort information, and guidance about choosing gear. "Snowboarding is great for your mind and your spirit, and there's a social aspect to it as well," says LaPlante, who has met boarders in their 60s and 70s. Read the full story How to Embrace the Joys of Winter This Year at NextAvenue.org

13

NEXTAVENUE.ORG

NEXT AVENUE - SPECIAL SECTION

A Poet and An Artist Find Shelter in a Pandemic Project By Julie Pfitzinger "Accountability." This is the word poet Margaret Hasse and artist Sharon DeMark, both from St. Paul, use to describe how each was able to thrive creatively during the pandemic, knowing that the other would be eagerly waiting to respond to what was coming next as the two traded poems and paintings over the course of several weeks. When they began an artistic collaboration in April, solely as a means of finding inspiration and encouragement from one another during an anxious time, the only defined parameter that took root in their work was the theme – shelter – which took on a new significance in 2020. "We were talking about sheltering in place, looking around our houses and thinking we'd probably be here for an awfully long time," says Hasse, author of five poetry collections. "I was a little directionless and blown away by the winds of the pandemic. It was just the perfect time for us to find shelter and refuge in each other," she says. DeMark explains, "We were looking for a metaphorical shelter; the idea of a place that's protective." The project first took form as a simple email exchange. "Once a week, I'd receive something from Sharon that was so beautiful, it would inspire me to sit down and write about it," says Hasse. Sometimes, Hasse's poems would come to DeMark first, and then she would respond with a painting. "We were both responding and instigating during the process," DeMark says. DeMark has been devoting more energy to her work as a watercolor artist since 2019 when she challenged herself to do one new painting each day. During that year, she presented two local art exhibits of her daily work.

14

NEXTAVENUE.ORG

NEXT AVENUE - SPECIAL SECTION

The two women, who have known each other for many years, didn't start out with the idea of creating something permanent. But after about eight exchanges of poems and paintings, and positive responses from a few who saw their work, Hasse says "it seemed like we had a book on our hands.” "Shelter," a 70+ page book, published by Nodin Press (available at local independent booksellers and Amazon) is the result. Within the pages of the book, "shelter" is frequently defined traditionally, featuring poems titled "House," "Barn," "Porch" and "Playhouse," for instance. There are also poems about the different ways we may take shelter and refuge, which can be without shape, but still essential: “Hug,” "Art" and "Book."

"Book” depicts DeMark's now-grown son when he was a child reading one of the "Harry Potter" books. "For me, reading and the idea of getting lost in a book seems like a kind of shelter," she says. "I'd never thought of it that way before, but it really does feel like a protective other world." As the project unfolded, Hasse and DeMark said they spent time talking about the concept of shelter in another way.

"We recognized we are both privileged to have a safe home during this time, and that's not the case for everybody. We wanted to recognize that," says DeMark. For example, "Tent" tells of a young girl seeking shelter under a broken shopping cart covered with plastic; one of many voices used by Hasse in the poems. When asked what advice they'd offer others inspired by their collaboration to perhaps join with a friend to engage in artistic pursuits, Hasse says, "I think a mutual vision is important. Ask yourselves what it is you feel creative about. What do you want to share with others?" Read the full story A Poet and An Artist Find Shelter in a Pandemic Project at NextAvenue.org .

15

NEXTAVENUE.ORG

NEXT AVENUE - SPECIAL SECTION

Having ‘Enough’ for Retirement The commercials and seminars suggest that the happy and secure image of retirement is available to anyone — at least anyone with enough money to live their good life for an unknown number of years, through unpredictable markets, surprise expenses and potentially exorbitant health care costs. And as a middle-income retiree, that's a benchmark I'll never reach. I looked inward. What are the components of a retirement life that works for me? Sure, I want to feel financially secure. But I also want to feel good about my daily life. I just wanted to know there was a good chance I'd be ok. So, I set out in search of facts. I wanted >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28

Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator