The Twin Cities

by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Twin Cities, Carol Brink's spirited account of life in Minneapolis and St. Paul, is a delightful addition to the Cities of America Series. The basic aim of the series - to demonstrate the unparalleled variety and richness of the American heritage - is admirably exemplified in this volume. Carol Brink, a long-time resident of the Twin Cities, affectionately outlines the myriad influences which determine their unique character. She begins with an evocative description of their setting - in gentle, lake studded terrain which the cruel northern winter transforms into a scene of frozen beauty. She sketches briefly the history of the area - early explorations, the establishment of Fort Snelling in 1820, the influx of Scandinavian settlers in Minneapolis and Catholic pioneers in St. Paul, the lusty growth of the lumber, flour-milling, and railroad industries. We are reminded that American history is studded with names from the Twin Cities, from the great Robber Baron of the railroads, James J. Hill, to leading literary figures like Sinclair Lewis and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The remainder of the book is devoted to the Twin Cities of today. Music, the arts, medicine, sports, education, business, civic development, even Indian problems - all described in detail. We read of gay carnivals and national festivals typical of the Cities' friendly atmosphere; of progressive medical centers, among the first to accept Sister Kenny's revolutionary methods for treating polio; of the University of Minnesota and its influence on Twin Cities cultural life; of the opportunities for enjoyment provided by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, the outstanding collection in the Walker Gallery of art, and the lively local theater groups. But Mrs. Brink believes that places are nothing without the people in them, and her greatest accomplishment is her portrayal of the individual flavor and rhythm of daily life in America's Northern Paradise.

Genres: Poetry

197 pages, Unknown Binding

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Born Caroline Ryrie, American author of over 30 juvenile and adult books. Her novel Caddie Woodlawn won the 1936 Newbery Medal.

Brink was orphaned by age 8 and raised by her maternal grandmother, the model for Caddie Woodlawn. She started writing for her school newspapers and continued that in college. She attended the University of Idaho for three years before transferring to the University of California in 1917, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1918, the same year she married.

Anything Can Happen on the River, Brink's first novel, was published in 1934. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Idaho in 1965. Brink Hall, which houses the UI English Department and faculty offices, is named in her honor. The children's section of the Moscow, ID Carnegie public library is also named after her.

Reviews

[C. Varn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of poetry that is almost decadent with doubles and binaries, Muske-Dukes work can be playful and yet a bit doir. Muske-Duske poetry here also does quite a bit with the the landscape, starting with the titular Twin Cities and moving all over the U.S. The book is divided into five sections, while all thematically similar, the last section does have such a profound shift in narrative voice that it is jarring to me as a reader even though I do enjoy the poems. While not the best collection I have read, Muske-Dukes star is rising legitimately and many of these poems are excellent, contributing to that rise.

[Michele Rubinstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

The word choice is beautiful, but there is little that resonates when collectively strung together

[Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another collection of poetry read this April for National Poetry Month, Carol Muske Dukes' poems in "Twin Cities" explore some very heady imagery and feeling; beginning with Minneapolis and St. Paul, crossing the country to and from each coast, and across the world, Dukes explores the dichotomy of doubles, of mirrors; everything has two sides. These poems feel to me to be very full of emotion and scene, drawing us in with some really beautiful language, as the poet takes us to many different times and places; aspects that really attract me to the medium of poetry.

As she writes in the first line of "Twin Cities II,"

"I come from Twin Cities, where
the river, between, surging, stands"

where we come from and where we are going, both sides of the river, and the many other parallels of life are reflected throughout Carol Muske Dukes' collection.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

All sorts of twins--Beauty and Peace, Art and Death--face off in this poppy, kinetic, sometimes paranoid variorum of a book. Tied metaphorically to its midwestern namesake, this collection embraces the personal and the public, traveling from New York to Iowa City to Tuscany to L.A. From found poems to sestinas to elegies for the poet's late husband (the actor David Dukes) to meditations on anomalies of widowhood, Twin Cities is a hymn to a distinctly contemporary brand of fragmentation. The double stands for two, and two stands for all. From the vantage point of middle-age, the speaker's view embraces both what was and what could have been, as if all meanings are true and run simultaneously.

[Nicole Sanglay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several articulations of several points of divergence within a person, between two persons, and among persons in one compilation.

"Then the sudden
Twin—how she stepped out of me, took everything—

Then flung it back, whole, doubled, each time she turned
& turned, absorbed in breath, her task of never looking back."

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dreary. I am beginning to consider a personal moratorium on books of poetry written by state poet laureates, as I find that these authors leave me seriously disenchanted with the state of contemporary poetry as a whole.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't find the first chapter very engaging however by the middle I was hooked and a lot of the poems stirred up wonder and empathy. I was very moved by a few and appreciated the simple language and diving into sorrow that didn't feel embellished.

[Reagan Hope ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved how each poem told a story and were so formal, yet personable.

[Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

felt pretty lukewarm about this until the last collection. dont know if I was just in the right mindset, but the last section just hit different.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to say exactly what I feel about this collection. It is divided into five sections and I found myself with very different reactions to these sections. Two, I loved (the second and last sections), one I liked a good bit (the first), and two that I felt were just not as strong as the others (third and fourth sections). In fact, the "Suttee Goddess" section, written as it is with a very different narrative voice from the others, simply didn't feel like it belonged in the collection at all to me.

Some fabulous poems such as New York, Condolence Note: Los Angeles, Scout, and The Grief Game kept me coming back for more... Heartfelt, powerful symphonies of language. I simply wish more of the book were like those pieces.

Anxious to read more from this poet from the promise of this book, though.

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think many of Muske-Dukes' poems are simply not to my taste, but one cannot deny she is a dazzling wordsmith. For a collection I didn't feel too strongly about, there are four or five poems I will never forget and one poem, "Scout," which is now one of my favorite poems ever written.

[Brendan]

Five sections: The Invention of Your Face, Acceleration, Pierce County, Suttee Goddess, and Scout. The four poems I noted are all in the latter section.

Favorites:
"Scout" - a dog
"Stand-Up Delusions"