We have researched many of our Park current and former residents who have authored books, composed or performed music, or directed or acted in movies. We have also included a selection of books that have been written that have some connection to St Louis Park, but not authored by a resident. We think you will find there is a diverse and deep catalog of work from our Park alumni! If you know of an author or artist we should be featuring please email us.
| St Louis Park Authors | |
| Rebecca and Keneth Bender | |
| Rebecca Bender grew up and lived in St. Louis Park for over 55 years, having gone to school in Fern hill, Central Junior High, and SLP High School where she was a St. Louis Park Parkette Vikings Cheerleader and concertmistress of the SLP High School Orchestra. Her father, Kenneth and his wife lived in SLP for over 50 years. They co-authored a book, released in March 2019, titled “Still”. It is a non-fiction biography/memoir about 5 generations of a Jewish family and published by North Dakota State University (NDSU) Press. It was awarded the 2019 Independent Press Award (Judaism category). | |
| Jim Evavold | |
| Jim is a St. Louis Park resident, and published his debut novel in 2015. “Exodus to Earth” follows the journey of Starion, the leader of one such distant planet, on his journey to Earth. With his planet falling into crisis as it orbits closer and closer to its sun, Starion makes a desperate voyage to Earth to find a source of energy to fuel his people’s evacuation. | |
| Marshall Fine | |
| Noted film critic and author of three film biographies. His family moved to St. Louis Park from Richfield when he was 13, to the relatively new development, Westwood Hills. A 1968 graduate of St. Louis Park High, where he worked on the Echo for two years, he began writing reviews of rock concerts and albums for the Minneapolis Star in 1969, while a freshman at the University of Minnesota. | |
| Lucy Rose Fischer | |
| Award-winning Minnesota artist, author, and researcher who has lived in St. Louis Park’s Lake Forest neighborhood since 1975. Her most recent book, I’m New at Being Old, is a colorful picture book about the experience of aging. | |
| Katie Foss | |
| Katie Foss, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Journalism & Strategic Media at Middle Tennessee State University. She is the author of over two dozen publications, including books, journal articles, editorials, and reviews. She served as the editor of The Echo and graduated from SLP High in 1998. | |
| Al Franken | |
| Comedian, political commentator, author, and U.S. Senator, Franken is one of St. Louis Park’s most visible and accomplished former residents. He has written seven books, recorded several of his radio programs, wrote and acted in Saturday Night Live from 1975 – 1995, and acted in five movies. | |
| Thomas Friedman | |
| Well known author and columnist for the New York Times on global politics. He is a 1971 graduate of St. Louis Park High School, and in an article that he wrote for the New York Times, he said his St. Louis Park High School journalism teacher Hattie Steinberg, (who also supervised the publication of the school Echo) had made a very important difference in his life. He took her journalism course in 1969 and never needed or taken another journalism course. | |
| Peter Georgas | |
| Peter graduated from SLP high School in 1947, and many would know his father who owned Lilac Way Candies. Peter earned a BA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. After graduating, he went on active duty for two years as an enlisted man aboard a destroyer, the Floyd B. Parks. His experiences during the Korean War served as inspiration for his first published book. Following a decade in advertising, he joined the staff of Walker Art Center in Minneapolis as the museum’s first full time publicist. Later, along with his family, he moved to Austria, where he was Director of the Salzburg Seminar. | |
| Bob Griggs | |
| In 2014, Bob Griggs was an interim pastor at Union Congregational Church in St. Louis Park and published a book about using bible readings from Psalms to discuss depression and provide hope for recovery. | |
| Pete Hautman | |
| Pete Hautman grew up in St Louis Park and is a successful writer of over 30 books in several genres of fiction including Young Adult and Mysteries. | |
| Hayim Herring | |
| Hayim Herring is a St Louis Park Rabbi who has written about Rabbinical education. | |
| Greg Howard | |
| Cartoonist raised in St Louis Park, created “Sally Forth” in 1982 and wrote and drew the strip for nearly 10 years until professional cartoonist, Craig Macintosh began drawing. Howard continued writing the strip until 1999, when he decided to pursue other creative interests. | |
| Katheryn Strand Koutsky | |
| Longtime SLP resident, Katheryn and her daughter Linda have authored several books about Minnesota dining. | |
| Mary Kuhfeld | |
