Essays

Clusters of nodding, bell-shaped flowers in shades of soft blue and lavender hang beneath broad green leaves. Some buds remain pinkish, showing the transition from bud to bloom.

Photo Essay | Spring Wildflowers Along the Root River Trail

An older woman with short white hair stands in a cozy, well-used workshop or kitchen space, speaking with her hands slightly raised as if explaining something. She wears a light gray quilted jacket over a blue top. Behind her, shelves are filled with containers, tools and supplies, giving the space a creative, hands-on feel. Soft light comes from a window on the right.

Essay | Handmade Crafts Shape Artists and Build Community

A bearded man wearing a dark baseball cap and a brown button-up shirt stands at a worktable in an art studio. He carefully rolls a large sheet of white paper over a round cross section of a large tree trunk. The workspace is filled with colorful artwork, including a bright poster of a baseball player on the wall behind him. The lighting is warm, and the table shows paint marks and signs of frequent creative use.

Essay | How Craft Builds Connections from the Past Into the Future

A small red and white child’s bicycle lies on its side in patchy melting snow on a wooden porch. A thin layer of fresh snow coats the bike’s frame, seat, and tires. Behind it, a red tricycle and a larger red bicycle lean near the house’s light-colored exterior wall and a dark-framed door. The ground shows a mix of ice, slush, and exposed wood, suggesting a late winter thaw.

Essay | Fool’s Spring

Inside a room filled with framed sports memorabilia, an older man wearing glasses and a maroon baseball cap sits facing the camera while holding a framed certificate and a small glass award. The certificate reads “Heritage Award.” A woman with shoulder-length wavy blond hair stands beside him, leaning in and smiling toward the camera with one hand resting near his shoulder. Behind them are framed photos, vintage signs, and a window, creating a warm, personal setting that reflects community history and recognition.

Essay | Preserving the Past, Honoring the Present

A stone statue of a woman stands at the center of a circular fountain, with water spraying outward from sculpted fish at the base. The statue is surrounded by trees with bright yellow and orange autumn leaves. Benches and a lawn are visible in the background, and sunlight illuminates the park setting.

Essay | The Death of a Beautiful Woman: Unpacking the Legends of Winona

A sound meditation facilitator sits cross-legged on a patterned rug, holding a frame drum and mallet, surrounded by crystal singing bowls, metal bowls, gongs, and softly lit candles in a calm indoor setting.

Essay | Sound Bath Healing: Relaxation Through Vibration and Stillness

Exterior of the St. Mane Theatre with a vintage marquee on a small-town main street, brick facade, bench and sidewalk in daylight.

Essay | Lanesboro’s State Theatre, From Silent Films to Center Stage

RRA title photo

Essay | The Root River Anthology: Five Years Later

Young man wearing glasses and a white sweater with an American flag sits beside a lit Christmas tree indoors, looking to the side with a calm reflective expression.

Essay | Buon Natale! Christmas in Italy: Traditions, Food and Family

Six Canada geese glide across a calm river lined with autumn trees, their orange and gold foliage mirrored in the still water.

Essay | Summer, Spring, Winter and Fall, Water Calls to Us

A young girl wearing sunglasses, a pink hoodie, gloves, and colorful boots tosses a piece of firewood into a blue wood cart outdoors. She stands on a large pile of split logs next to evergreen trees, with bright sun shining behind her and a red barn in the background.

Essay | Putting Up Firewood: A Family Affair

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