Steve Coogan is considered a comedic genius in his British homeland. His specialty is deadpan performances which shred the conventions of television, movies and drama. His latest film, "Hamlet 2," opens this weekend. (08/22/2008)

New York Times reporter David Carr thought his life might make a good book. So he wrote about the time of his life that was filled with drug use, parenting mishaps and close encounters with oblivion. It's a junkie memoir, but one that Carr says was reported, not invented. (Midmorning, 08/15/2008)

It's opening weekend for "Little House on the Prairie - the musical" at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. The show broke box office sales records for the Guthrie and its run has already been extended by two weeks. There's also talk about the show being Broadway-bound. But the Little House creative team wants to take it slow. (08/14/2008)

William Carlos Williams is one of the most celebrated American poets of the 20th century, yet he toiled in obscurity for much of his life. Midmorning examines the life and the work of the man who delivered babies by day, and wrote poetry by night. (Midmorning, 08/14/2008)

Political ambition and class identity drive the plot of a new novel by Ethan Canin. The Iowa Writer's Workshop instructor takes his inspiration from the Kennedy family, in particular Ted Kennedy. (Midmorning, 07/29/2008)

Ask St. Paul writer Daniel Gabriel where he got the inspiration for his collection of stories about a pub in Wales, and he'll tell you he lived the life. (07/17/2008)

Lin Enger's new novel, "Undiscovered Country," explores the effect of a northern Minnesota man's apparent suicide on his family. The story is a reworking of the themes in "Hamlet." (07/14/2008)

A new film adaptation of Monica Ali's best-selling novel, "Brick Lane," opens in the Twin Cities this weekend. It's the story of two Bangladeshi sisters separated by an arranged marriage. (07/09/2008)

A new movie, "Gonzo: The Life and Times of Dr Hunter S. Thompson," opens across the country today. It examines the rise and fall of one of the great counter-cultural writers of the 60s and 70s. (07/04/2008)

Making a feature film is never easy. But imagine if you were deaf, legally blind, and unable to talk. (06/27/2008)

Though critics initially panned John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany," his fans made the novel a bestseller. It remains at the top of many readers' personal favorite lists today. "Owen Meany" was recommended as a Midmorning Book Club pick by some of our listeners. (Midmorning, 06/27/2008)

N.M. Kelby writes mysteries set in small Florida towns. She spent 20 years living in Minnesota before that, though, and says some of the stranger parts of the stories have Minnesota roots. (06/24/2008)

In Jonathan Miles new book, a complaint letter becomes a 160 page novel that explores the ideas of fate, fatherhood and being trapped in an airport after a cancelled flight (06/20/2008)

In a recent Twin Cities appearance, bestselling author David Sedaris read from his new book, "When You Are Engulfed in Flames." Midday broadcasts part of his reading, as well as his interview with Minnesota Public Radio reporter Nikki Tundel. (Midday, 06/18/2008)

David Wroblewski's book "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" has been drawing rave reviews. While it grew out of his desire to write about the special bonds between dogs and humans, an important part of the story is that the title character, Edgar, cannot speak. (06/16/2008)