Seeking to Change the World

Most of us are plenty happy to clock in at 9 and clock out at 5, leaving our work at the office. But then there are these twelve Minnesotans who have big dreams—and a track record that proves that they can make real change.

For this story for Minnesota Monthly, I tracked down some of the best and the brightest that the state has to offer. From a scientist who’s helping people control computers with thought alone, to a social media pro who’s bringing the knowledge of the foremost medical experts to the rest of the planet, these revolutionaries are helping make the world a better place.

Read more here.

Loon-atics

Every year, Minnesota Monthly publishes its annual Loonies, in which it skewers most notable antics from Minnesota politicians, celebrities, and regular citizens. Usually I split duties with other writers, but this year I got to write the whole shebang. It’s one of the few times every year that I get to do work as a humor writer, and I relish it.

Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, and Kris Humphries were among the year’s obvious targets, but there are also stories about the exceptionally high cost of certain street signs in Bemidji and one of the most innovative robberies of all time.

Read it here.

Number Crunching

Despite the weather, Minnesotans think they live in the best place in the country. By the number of times you see them point to the state as among the healthiest, most livable, and most literate—well, you might start to think there’s something to the claim.

The fact is that there’s a lot to like about this state, but sometimes the numbers aren’t always in our favor. To see how we stack up on stats like commute time, Facebook usage, and poverty, check out the story I did for Minnesota Monthly with three other writers.

Read it here.

The Best of Summer

After the crummiest winter in recent memory, almost everyone’s ready for the mercury to top 70. We Minnesotans are great at making the most of our fleeting summer season, and in this cover story for Minnesota Monthly, I explored some of the best ways to make summer great. From star gazing to strawberry pie, there are an infinite number of ways to make the days between Memorial Day and Labor Day memorable.

Read more here.

I Feel You

Journalists were brought up on the 5 W’s and the H: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. They’re the questions that every news story is supposed to answer. But too often, there’s a component that’s missing from the equation: What did it feel like? For quirky profile stories, it often seems like that all-important question goes missing.

Until now, that is.

In this story for Minnesota Monthly, I talked to more than a dozen people about what it feels like to do the sorts of things that most of us will never try—whether it’s winning a lutefisk eating contest, finding the Winter Carnival Medallion, or leaping into a frozen lake in the middle of January. Their answers are surprising, riveting, and more often than not, insightful.

Read the full story here.

On The Ball

Back in high school, I got a gig with my local newspaper writing up short summaries of all varsity sports performances in a given week. I got paid next to nothing for the work, but I enjoyed talking with the athletes and the coaches, and I’d occasionally have a chance to shoehorn in the names of high school pals who played on those teams.

I don’t have the chance to write about sports much anymore, so when an editor from Minnesota Monthly called to ask if I was interested in writing a story about Lindsay Whalen, I couldn’t resist. Whalen was a basketball star for the University of Minnesota a few years back, and she’s gone on to make a name for herself in the WNBA.

Whalen has an irresistible story, and she’s one of the most delightful people I’ve had a chance to interview.

Read the full story here.

Name That Loon

When you write about money, having a sense of humor isn’t usually a qualification for the gig. Occasionally, though, I have the chance to tackle a story that’s outside of my primary area of expertise, and I do what I can to ham it up. So when Minnesota Monthly asked me to tackle a portion of their annual Uncommon Loon Awards story, I couldn’t resist. The yearly compendium of Minnesota-themed gaffes is simultaneously horrifying and awesome. Stories about guys who drive drunk in motorized La-Z-Boys kind of write themselves, but it doesn’t make them any less delightful.

Read the full story here.