Category Archives: Uncategorized

Distance. I needed some between my recent electoral defeat to encapsulate my run for the Minnesota House. I think, to some degree, I’ve arrived at a point where I can work things out, if not orally then at least in … Continue reading →

Hello fellow residents of Northeastern Minnesota! As you know, I’m running for the office of Minnesota State Representative in District 3B on a platform of integrity, passion, and purpose. I was raised in the Duluth neighborhood of Piedmont Heights. I’m … Continue reading →

The Women of Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell (2019. Atria. ISBN 978-1-9821-0958-5) I love the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I’ve spent many days and nights there, attending Finnish festivals, signing books at North Wind Bookstore (formerly attached to Finlandia University), … Continue reading →

 An Interview with Hanna Pylväinen …                                 MM: Let’s start with the most exciting news, at least insofar as I’m aware. You were recently installed as … Continue reading →

An interview with Jess and Julie Koski … MM: When and where did you start your journey across America? Jess: We took our first steps west from Schoodic Bay, Acadia National Park on July 7th, 2023. Neither of us had … Continue reading →

                                                INTERVIEW WITH MISKA KAJANUS MM: Kiitos for agreeing to do this, Miska. Let’s start at the beginning. Where were born, where did you grow up? MK: Thank you for interviewing me. This is an honor! I was born in … Continue reading →

Imagine being a young Finnish boy growing up in Minnesota’s Finnish Triangle. Consider dealing with congenital hip defects and leaving the family farm outside Sebeka at age six to travel to Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul for multiple surgeries. … Continue reading →

We Sinners by Hanna Pylväinen (2012. Picador. 978-1-250-3218-8) I saw that the author of this novel was selected by Finlandia National Foundation’s 2024 Lecturer of the Year. Because I’d not read any of her work and I have an interest in … Continue reading →

A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. Edited by James M. Washington (1986. Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-064691) I made a promise to myself, after attending the 2023 MLK Breakfast at the Copper Top Church in Duluth, to … Continue reading →

                                                Erik Koskinen Interview MM:  Let’s start with your roots, where you were born, where you grew up? EK: My father was born in Helsinki and was adopted in Negaunee, Michigan as a young child. As an adult he traveled … Continue reading →