Staff Directory 6370648

Claude Peck

Senior Metro Editor | Nights
Recent content from Claude Peck
photo of author Kevin Barry

Kevin Barry will blow you away with Montana-set 'The Heart in Winter'

FICTION: The Irish writer's first novel set in America is a lyric heartbreaker.
photo of author Chukwuebuka Ibeh

You'll be a fan of the hero of 'Blessings,' a young gay Nigerian who's up against a lot

FICTION: The story of his coming of age makes for a memorable debut by a Nigerian writer.
photo of writer Caoilinn Hughes

When a sibling vanishes, three sisters are doing it for themselves in 'The Alternatives'

FICTION: A reunion in rural Ireland becomes a reckoning.
photo of author Maurice Carlos Ruffin

In novel, 'The American Daughters' are Black women, fighting to end slavery

FICTION: In Civil War-era New Orleans, an enslaved girl becomes a spy for the Union.
Book reveals where art history happened, with 7 queer artists as guides

Book reveals where art history happened, with 7 queer artists as guides

NONFICTION: Traveling through time and space to capture "unrecorded history" in "Nothing Ever Just Disappears."
Alexander Sammartino

'Hilarious' and 'wrenching' novel 'Last Acts' depicts a hapless father and son

FICTION: John Updike's Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom meets Voltaire's optimistic Candide and Walter White of "Breaking Bad" in the hero of a deliriously dark debut.
Novel's Iranian characters struggle to be themselves in a repressive 'Country'

Novel's Iranian characters struggle to be themselves in a repressive 'Country'

FICTION: Salar Abdoh's characters must keep their lives secret from their own government.
Review: Inspired by diaries, 'Room' author returns with 'spellbinding' 'Learned by Heart'

Review: Inspired by diaries, 'Room' author returns with 'spellbinding' 'Learned by Heart'

FICTION: Emma Donoghue's masterwork centers on the intoxication of young love at a girls' school.
Review: 'Swim Home to the Vanished' finds a young man transformed by grief

Review: 'Swim Home to the Vanished' finds a young man transformed by grief

FICTION: A young man's quest for understanding takes him to a very fishy village.

Review: Friends and frenemies pursue life, love and MFAs at a Midwestern university

FICTION: Brandon Taylor follows grad school novel "Real Life" with another look at the lows of higher learning.
Casey Parks

Review: 'Diary of a Misfit,' by Casey Parks

NONFICTION: A journalist chases "a good Southern tale" and discovers herself.
Novelist Hernan Diaz photographed in Brooklyn, New York

Review: 'Trust,' by Hernan Diaz

FICTION: In his engrossing second novel, Hernan Diaz gives us four versions of the life of an early capitalist.
Edmund White credit Andrew Fladeboe

Review: 'A Previous Life,' by Edmund White

FICTION: A couple's twin memoirs generate more heat than light.
Nadifa Mohamed photo by Sean and Seng

Review: 'The Fortune Men,' by Nadifa Mohamed

The wrong man: Inside the world of a Somali sailor hanged for murder.
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Review: 'Antiquities,' by Cynthia Ozick

FICTION: An old man tells the story of a remarkable childhood friend in Ozick's new novella.
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Review: 'The Prophets,' by Robert Jones Jr.

FICTION: A powerful debut novel about a forbidden union on a cotton plantation.
Charles Baxter

Review: 'The Sun Collective,' by Charles Baxter

FICTION: The prosaic and the uncanny work together in Charles Baxter's new novel.
Bryan Washington photo by Dailey Hubbard

Review: 'Memorial,' by Bryan Washington

FICTION: Bryan Washington's debut novel has a lot going for it, but his 2019 story collection is a hard act to follow.
Steven Johnson

Review: 'Enemy of All Mankind,' by Steven Johnson

NONFICTION: An adventure-filled life that feels plucked from swashbuckling fiction.
Sven Sundgaard

On Sven Sundgaard's firing: Journalists need to respect neutrality

KARE 11 meteorologist crossed the line fair media relies on.
A field of corn grows in front of an old windmill in Pacific Junction, Iowa, Wednesday, July 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) ORG XMIT: IANH1

Review: 'The Scientist and the Spy,' by Mara Hvistendahl

NONFICTION: It's the FBI vs. the Chinese in Iowa farm fields. What are they seeking? High-quality seeds.
Edna O'Brien for Saturday Review.

