Legacy Letters, Phase I
Legacy Letters tell surprising stories that capture our myriad connections to the people and places of Minnesota. “My grandfather and I drive down Snelling Avenue in Minneapolis. He brings his childhood, his past, my roots to life,” says Laura Jean in her essay, in which she cradles an antique pocket watch once carried by her grandfather. Patrick Moore finds symbolism in the places he’s called home; he grew up on Fort Snelling, his wife is from North Mankato and now he lives in Montevideo. “The Minnesota River is the continuum that flows through my life,” he concludes in his Legacy Letter.
Legacy Letters are one-minute video essays in which individuals from around the state have shared what they treasure most about the state in their tightly crafted pieces that are under 200 words long. Our producer, Twin Cities Public Television (tpt), has supplemented the taped interviews with additional footage, still photographs and musical soundtracks to suit the content of each Legacy Letter.
Reactions to the Legacy Letters have been overwhelmingly positive. One such comment comes from Minneapolis resident and 1000 Friends of Minnesota member Jeanne Landkamer, who writes, “Every time I see one of the Legacy Letters I am moved to tears. They are really beautiful; you folks came up with a gem of an idea.”
In 1000 Friends of Minnesota’s 11-year history as an organization, we have coordinated several artistic elegies to the state: Voices for the Land, a collection of essays by Minnesota writers, including Bill Holm, and gorgeous black and white photographs by Brian Peterson; a series of followup chapbooks called Voices for the Land and Voices for the City; and our latest project, Legacy Letters.
Tributes to Minnesota’s treasures
To date the Legacy Letters project has generated 22 tributes to the expected and surprising treasures of Minnesota: Lake Superior, the Eloise Butler Garden, the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, the state’s tradition of racial justice, our commitment to quality education for all, the compassion of our citizens. Participants range from Arctic explorer Will Steger, who talks about Minnesotans’ can-do spirit in the face of climate change, to 11-year old Caledonia Wilson, who treasures the Guthrie Theater and the vibrant theater scene in Minneapolis.
Choral conductor and recent Minnesota transplant Eugene Rogers tells us that “Only in Minnesota could one find a standing-room only choral concert on a Saturday night. I have found the expression that football is to Texas what choral music is to Minnesota to be true.” Bloomington resident Larry Granger rhapsodizes on the loss of a spectacular elm tree that was so grand Johnson Street was built around it. “Our tree survived the Bloomington housing boom and even having water and sewer pipes placed under it,” he recalls, “but could not survive Dutch Elm Disease in 1979.”
These little gems pique our interest in the unique and poignant stories that are always unfolding all around us, waiting to be captured by a thoughtful writer and cast in a new light.
All 22 completed Legacy Letters have been airing on the Minnesota Channel since early 2009. They air as interstitials, appearing in between regular programming, usually at almost half past the hour and just before the top of the hour. The spots are intentionally randomized in the programming. All of the completed Legacy Letters are also available on the 1000 Friends of Minnesota YouTube channel. An additional set of Legacy Letters will be taped and produced for inclusion in the series later in 2010/2011 with new support through a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grant.
Unusual programming format
The interstitial format for Legacy Letters is a bit of an experiment for tpt and their Minnesota Co-Productions, who forge partnerships with a variety of Minnesota nonprofits to create new content for the tpt stations. A more typical format is for a nonprofit to approach tpt to create a half-hour or hour-long documentary on a subject relating to the expertise of the nonprofit. In past years 1000 Friends of Minnesota has co-sponsored more traditional television programming, such as a land-use documentary Houses in the Field, a series of interviews with the 2006 gubernatorial candidates, and a half-hour program featuring a few of the Voices for the Land essayists. But the Legacy Letters concept lent itself to a very brief format, providing the opportunity to air our odes to Minnesota frequently, leading to surprising juxtapositions as they can appear adjacent to almost any of the MN Channel’s programming, and air at any hour, day or night.
As tpt transitions to digital television and launches new stations – including TPTLife and the MN Channel – there is opportunity for new content and new formats. Executive Vice President Bill Hanley is intrigued by the potential for original interstitial programming being pioneered by tpt and 1000 Friends of Minnesota. “Legacy Letters is a terrific example of using brief, personal messages to support perspectives that don’t often find their way into formal, full-length programs,” he says. “It also demonstrates two non-profits pooling their resources to pursue their shared goals, and in the course reaching many tens of thousands of Minnesotans.”
The MN Channel is the first truly statewide television station, heralding new opportunities for outreach, of great interest to nonprofits. Says Jeff Heegaard, executive director of 1000 Friends of Minnesota, “As a statewide organization, we are delighted to be able to share tributes to Minnesota’s treasures with everyone from Ada to Zumbrota through Legacy Letters.”
Legacy Letters Phase I are made possible by support from the Opus Philanthropy Group and the Otto Bremer Foundation.
Legacy Letters win an Emmy
Twin Cities Public Television nominated Legacy Letters for the Public Service Announcement (PSA) Campaign category, and the project won an Upper Midwest Emmy award Saturday, September 26, 2009. More about the Emmy.
