Weekend

Israel “Icepick Willie” Alderman punctured victims’ brains via their eardrums with his namesake tool — that way, an autopsy would fail to detect any sign of a homicide. The hit man, known across the country, once resided in Minneapolis. In spite of his grisly crimes, Alderman barely stands out from the surface of the city’s rich history of deviance.

Andre Fischer is convinced that a line of melody is equivalent to a sentence.

“It’s another form of communication,” he said.

Fischer recalled when he had a flautist visit his class during his time at University of Southern California.

“After he finished playing, he said, ‘The best way I can explain this to you is that the flute has been my passport,’” he said.

A chorus of disapproval met the Spring Jam lineup when it was announced online a few weeks ago.  

On the Student Unions and Activities Facebook page, comments ranged from incredulous to disappointed to downright pissed — one of the most liked and frequently echoed simply asked: “Who’s Mat Kearney?”

That’s a good question, considering Kearney scored Saturday night, the premium slot in the three-day festival.

Miles Walser was finishing the final semester of his undergraduate career at the University of Minnesota when he got the news.

Months before, Walser entered a poetry competition with Write Bloody Publishing, the winners of which would receive a publishing deal with the company.

In April of last year, Walser found out that he had qualified as a finalist in the competition and was commissioned to write a 40-poem manuscript. The only catch?

He had three weeks to submit it.