5 Places to Write in the Twin Cities, by Sophia Myerly
I love writing about locations – places where anything interesting could happen, places where the mundane becomes magic. After living in the Twin Cities for seven years, I have found many interesting locations that have shaped the way I write. Some of these locations are well known, capturing the attention of amazing writers like Joni Tevis, author of The Wet Collection. Her book opens with a prologue essay inspired by visit to the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, and it beautifully captures the spirit of small surprises that is so prevalent in this metropolis and so nourishing to the creative spirit. Here are five of my favorite corners of the Cities:
If you are looking for characters, this is a fantastic place to start (and refuel). The life size Statue of Liberty on the wall, library shelf wallpaper, original artwork by local artists, and the diverse range of furniture styles make me feel like I am sitting in a global living room, surrounded by the buzz of ideas. Many writers come here to avail themselves of the scrumptious menu, and there is a list on the wall where authors can write the names of the books they worked on while enjoying a delicious cup of coffee or a treat. (I personally recommend the Caramel Chocolate Brownie and Zander’s vegetarian quiche.)
While an art museum may seem like a stereotypical place to get creative inspiration, I’ve found the MIA to be perfectly set up for writers and art students alike. It’s usually a quiet building, and I enjoy meandering through the galleries of portraits and landscapes on the third floor because of the solitude. I have written entire assignments while sitting in front of paintings and sculptures whose features inspired a flurry of ideas. The security guards are very kind and will allow you to observe the art in the permanently installed galleries as long as you aren’t in anyone’s way, so you can write in silence while surrounded by the company of masterpieces.
Travel writing is one of my favorite genres, and being in a vintage train station that overlooks the Mississippi River and many sets of intertwined train tracks is the perfect place to write pieces that go places. The Union Depot has undergone a massive renovation that culminated in the opening of the new light rail line connecting St. Paul and Minneapolis (also another good writing location). A variety of modern art installations have been set up in the main waiting room for passengers and visitors to enjoy, contrasting nicely with the 1920’s elegance of the structure itself. Even though trains and buses depart from here to Duluth and Chicago, the Union Depot is indeed a writer’s destination in itself.
If you enjoy watching viral videos of people doing questionably intelligent things, then you may be familiar with Minnehaha Falls because of professional kayaker Hunt Jennings’ attempt to go over the Falls during a major flood season. (The landing was the hard part.) Daredevils aside, it’s very busy on the weekends because of the surrounding park and miles of trails through the woods past the base of the falls. In the summertime, going to the Sea Salt Eatery for fish tacos is a pilgrimage for Twin Cities foodies – the food is delicious, and the hum of conversation and gentle roar of the Falls is a wonderful soundtrack for writing.
This is a hidden gem, tucked into the St. Paul skyway system. Furnished brightly with lots of old photographs and knickknacks, the coffee shop stands in stark contrast to the formal businesses surrounding it. The window-seat that overlooks the road below also provides a vantage point to an interesting corner of the city’ s creative architecture. It’s the perfect place to watch the world while feeling like I’ve curled up on a window-seat in my living room. They also have the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted – which, considering my love of chocolate, is saying something.
Now that I have shared some of my favorite places, please comment below with your favorite corners of your city or town! Where do you feel inspired to write, and what do you write there?
[ Image used under a Creative Commons License. Credit to Patti Deters. ]
Meet the blogger:
Sophia Myerly is a third-year student double majoring in Creative Writing and Psychology. Her genre of choice is creative non-fiction. When she is not writing, she can be found collecting inspiration from art galleries or long walks in nature.
The Kensington Runestone
We’re not the only Runestone in Minnesota. Maybe.
The other is one hundred fifty miles up I-94 from where we sit, deep in new snowfall and the slush pile for our first issue. A museum holds what some people argue is the oldest runestone in North America, proof that Scandinavian explorers had made it to central Minnesota by the mid-fourteenth century.
The Kensington Runestone is over two feet long and six inches thick. It’s greywacke, a hard, dark, and gritty kind of sandstone. It was found in 1898 by a Swedish immigrant who was clearing his land of trees. The stone was found tangled in the root system of a poplar.
Its face and side are covered with runic writing that translates as:
Eight Goths and 22 Northmen on an exploration journey from Vinland far to the west. We had a camp by two rocky islands one day’s journey north from this stone. We were fishing one day. After we came home, found 10 men red from blood and dead. Ave Maria save from evil.
(side of stone) There are ten men by the inland sea to look after our ships fourteen days journey from this island. Year 1362
Is it real? Some scholars say no. Ridiculous, they say, that anyone could have traveled from Vinland on the Atlantic coast to western Minnesota in two weeks. While the alphabet on the stone itself is ancient, some scholars say the grammar the author used to write the inscription was more contemporary. But plenty of others champion the stone as authentic, including scholars with recent books.
In 1948, the Smithsonian displayed the Kensington Runestone, when its curators decided that it was important to the American people whether it was real or not. Which reminds me a bit of when Tim O’Brien says, in The Things They Carried, “A lie, sometimes, can be truer than the truth.” Maybe the fact that so many want to believe the stone is real — maybe that’s enough.
Certain things simply are. Other times, truth really isn’t the point. At those times, I’m more interested in what we need to believe and why, in all our vulnerabilities and contradictions. If the stone is fake, then why do we need it to be real? Why do we need that story? Why do we need to think about who its finder Olof Ohman might have really been (he was also a stonemason, for whatever that’s worth)?
The narrator in Ron Carlson’s story “Bigfoot Stole My Wife” says something similar: that he believes in everything. It’s clear, though, as the story unfolds, that he can’t admit to himself that his wife has left him because he can’t get his gambling problem under control. Before Carlson closes the story with “Bigfoot stole my wife. She’s gone. Believe it. I gotta believe it,” he gives us this lyrical paragraph, in striking contrast to the flat tone the narrator has affected through the story.
“I’m here to tell you. Believe it. Everything. Everything you read. Everything you hear. Believe your eyes. Your ears. Believe the small hairs on the back of your neck. Believe all of history, and all of the versions of history, and all the predictions for the future. Believe every weather forecast. Believe in God, the afterlife, unicorns, showers on Tuesday. Everything has happened. Everything is possible.”
I’m going to close with that. But regarding the Kensington Runestone — believe whatever you want.