Review: 'Girl,' by Edna O'Brien

FICTION: Kidnapped schoolgirl endures epic hardships in Africa.
Patti Smith

Review: 'Year of the Monkey,' by Patti Smith

NONFICTION: Patti Smith's road memoir starts slowly, but sharpens and builds as she goes.
Stack of newspapers
The magic of a newspaper column
Lorna Landvik’s new novel, “Chronicles of a Radical Hag (With Recipes)"

Breaking news now! Past tense goes missing

When did reporters start using present tense for every occasion? How far does this "breaking" news trend go?
This photograph taken Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015, in Alexander City, Ala., shows the front page of the town newspaper following the slaying of Willie Max

REVIEW: 'Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee,' by Casey Cep

NONFICTION: After decades of silence, novelist Harper Lee set out to write a nonfiction book about a serial killer.
Dustin Lance Black Photo by Raul Romo

Review: 'Mama's Boy: A Story From Our Americas,' by Dustin Lance Black

NONFICTION: Oscar winner recalls childhood of hardship and abuse and seeks healing.
Oliver Sacks

Review: 'Everything in Its Place,' by Oliver Sacks

NONFICTION: A final essay collection charts the undying curiosity of a remarkable mind.
Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, in his London office in 2005. New York Times

Review: 'Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why it Matters Now,' by Alan Rusbridger

NONFICTION: A newspaper editor surveys the recent era of remarkable change and disruption.
Colm Toibin Photo by Brigitte Lacombe

Review: 'Mad, Bad, Dangerous to Know,' by Colm Tóibín

NONFICTION: Filial revolt runs through these entertaining stories by Colm Tóibín.
Gary Eldon Peter

Review: 'Oranges,' by Gary Eldon Peter

FICTION: Tales by Twin Cities writer take a revealing look at the human experience.
Seymour M. Hersh sits in the furnitureless office of Dispatch News Service in Washington, May 4, 1970, after being awarded the Pulitzer Prize for inte

REVIEW: 'Reporter: A Memoir,' by Seymour M. Hersh

NONFICTION: Finally, at 81, Seymour Hersh reports his own life story.
Sarah Winman, photo by Patricia Niven

Review: 'Tin Man,' by Sarah Winman

FICTION: British author Sarah Winman's novel is an emotional roller coaster.
Alan Hollinghurst Photo by Robert Taylor Photography

Review: 'The Sparsholt Affair,' by Alan Hollinghurst

FICTION: Changes radiate from wartime Oxford to span 70 years and dozens of characters.
"Some Hell" by Patrick Nathan

Review: 'Some Hell,' by Patrick Nathan

FICTION: This debut novel by a Minneapolis writer zeroes in on a guilt-torn adolescent and his mother after a family suicide.
Armistead Maupin Photo by Christopher Turner

REVIEW: 'Logical Family' by Armistead Maupin

NONFICTION: At 72, "Tales of the City" writer Armistead Maupin takes up his own life.
Conductor calls Minn. Orch. lockout 'ugliest labor dispute' in U.S. orchestra history

Conductor calls Minn. Orch. lockout 'ugliest labor dispute' in U.S. orchestra history

Slatkin calls the lockout the "the ugliest labor dispute in the history of American orchestras."
Viet Thanh Nguyen, whose novel �The Sympathizer� won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, spoke and signed books Sept. 15 at St. Catherine Univers

Pulitzer winner Viet Thanh Nguyen, 'fighting for utopia' and a new Vietnam war narrative

The novelist spoke at St. Catherine University on power and the pen.
Colm Toibin offers a dark and mysterious look at a horrific tale from Greek myth
.BRIGITTE LACOMBE

Review: 'House of Names,' by Colm Toibin

FICTION: A bloody family saga is re-imagined for the 21st century.
People come to shop in the Surdyk's liquor store in the snow on Sunday. March 12, 2017.

A defiant Jim Surdyk opens for liquor sales four months early

Surdyk's issued a social-media blast Sunday morning saying the store would be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Louis Kahn in the documentary "My Architect." New Yorker Films

Review: 'You Say to Brick: The Life of Louis Kahn,' by Wendy Lesser

NONFICTION: This remarkable biography sheds light on one of the 20th century's greatest architects.
Jan and Art Larson on the balcony of their downtown Minneapolis condo.

