Episodes from Emily St. James

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state fair

Dolly Parton, a buxom blonde woman wearing all denim, raises her hands toward the sky in a back alley set.

Monday Digest

Dolly Parton never met a song she couldn't make her own

Also: A trip to the Minnesota State Fair, The End of Oak Street, and America's reigning Garfield princess

By Emily St. James, Lily Osler 31 Aug 2026

The midway at the Minnesota State Fair is full of rides and games, all glowing neon-bright in the night.

state fair

Need for seed: a quest for the real Minnesota at the state fair

The pop-culture depiction of the state is only sort of right, writes Lily Osler.

By Lily Osler 17 Sep 2025

Episodes from Emily St. James

Smart longform writing about the moments that make pop culture.

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Episodes from Emily St. James

Smart longform writing about the moments that make pop culture.

Episodes from Emily St. James

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