READ
1. Parents in August ponder who would be the best teacher for their child in the upcoming school year. Many of them imagine some form of Frank McCourt. Although famous for his memoir Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt’s lifelong career was as a New York City public school teacher, which he wrote about in the second volume of his memoirs, Teacher Man. When McCourt passed away in 2009, The New York Times received so many laudatory and touching emails from his former students that they printed several of them for all to read. Teaching, like parenting, takes a great deal of effort and restraint, creativity and discipline; readers will find all of this in Teacher Man.
2. Think about kindergarten, the school play, that trip to Valley Fair, the senior prom—all the events that August brings to mind as the end of the month ushers in a new school year. What if there was a time machine where a person could have a second chance at first grade reading groups, cheerleading tryouts or the homecoming dance? Robin Hemley attempted just such an experiment and then wrote Do-Over!: In Which a Forty-Eight-Year-Old Father of Three Returns to Kindergarten, Summer Camp, the Prom and Other Embarrassments. Hemley revisits the scenes of his youthful fiascoes and confronts them head on with both humor and thought-provoking writing.
-Maureen Millea Smith is a librarian at Edina Library and a Minnesota Book Award-winning novelist.
--Available at Edina Library, 5280 Grandview Sq.; 612.543.6325
DRINK
Oh how we love these hot August nights! This time of year has me feeling kind of cozy, as the hot sun warms those last gorgeous days of summer. With grill smoke and campfire crackle in the air, I think of one particular wine that encapsulates these end-of-summer days: the Chappellet Mountain Cuvée ($28). From a family-owned northern Napa Valley winery, the Mountain Cuvée is a blend of cabernet, cabernet franc, merlot, petite verdot and malbec that’s soft and oozy like the taste of a hot campfire s’more, yet intricately layered with dark, mountain berry fruit and smoke.
-Leslee Miller is a certified sommelier, owner of Twin Cities-based wine consulting firm Amusée, and everyone’s favorite “go to” wine gal.
--Available at all Edina Liquor locations, edinaliquor.com; and France 44, 4351 France Ave. S.; 612.925.3252
LISTEN
Rock and roll icon Stevie Nicks releases her best work in many years with her new album In Your Dreams. This collection of songs reminds you of the era that made her famous, yet it doesn’t sound dated. Strong and crisp, her voice is as identifiable as ever. The production sounds modern with ambient synths, but the guitars keep it rocking. Standout tracks include the singles “Secret Love,” “Everybody Loves You” and “Annabel Lee.” Local musician Ricky Peterson (who happens to be my brother) appears on this record and on her new tour.
-Paul Peterson is an award-winning local musician producer and composer.
--Available at Best Buy, 3200 Southdale Cr.; 952.925.4425