What helps Minnesota seniors age in place? U researcher has some clues

Researcher finds it's the little things — like benches and safe crosswalks — that make life better for aging Minnesotans.
Louise Crane and Elizabeth Bishop in 1937.

REVIEW: 'Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast,' by Megan Marshall

NONFICTION: This new biography of troubled poet Elizabeth Bishop is nuanced, vivid and, at times, lacking.
A fireplace in the lobby of the Parker Palm Springs Hotel.

Two hotels in Palm Springs offer rooms with a point of view

The remodeled Parker and the year-old Arrive have differing takes on the desert town's mystique.
Temple Israel congregants s checked out the new lobby before Friday night services. At left, a wall of windows looks out to a courtyard connecting the

Temple Israel in Minneapolis gets contemporary addition for preschool, Hebrew classes and events

Young people and education are at the heart of a winning addition to Temple Israel in Minneapolis.
Dave Eggers.

Dave Eggers sends family on madcap trip in 'Heroes of the Frontier'

FICTION: In Dave Eggers' new novel, a mom and two children flee their Ohio home.
Tom Fisher, former dean of the U of M’s School of Design, has written a new book, “Designing Our Way to a Better World.”

U expert tells how 'design thinking' can solve society's big problems

While he's long been interested in the tangible, physical world around us, Tom Fisher has a new book of essays about "the design of what we cannot see."
Governor Mark Dayton met with family members including Diamond Reynolds and her daughter, far left.

Aftermath of fatal Falcon Heights officer-involved shooting on video

A man identified by relatives as Philando Castile, 32, a St. Paul schools employee, died Wednesday night at HCMC. The shooting followed a traffic stop in Falcon Heights. On the video, Castile is slumped next to a woman, his T-shirt soaked with blood.
"Lust & Wonder," by Augusten Burroughs

Review: 'Lust & Wonder,' by Augusten Burroughs

NONFICTION: Augusten Burroughs' memoir about a hapless love life lacks his usual humor.
Patti Smith's passport photo.

Review: 'M Train' by Patti Smith

NONFICTION: Patti Smith's new memoir is less linear and more interior than her "Just Kids" as it hopscotches across the decades.
Cassandra Clare and Holly Black.

Talking Volumes authors for 2014 include Richard Ford, Azar Nafisi

Writers coming to the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul this fall reflect a variety of topics and genres.
Miranda July Photo: Todd Cole

Miranda July's first novel takes quirky to new level

FICTION: Miranda July's debut novel about a middle-aged woman and her much younger lover is quirky in the extreme.
The climate-controlled skyway system in Minneapolis provides warmth for people moving from building to building as another polar blast brought sub-zer

Withering Glance: Who needs streets? We've got skyways

Rick Nelson and Claude Peck dispense unasked-for advice about clothing, etiquette, culture, relationships, grooming and more. Today, skyways.
The retro Riverview theater in south Minneapolis, as it looked in 2011.

Withering Glance: Saluting the true dream palaces

Review: 'Nora Webster,' by Colm Toibin

Review: 'Nora Webster,' by Colm Toibin

FICTION: When an Irish woman's husband dies, she embarks on a quiet voyage of self-discovery.
Message of 'Boxtrolls' is wrapped in stop-motion movie magic

Message of 'Boxtrolls' is wrapped in stop-motion movie magic

REVIEW: "The Boxtrolls" is an immensely satisfying, all-ages fable packed with plot twists, adventure, humor, nobility, wrongdoing, bravado, creepiness and silliness.
Reese Witherspoon in a scene from the film, "Wild."

Twin Cities Film Fest will screen Oscar-buzz movies

The Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF) includes "Wild," starring Reese Witherspoon, and "The Imitation Game," a big winner in Toronto.
Alfred Molina and John Lithgow in "Love is Strange."

'Love Is Strange': NY love story follows two older gay men

REVIEW: John Lithgow and Alfred Molina are amiable delights as just-married New Yorkers forced to live apart temporarily.
Aretha Franklin performed at the State Fair Grandstand.

Withering Glance: Fun times at the fair (Maalox and all)

Fair highlights include Aretha Franklin at the grandstand in a feather-covered wedding gown. But the Tilt-a-Whirl and a steady diet of deep-fried delights? That does not mix well.
“Top Gun: The Musical” will be presented by Rooftop Theatre Company at this year’s Fringe Festival.

