Essentia Health campus vs. a panel from ‘Ronin’

Essentia Health campus in Duluth on Aug. 4, 2022. Steve Kuchera / Duluth News Tribune

Panel from Frank Miller’s “Ronin” as shown in the Comics Journal.

In the graphic novel Ronin, by Frank Miller, an AI named Virgo grows its organic technology over and through a dystopian New York City. As the story progresses, the city completely transforms. I wondered if I could find a photo of the expanding hospital complex that matched this comic panel.

Duluth Literary History

As I prep to teach a Minnesota Writers class again this fall, I am working through little resources and breadcrumb trails.

William A. Sommers has been subject to my writing here before. Here is his page from Minnesota Landscapes. I wonder if anyone has a story to tell?

Looking for Minnesota Authors: Dorothy Bladin Hill and Ruth Slonim

Minnesota Landscapes, the book published by the League of Minnesota Poets, has a number of Duluth authors I don’t know and want to know more about.

Dorothy Bladin Hill has a vertical file record at the Duluth Public Library — I gotta check that out. Bladin Hill was also an author of the Big Book of Christmas Entertainments. What other stories might anyone share that might ignite my students’ passion?

James G – “Birds”

JamesG‘s latest video finds him in an absurd bird situation.

Grandma’s Marathon 2024 Double: Bad Grandmas

Eric Strand has been running what he calls the “Grandma’s Marathon Double” since 2012. The concept is simple: start at the marathon finish line, run to the starting line, then turn around and run the regular marathon. Strand’s crew in 2024 included Dusty Olson, who Strand refers to as “the OG Grandma’s Marathon Doubler.”

Duluth Deep Dive #5: The Life and Times of William Sheldon Storer, Early Duluth Dentist

Dr. Storer came to Duluth from New York in 1893, where he set up practice as a local dentist. This post uses the Duluth Herald archives to recount notable events from his life, including his legal battle with Dr. Laird’s Travelling Medicine Show, his second marriage to a locally renowned German dietitian, and his role in what the original Duluth Rip-saw referred to as the “worst war in the glorious history of Lester Park.”

‘Minnesota Skyline’ and the history of local literature

Cover of "Minnesota Skyline," published by the League of Minnesota Poets

The League of Minnesota Poets once published an anthology that was loaded with Twin Ports poets and topics. Minnesota Skyline was printed in twelve editions, 20,000 copies.

I’m curious about the authors within, including Luella Bender Carr.

To Tell the Truth: Mayor Johnson and Mr. Magoo

Duluth Mayor George D. Johnson appeared on the CBS-TV show To Tell the Truth in an episode that aired May 31, 1965 — 60 years ago today. Mayor Johnson was the second of three characters/contestants introduced on the show. The concept of To Tell the Truth is that each character is accompanied by two imposters, and the three of them answer questions from a panel of celebrities who then try to guess which of the three is the authentic person.

Ian Alexy – “There is a Light”

Ian Alexy has a new two-track digital release featuring the songs “There is a Light” and “Shivers Up the Spine ’24.”

New loan program designed to save historic Duluth buildings

Demolition of the former Pastoret Terrace on First Street and Second Avenue East has led to a new city fund supporting historic downtown Duluth building preservation.

Historic downtown Duluth buildings are now eligible for city-funded improvement loans after a legal battle over a fire-damaged-but-treasured 19th century townhouse demolition established the assistance program.

The city of Duluth recently added a $1.4 million Historic Fund to its long-running economic development initiative known as the 1200 Fund. To launch the new project, the city plans to make $400,000 in low-interest, partially forgivable loans to historic building owners for property work in 2025. The application process opened May 5.

The Buckthorn Crusader of Lakeview Park

The eastern stretches of Lakeview Park with an abundant mature buckthorn jungle.

After an hour or two of relentlessly battling buckthorn, you may sit to rest and close your eyes for a moment. If you do this, you’re likely to see pokey spear-like shapes in your closed-eye vision.

In my eight-year quest to de-buckthorn a particular unknown Duluth park, I have come to know this particular plant quite well. And in my obsessive need to destroy it, I believe it has come to know me. I even joined a city-organized and backed volunteer group dedicated to destroying every last seed and stem of non-native explosive-growth monster plants.

PDD Shop Talk: The Usual Spiel

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Keeping Duluth’s Duluthiest website running with new content every day has been an ongoing financial challenge for more than 21 years, but Perfect Duluth Day is still here, still free to read and still kicking out the daily goods. Advertising revenue keeps the operation going, but donations help us do more and do it better.

That’s why we occasionally toss up a post like this one to remind everyone that donations are a big help.

Celebrating frontline workers in housing and food insecurity through art at UMD

Too often, the frontline workers in housing and food insecurity go unnoticed in our region. Some of my students (and students of Adam Pine) interviewed some of these unsung heroes. Then, local artists Nelle Rhicard and Maryam Khaleghi Yazdi turned their insights into art — transformed, really, their insights into art.

Alan Sparhawk – “Get Still”

Alan Sparhawk‘s second solo album, With Trampled by Turtles, releases Friday. The video for “Get Still” was directed by Ingrid Weise and edited by Alexa Viscius.

Selective Focus: Run, Smelt, Run! Parade 2025

Select Instagram images from Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe‘s annual smelt-themed second-line parade.