Twelve Branches

12 Branches back cover

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For six months, the writers—Nora Murphy, Josie Rawson, Julia Klatt Singer and Diego Vázquez—visited each of Saint Paul’s twelve library branches. Folks of all ages were invited to share stories in their library and their experiences in Saint Paul. By the end of the six months, nearly 500 stories or ideas were collected.
The writers faced the difficult task of sifting through these memories and forming them into stories. Facts blurred into fiction, truths were bent into tales, and soon the writers had a completed book on their hands. The end result is Twelve Branches: Stories from St. Paul—rich, vibrant chapters that capture the spirit of the very different neighborhoods of Saint Paul.

A "once-in-a-lifetime book."—St. Paul Pioneer Press

For six months, residents of St. Paul gathered at a dozen public libraries and shared their memories, anecdotes, and histories with four outstanding Minnesota writers. The result of this nationally unique collaborative project is a beautifully realized book that weaves the (mostly) true stories into (mostly) fictional ones, spans the century, and captures the spirit of a city and its people. The 12 chapters, grown from the stories told at the 12 branch libraries, are as diverse in style and content as the community from which they sprang—from war to friendship and fire to fertility, these stories are tied together by the urban landscape itself.

Writer

Buzzy Digit
Twelve Branches
Growing Through the Ugly
Growing Through the Ugly
River Pigs 1998
Rooftop Jailbirds 1996
Slam Ugly