Episode #5 — Holding On

We spend our lives learning to hold on, and learning to let go. Two personal stories this week on North Star Lane: program host Michael Goldberg holds onto his sister as long as he can. And Grand Rapids community activist Kathleen Blake tells how she faced life and death with her young son.

Episode #4 — Teacher

With school back in session, North Star Lane features two stories in honor of high school teachers. Writer Teresa Alto uses the Shel Silverstein classic, "The Giving Tree", as a way to think about her most influential teacher. And storyteller Terry O'Brien, in a live performance, describes the fallout from her brief stint as a high school English teacher.

Episode #3 — Hooch

This week on North Star Lane we have two stories about one of the world's oldest folk crafts: home brewing. Jesse Bearheart lives in Cook MN. She learned from the very different cultures and perspectives of grandparents on both mother's and father's sides of the family. On today's show, Jesse shares a family story from her Norwegian grandparents during the Prohibition era. Then we'll hear from world traveler Rich McClear, who started his broadcast and storytelling career when he founded KAXE FM in Grand Rapids MN. His family story is one he thought he knew, growing up, but learned the story behind the story just a few years ago.

Episode #2 — Home

In our second episode of North Star Lane Michael welcomes two storytellers who talk about their connections to home.
Doris Cologne grew up in the house next door to the house her father grew up in. His mother still lived next door, and has raised her own family and spent her life in the place she calls home.
Recording artist and community builder Annie Humphrey, tells of finding home while stationed overseas.

Episode #1 — The Welcome Table

Two stories about food sovereignty — Foster Cournoyer Hogan tells of his work as the Bison Coordinator at NDN Collective, feeding the people. Writer Matthew Miltich makes a bowl of soup.

North Star Lane is produced by Michael Goldberg, who lives in the woods of northern Minnesota and collects stories from his friends and neighbors. They tell stories about their connections – to place, to the past, to each other – and about things that are important to them. We think a lot of the same things are important to us all.

Call for Storytellers

What’s your story? We’re celebrating the art of oral storytelling — the every day way we all communicate with each other. For our new podcast, 'North Star Lane', we’re collecting personal stories about connections — to place, to the past, to each other. Stories should be 3–10 minutes in length, and can range in tone from funny incident to elegy and everything in between. Michael Goldberg is collecting the stories. Send audio to him — or a note to arrange a phone call or zoom — at goldberg.actionmedia@gmail.com.

Michael also produces live storytelling shows in Grand Rapids and elsewhere in the region. Let him know if you’d like more information about those.