| A prolific writer who has written under several pen names. Her earliest work (1992-1993) were mystery novels featuring detective Peter Brichter that she wrote under the name Mary Monica Pulver. With coauthor Gail Frazer, they wrote six historical fiction novels as Margaret Frazer (1992 – 1996). When she was asked by an editor to write a series (1999 – 2014) about a needleworking sleuth who lived in a small town, she picked the name Mary Monica Ferris and set the story in Excelsior Minnesota. Ferris was picked because of the Ferris wheel that was in the former Excelsior Amusement Park. At last count we found 28 books still in print that you might just want to check out! | |
| As Monica Ferris (1999 – Present) | |
| As Margaret Frazer (1993 – 1996) – Midieval Mysteries. These six were written in collaboration with Gail Frazer who continued the series on her own. | |
| As Mary Monica Pulver (1992 – 19936) – Mysteries featuring detective Peter Brichter | |
| Mary Lahammer | |
| Program host and political reporter for Twin Cities Public Television. She was born and raised in St Louis Park, even serving as Miss St Louis Park in 1992. Since joining tpt in 1998 she earned unparalleled access to the world famous Governor Ventura and followed him around the world to Japan, China and Cuba. She has won several Emmys and numerous other awards in several states for her anchoring, reporting, producing and photography. One of her specials is: “Minnesota At 150: Real and Imagined : What Minnesotas Need to Know for the Next 50 Years About: Arts and Culture” which was filmed on August 25, 2008. | |
| Lara Neel | |
| Lara Neel is a Park resident who has turned a hobby of knitting into being an authority on the craft. In 2014 she published her first instructional book, “Sock Architecture”. | |
| Norman J. Ornstein | |
| Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. He has written extensively on political affairs. He was born in Grand Rapids MN, but grew up in St. Louis Park. | |
| Martha Ostenso | |
| Wrote 25 novels, many short stories, and serials for magazines and newspapers. Born in Norway in 1900 she lived in St Louis Park in the 1940s. Her works were written between 1926 to 1965. | |
| Robert D. Ramsey | |
| Robert D. Ramsey is a lifelong educator who has served as a “leader of leaders” in three award-winning school districts in two different states. His frontline experience includes positions as teacher, counselor, assistant principal, curriculum director, assistant superintendent, acting superintendent, and adjunct professor. Most recently, he has served as associate superintendent in the St. Louis Park schools, where every school has been designated by the federal government as a National School of Excellence. Ramsey is now working full-time as a freelance writer in Minneapolis. | |
| Harry Reasoner | |
| An American journalist for ABC and CBS News, known for his inventive use of language as a television commentator, and as a founder of the 60 Minutes program. He and his family lived in St Louis Park for a few years in the ’50s. He wrote his autobiography in 1983 and a biography was written by Daniel Douglass in 2007 which is listed at the bottom of this page. | |
| Mark Rosen | |
| Well known local sports anchor who grew up in St Louis Park attending Lenox Elementary School, Westwood Jr. High, and St. Louis Park High School. In the spring of 2012 Mark authored his memoir, Best Seat in the House: Mark Rosen’s Sports Moments and Minnesota Memories, which recounts some of his experiences growing up in St. Louis Park and highlights of his 40 year career at WCCO. | |
| Richard Terrill | |
| Richard Terrill was featured in this Star Tribune article in September, 2022. | |
| Alan Weisman | |
| Alan Weisman is a world-renowned freelance journalist who has written extensively for national publications. He attended elementary school at both Park Hill and Fern Hill, and graduated from Park High in 1965. In 1999, he wrote a memoir/family history entitled an Echo in My Blood that addressed the Jewish migration to St. Louis Park and how it affected his family. | |
| Andrew Zimmern | |
| World renowned chef, writer and teacher of the culinary arts. His production company, Food Works Inc., has it’s offices in St Louis Park. | |
| St Louis Park Musicians | |
| Doug Haining | |
| Doug grew up in St Louis Park and developed his childhood love of music into a successful career. He has backed artists such as Steve Allen, Don Rickles, Bob Hope, and others. | |
| Peter Himmelman | |
| Peter Himmelman, grandson of Park legend Min Himmelman, is an accomplished musician, first recording with the band Sussman Lawrence. | |
| Sharon Isbin | |
| World-renowned classical guitarist who honed her craft by playing concerts for music classes in St. Louis Park schools. After graduating from Park High she studied at Yale. Since 1989 she has been the first and only chair of the Julliard guitar department in New York City. She is a prolific artist having published at least 36 recordings. | |
