A rts & Culture Titles from St. Paul authors to add to your reading list
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Tim Spitzack Editor
T
wo newly published books from talented St. Paul authors landed on my desk recently, and both are worthy to share. Those interested in powerful personal stories written with wit, humor and compassion will be delighted to crack open the covers of these gems and jump inside.
“First Book of John,” by John Eckman Ahlstrom You might recognize Ahlstrom’s name as our intrepid sports reporter, who for the past decade has celebrated the accomplishments of local prep athletes. What you might not know is that he is a gifted storyteller. This self-described “aging Baby Boomer” shares memorable events of his life in a humble, graceful manner that lets the reader know how lucky Ahlstrom feels to be a witness to history and the everyday events of life. Ahlstrom, who has a bachelor’s degree in history from
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Gustavus Adolphus College, moved to the West Side in 1974, and many tales from his four decades in St. Paul are covered in this edition. His love of history shines through in the book, which is far more than memoir. You’ll learn of the heartbreaking tragedy his greatgreat-grandparents endured while trying to make their way across the Atlantic from their native Sweden to carve out a life in the United States. You’ll hear of his grade school romance with Ann Martell, who dumped him and years later married 1970s pop icon John Denver. Their friendship remained intact and led to Ahlstrom’s personal relationship with Denver. At Ann’s urging, he suggested to Denver that he consider giving up on his fledgling singing career and return to college to provide a more stable future for his wife. Ahlstrom served as an intelligence officer with the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Saigon and wrote many letters home during that period. Thankfully, his parents saved them all. Excerpts of those included in the book shed light on one man’s experience during one of the most turbulent eras in our nation’s history. For a short time, Ahlstrom, who as a child aspired to become president of the United States, owned the Harp Bar on Western
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Avenue, near the Cathedral of St. Paul. There he met a colorful cast of St. Paul originals that far outshine, at least for him, the zany crew that bellied up to that fictious bar in Boston on the sitcom “Cheers.” He shares their antics here. Ahlstrom pays tribute to one of his political heroes, Hubert H. Humphrey, and describes the thrill of meeting the vice president in his Washington D.C. office. He also describes the utter joy of becoming a first-time father, at age 44, and offers space in the book for the insightful and inspiring writings of his father, who “had read nearly every important book written in the English language” but never wrote a book himself. Many more tales abound. To discover them, order a copy by emailing john@stpaulpublishing. com. Cost is $20.
“Singing All the Verses: Essays from a Mid-American,” by Peg Guilfoyle Guilfoyle loves theater, horses and sacred music, for which she believes one should sing all the verses. The reason, she writes, is that “music itself gathers power as it continues and extends.” Cutting out verses, she adds, causes one to miss the full “beauty and power” of the song. Exploring beauty is the prevalent theme of the 25 essays in her latest book. Using poetic language and
thoughtful prose, Guilfoyle reveals the broad landscape of her heart and welcomes the reader into her world. You’ll see her seated at her vintage piano in her downtown St. Paul apartment pounding out an old opera score, as a way to navigate the pandemic. “Good thing my husband is not at home when I play this,” she writes. “Good thing the apartment building has concrete walls.” She is an andante player, “which means a tempo that has something to do with walking, which I think of as related to rhythmic ease and steadiness and grace. It does not mean hurry,” she writes. Her andante pace carries through to other areas of her life, allowing her to observe the world around. “The premise of the book is that every life is full of moments that are magical, resonant, and full of joy,” she said when introducing the book to me. “It is wideranging and full of humor.” Guilfoyle’s own journey has introduced her to many
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ried couple owns Cedar Pet Clinic in Lake Elmo. They live in Kellogg Square in downtown St. Paul, where she serves on the Skyway Governance Advisory Committee for the CapitolRiver Council, the Lowertown Future Fund Advisory Board, and the Friends of the University Libraries Board. Guilfoyle also owns her own publishing company that specializes in regional histories of organizations, including YMCA’s Camp du Nord, Northern Star Boy Scout Council, Gustavus Adolphus College and others. Of all her writings, she said her newest title is the one that is most dear to her heart. “Singing All the Verses” is available at www.pegguilfoyle.com, at SubText Bookseller downtown, and on Amazon. Cost is $19.95. She also is available for Zoom meetings with book groups. Contact her at 651271-5904 or pegguilfoyle@ gmail.com.
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worlds and vast experiences. She spent 10 years as a production manager at the Guthrie Theatre, was the producing director for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, and has lent her talents to many other theaters, including the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. She managed the Poets in the Schools program for COMPAS (Community Programs in the Arts and Sciences) in St. Paul and has long been an active volunteer devoted to improving life in her community. In the book, Guilfoyle takes us backstage at the old Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and shares stories of how her love of theater shaped her life, offering a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in the artistic world. Guilfoyle is also the author of “The Guthrie Theater: Images, History and Inside Stories,” for which she won the Midwest Book Award. In “Singing All the Verses,” you’ll also see Guilfoyle seated atop a Tennessee Walker that became entangled in a submerged log in the middle of stream. The man who rescued her and the horse eventually proposed. Today, the now mar-
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