Bobby Went-A Advocatin'

I wouldn't normally make a separate blog post to talk about writing I did elsewhere, but in this case I am making an exception as the subject is very important to me. 

In the week following the Super Bowl, I had letters/editorials published by both the Star Tribune and MinnPost. Both touch on a similar subject, one was written in the spur of the moment after experiencing the most ridiculous, most Minnesotan concert series I've ever attended - the free outdoor Super Bowl Live concert series curated by Minneapolis Sound architects Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis - held in the middle of Downtown Minneapolis, while the other has been on my mind for over a year, and just now finally put in to words.

The Star Tribune Letter, published on February 6, focuses on the lack of large scale music festivals in the Twin Cities and Minneapolis in particular. I wrote this letter a few hours before the big game, after spending several nights out at the Super Bowl Live concerts the week before.

The MinnPost Editorial, published on February 8, does touch on the Super Bowl Live concerts, to make the piece more timely, but don't let the headline fool you. The main focus of the piece is the complete lack of arts funding from the City of Minneapolis, especially in comparison to our neighbors in the Midwest. I spent a long time thinking about, researching for, and writing and re-writing this piece, and it is something that I am going to be advocating for for the foreseeable future.

Have some thoughts you'd like to share on either one? Send me an e-mail or leave a comment and I'd love to discuss it with you!