What happens when a top public radio reporter, the region’s premier outdoors writer, and a journalist-turned-chicken-farmer-turned-author gather to talk about storytelling? Find out on Thursday, February 25, when Sam Cook, Dan Kraker and Lucie Amundsen join moderator Karen Sunderman of WDSE for a One River, Many Stories conversation about storytelling across platforms, with words, sound and images.

Dan Kraker

Dan Kraker of MPR has been crafting award-wining stories about the economy and environment of Duluth and Northeastern Minnesota since 2011. Among the stories he’s covered in 2016 are Iron range layoffs, Lake Superior’s herring harvest, Duluth’s winter ship repair season, the chaga boom in northern Minnesota, and extensive reporting on the proposed PolyMet mine.  Kraker’s awards include two national Edward R. Murrow awards for coverage of Native American issues, and an AAAS Science Journalism award he just received for coverage of climate change.

Lucie Amundsen

Lucie Amundsen is a writer, marketer and reluctant farmer. She and her husband co-own Locally Laid Egg Company, a farm that provides pasture-raised eggs in Northern Minnesota.  Amundsen’s storytelling skills cover a wide range: her resemblance to Lady Edith; an open letter to the man offended by her company’s name; a warm — but chilling — piece in the Portland Review;  and her recent essay for Perfect Duluth Day on why she left the Twin Cities to move to Duluth. A former contributor to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Amundsen has written for scores of publications in her decade-plus freelance career. Her new book, Locally Laid, about starting the farm and America’s broken food system, will be released March 1 from Penguin Books USA.

Sam Cook

Sam Cook has been writing for the Duluth News Tribune since 1980. In his words, he’s covered “fishing, hunting, camping, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, northern-lights-watching, dogsledding, sea kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, ATV riding, woodcock-mating-flight-observing, hawk migration and other outdoor pursuits of people in the North Country.” His blog highlights a wide array of his writing and photography, including a recent trip to Africa. Cook’s awards are numerous, including several from the Associated Press, Minnesota Newspaper Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists. True to his commitment to storytelling across platforms, Cook this week posted a video report Snowshoeing Sucker River on a 14-below day.

Karen Sunderman

Moderator Karen Sunderman is the award-winning writer, producer and host of WDSE’s The PlayList, a weekly arts and entertainment broadcast featuring artists, arts opportunities and music in Northeastern Minnesota. For 22 years, she has written and produced documentary features on regional issues. Sunderman created, produced and hosted Venture North for WDSE-TV, a magazine-style human interest broadcast in 20+ markets in the Upper Midwest. Her most recent documentary, about the SS_America, a beloved 1900s North Shore steamship, airs on WDSE on March 14.

On Thursday, February 25 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM  Storytelling Across Platforms

Moderator Karen Sunderman in conversation with Dan Kraker, Sam Cook and Lucie Amundsen as they share their secrets on telling stories, be it in words, with sound, or through images. Q&A follows, with Lake Superior Brewing and other beverages, and snacks, available.

Location: EcoLibrium3 in Duluth’s Lincoln Park
2304 West Superior Street
Duluth, Minnesota 55806

“One River, Many Stories” is a journalism, media and storytelling project and resource hub for journalists, educators, and citizens to foster deeper conversations about our community. This University of Minnesota Duluth Journalism program project is funded in part by the Knight Foundation Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.

St. Louis River, April 2016: See what happens when journalists and storytellers in one region turn their attention to one topic.

For more information, or to be added to our mailing list, please contact Project Coordinator Judy Budreau at onerivermanystories@gmail.com.