These Fringe shows enjoyed sold-out opening weekends

Opening weekend tickets sales on par with last year.
Paul Taylor Dance Company opens the 2014-15 season at Northrop Auditorium on Sept. 27.

Big names on tap for new Northrop dance season

The 2014-15 season unveiled Wednesday by Christine Tschida, director of Northrop, includes ballet and modern dance by nine troupes from around the world.
Oct. 4, 2013: Conductor Osmo Vänskä leads the musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Orchestra board addressed romance between Vänskä and concertmaster

Osmo Vänskä 's return as music director included talks about his personal relationship with concertmaster Erin Keefe. Vänskä called the relationship a private matter, and said that he would refrain from taking part in decisions about Keefe's status with the orchestra.

Withering Glance: When Hollywood finally made a gay movie

1st photo shows the Cafe Car on Amtrak's Acela Express 2nd photo shows the sign in the Acela's Quiet Car. Each train has one such car, where cell phon

On Amtrak's fast train from D.C. to N.Y.C.

The country's fastest train gets you from D.C. to New York in under three hours. And you can opt for the Quiet Car.
The new H & G rollout, based on hair stylist Denny Kemp and his partner Doug Melroe, and the house that they own together in S. Minneapolis. Focus wil

2003 profile: Mix masters

Change is a constant as design-it-yourself duo rearranges focus and furniture
The Jungle Theater presents Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry Directed by Bain Boehlke Wendy Lehr as Daisy Werthan James Craven as Hoke Coleburn Charl

'Driving Miss Daisy' at Jungle is a star vehicle

REVIEW: Jungle Theater's "Driving Miss Daisy" puts two masterful performers — James Craven and Wendy Lehr — in the driver's seat.
TOM WALLACE ¥ twallace@startribune.com Assign#2001125A Slug: Sewell013110 Date: Jan 22, 2010 Restaurant review. Dancer/ choreographer Jam

Withering Glance finds its inner love bug

Kelsey Cramer plays Shen Te and Shui Ta in Bertolt Brecht’s “Good Woman of Setzuan,” presented by Theatre Pro Rata at Intermedia

Brecht play shows the downside of kindheartedness

REVIEW: In the parable "Good Woman of Setzuan," a prostitute discovers the pitfalls of having a kind heart in a flawed world.
Tripp Island, S Carolina, 10/1/2002--Author, Pat Conroy Author extraordinare'. ORG XMIT: MIN2013071012460473

Talking Volumes 2013: Pat Conroy, Margaret Atwood, Rick Riordan

Big names in fiction, nonfiction and fantasy will visit the Twin Cities for the live-event book club.
"Dreadful: The Short Life and Gay Times of John Horne Burns," by David Margolick.

REVIEW: "Dreadful: The Short Life and Gay Times of John Horne Burns"

NONFICTION: A war novel brought overnight but fleeting fame to pioneering gay writer John Horne Burns.
Go Go Pimp Tif will host and emcee Queertopia, a performance cabaret show at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis.

Stage spotlight: Queertopia at Intermedia Arts

On a stormy evening at last year's Queertopia, a rainbow appeared in the sky over the Intermedia Arts building during intermission. What'll it be this year, unicorns?
Krishna Das performing in ONE TRACK HEART: THE STORY OF KRISHNA DAS, a film by Jeremy Frindel. A Zeitgeist Films release. Photo: Kailas

Movie spotlight: 'One Track Heart'

"One Track Heart" documents Long Island-born rocker Jeffrey Kagel's life and his emergence as kirtan chant master Krishna Das,
Eve Schulte and Chris Hannon in "Lover" by James Sewell Ballet. Credit: Erik Saulitis

Three very different works show range of James Sewell Ballet

REVIEW: Live music adds zing to "Lover," a series of dances set to classic tunes of Rodgers and Hart.
In this May 3, 2010 photo, Chilean writer Isabel Allende is interviewed at the offices of The Associated Press in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) OR

Talking Volumes adds Isabel Allende in St. Paul May 8

The Chilean author will appear May 8 at the Fitzgerald Theater as part of Talking Volumes.
Peavey Plaza is in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, located at Nicollet Mall and 11th St. S.

Peavey Plaza is listed on National Register

Groups suing Minneapolis over demolition of Peavey Plaza claimed a moral victory Thursday when the downtown Minneapolis site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.