| Dan Israel | |
| Singer-songwriter from St. Louis Park who has made his mark on the music scene both locally and nationally. Dan grew up in Fern Hill, moved away for college and the beginning of his career but landed back in St Louis Park to continue his musical career and raise a family. He has recorded eleven albums and performs around the Twin Cities regularly. | |
| Betty Ann McCall | |
| Professional accordion player who grew up in St Louis Park. In the 1960s she backed Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians. While she did not record her own music, you can experience some of her music on some albums by Waring. | |
| Bobby Rivkin | |
| Born Robert Rivkin in 1956, Bobby Z played drums for Prince and the Revolution from 1978 to 1987. Also a successful producer and songwriter, Bobby has worked with influential artists such as Boy George, Aswad, Manhattan Transfer, Alexander O’Neal, Eric Leeds, Colin Hay (Men at Work), Jonny Lang, George Thorogood, Wendy and Lisa, Garrison Keillor and others. Bobby has been a National Trustee with The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammys) in 2000. In 2008, Bobby was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. | |
| Dan Wilson | |
| Grammy winning recording artist best known as the songwriter and front man for the rock band Semisonic, Dan grew up in St Louis Park. Since leaving the band he has worked on songwriting having written key works for acts like the Dixie Chicks and Adele. | |
| St Louis Park Actors and Directors | |
| Michael Blodgett | |
| Blodgett spent his early grade school years in St Louis Park and developed a career as a writer and actor, appearing in movies starting in 1967. | |
| Joel and Ethan Coen | |
| The Coen Brothers are prolific writers, directors and producers of many popular movies. They grew up in St Louis Park going to Cedar Manor Elementary and hung out after school at the soda fountain at Mike Zoss Drugs at the Texa-Tonka Shopping Center. Memories were so fond of the place that they named their production company Mike Zoss Productions. | |
| Works Related to St Louis Park | |
| The Rockwell Heist | |
| In 1978 seven Norman Rockwell paintings and a supposed Renoir, later discovered to be a forgery, were stolen from Elayne Galleries in St. Louis Park. It is still the biggest theft in Minnesota history, and no one was ever convicted for the crime. This is the story of the theft, the investigation, and the twenty-year quest to return the art to its rightful owners. | |
| Managing Change, Changing Medicine: Park Nicollet 75 Years | |
| Hare has captured the progress of an evolving group medical practice as it grew from eleven founders in 1951 to a multi specialty professional organization of 300- 400 physicians just before it merged with it’s main hospital to become a comprehensive delivery system in a very competitive Minnesota medical marketplace. Additional information about Park Nicollet is found on our website. | |
| Treehouses, Peter Nelson | |
| Tucker’s Tree House located at Minnetonka Blvd. and Ottawa Ave. is one of many treehouses featured in this book. | |
| Harry Reasoner: A Life in the News, Daniel Douglass | |
| Douglass K. Daniel’s book covers the entire sweep of this enigmatic journalist’s life and career. It opens with Reasoner’s Depression-era Midwestern upbringing and follows him through his early work in newspapers and radio before he joined CBS in 1956. Focusing on Reasoner’s thirty-five-year tenure in television news, Daniel presents fascinating, behind-the-scenes accounts of Reasoner’s key role in founding the top-rated newsmagazine “60 Minutes”. He also explores Reasoner’s highly publicized move to ABC in 1970. It is the only biography of the man once rated second in credibility only to Walter Cronkite. | |
| Will to Murder: The True Story Behind the Crimes and Trials Surrounding the Glensheen Killings; Gail Feichtinger | |
| On June 27, 1977, an intruder entered Glensheen, the stately Duluth manor built along the Lake Superior shore. Before leaving with a basketful of stolen jewelry, the intruder used a satin pillow to smother Elisabeth Congdon and Velma Pietila. The book brings readers behind the scenes of Minnesota’s most infamous double murder. Feichtinger then reaches beyond the Glensheen killings to follow Marjorie through her convictions for arson and presents new evidence that suggests that Marjorie may have gotten away with murder five times. There are some references to St Louis Park in the book. | |
| Holy Cow! the Life and Times of Halsey Hall; Stew Thornley | |
| Halsey Hall was a popular sports reporter, broadcaster, and public speaker in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for almost 60 years. more memorably, he was the first announcer to pepper his broadcasts with the signature expression, “Holy Cow.” We learn of a gregarious, active, common man and of Minnesota sports (Saints, Millers, Twins, Gophers). |