According to his bio, Paul Lundgren is an acclaimed columnist and a very nice man. We’ll take his word for it (mostly because MN Reads’ own Christa is willing to vouch for him). Lundgren, a frequent contributor to Perfect Duluth Day, is about to release his first book, The Spowl Ribbon so we asked him the 6 questions we always ask (and resisting the urge to editorialize on Hemingway).

For you Duluthians (and those willing to trek up [or down, I suppose] for the events), Paul will be reading/performing/entertaining twice this week. First, he’ll be hosting The Paul Lundgren Happy Hour with special guest Ryan Vine at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24th, at Teatro Zuccone, 222 E. Superior St., Duluth. Then at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 27th, he’ll be taking part of the St. David’s Day Open Reading at Somer’s Lounge, College of St. Scholastica, 1200 Kenwood Ave., Duluth.

What book(s) are you currently reading?
I’ve been reading Studs Terkel’s Working for the past six years or so. I keep it in my car and pull it out whenever I get stuck in traffic on the way to the beach. This happens often because I need to cross the Aerial Lift Bridge to get to Park Point. Working is a long book full of short interviews, so it’s perfect reading for when the bridge is up.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who?
A little elven love with Lady Galadriel would be tempting, but her power of telepathy kind of creeps me out.

If your favorite author came to Minnesota, who would it be and what bar would you take him/her to?

Most of my favorite authors live in Minnesota, but if I were going to take a non-Minnesota writer to a Duluth bar I’d probably like to go to Curly’s in the West End with David Sedaris. That would be a splendid evening.

What was your first favorite book?I
had a picture book when I was a little kid that identified dog breeds. I don’t remember it, but my mother says I loved that book and memorized all the breeds.

Let’s say Fahrenheit 451 comes to life, which book would you become in order to save it from annihilation?
Just Above Water by Louis Jenkins.

What is one book you haven’t read but want to read before you die?
The Sun Also Rises or For Whom the Bell Tolls. I have been putting off Hemingway for too long.