Garrison Keillor Books

Chosen by Garison Keillor for his readings on public radio's The Writer's Almanac, the 185 poems in this follow-up to his acclaimed anthology Good Poems are perfect for our troubled times. Here, readers will find solace in works that are bracing and courageous, organized into such resonant headings as "Such As It Is More or Less" and "Let It Spill." From William Shakespeare and Walt Whitman to R. S. Gwynn and Jennifer Michael Hecht, the voices gathered in this collection will be more than welcome to those who've been struck by bad news, who are burdened by stress, or who simply appreciate the power of good poetry.

With warmth and humor, the creator and host of A Prairie Home Companion shares his remarkable life story. He reflects on growing up as a Brethren boy in a small Mississippi town during the 1950s, where the early loss of three friends led him to pursue comedy and radio. Through a series of fortunate breaks, he founded A Prairie Home Companion, which aired for forty-two years and reached millions of listeners each Saturday at 5 p.m. Central. His journey included memorable moments like singing with Emmylou Harris and Renée Fleming, performing for the U.S. Supreme Court, and portraying various characters, including a private eye and a cowboy. He reported news from his fictional hometown, Lake Wobegon, and connected with Somali cabdrivers who learned English through his show. Alongside his radio success, he authored bestselling novels, won a Grammy and a National Humanities Medal, and collaborated with Robert Altman on a film that featured significant improvisation. He reflects on his life with gratitude, noting, “I was unemployable and managed to invent work for myself that I loved all my life, and on top of that I married well. That’s the secret, work and love.” As he approaches eighty, he continues to rise early to write each day.

What happens to an uppity cat when she gets a taste of the "good life" rich, honey-toned paintings accentuate the humour.

Over 2,200 Jokes from America's favorite live radio show A treasury of hilarity from Garrison Keillor and the cast of public radio's A Prairie Home Companion. A guy walks into a bar. Eight Canada Geese walk into a bar. A termite jumps up on the bar and asks, "Where is the bar tender?" Drum roll. The Sixth Edition of the perennially popular Pretty Good Joke Book is everything the first five were and more. More puns, one-liners, light bulb jokes, knock-knock jokes, and third-grader jokes (have you heard the one about Elvis Parsley?). More religion jokes, political jokes, lawyer jokes, blonde jokes, and jokes in questionable taste (Why did the urologist lose his license? He got in trouble with his peers). More jokes about chickens, relationships, and senior moments (the nice thing about Alzheimer's is you can enjoy the same jokes again and again). It all started back in 1996, when A Prairie Home Companion fans laughed themselves silly during the first Joke Show. The broadcast was such a hit that it became an almost-annual gagfest. Then fans wanted to read the jokes, share them, and pass them around, and the first Pretty Good Joke Book was born. With over 200 new and updated jokes, the latest edition promises countless giggles, chortles, and guffaws anyone--fans of the radio show or not--will enjoy.

The humorist and radio host examines the "politics of kindness," offering a series of nostalgic reminiscences, meditations, and observations on the core values of the democratic ideal

Edited by beloved storyteller Garrison Keillor, this year's volume promises to be full of humor, surprises, and, as always, accomplished writing by new and familiar voices. The preeminent short fiction series since 1915, The Best American Short Stories is the only volume that annually offers the finest works chosen by a distinguished best-selling author.Hermit's story / Rick Bass --Sun, the moon, the stars / Junot Diaz --Mrs. Dutta writes a letter / Chitra Divakaruni --Kansas / Stephen Dobyns --Tumblers / Nathan Englander --Piano tuner / Tim Gautreaux --Uncharted heart / Melissa Hardy --The 5:22 / George Harrar --Islands / A. Hemon --Best girlfriend you never had / Pam Houston --In the kindergarten / Ha Jin --Marry the one who gets there first / Heidi Julavits --Live life king-sized / Hester Kaplan --Africans / Sheila Kohler --Interpreter of maladies / Jhumpa Lahiri --Real estate / Lorrie Moore --Save the reaper / Alice Munro --Bunchgrass edge of the world / Annie Proulx --Robbers of Karnataka / James Spencer --Good shopkeeper / Samrat Upadhyay --Rest of her life / Steve Yarbrough

In 1926, the Soderbjerg brothers, Ray and Roy, plunge into radio and found station WLT (With Lettuce and Tomato) in order to rescue their failing restaurant and become the sandwich kings of South Minneapolis. For the next 25 years the station produces an array of shows and stars.

In this collection of stories from Lake Wobegon, the author takes us to a place that is everyone's home town - where the women are strong and the men are good-looking and all the children are above average. It is a celebration of the life and the people of that place, narrated with wit.

A national holiday in Lake Wobegon is always gaudy and joyful. But what is going on between Clint Bunsen and Miss Liberty? Clint is one of the old reliables in Lake Wobegon – the treasurer of the Lutheran church and the auto mechanic who starts your car on below-zero mornings. For six years he has run the Fourth of July parade, and has turned into an event of dazzling spectacle that has attracted the attention of CNN and prompted the governor to put in an appearance as well. The town is dizzy with anticipation. Until, that is, they hear of Clint’s ambition to run for Congress. They’re embarrassed for him – his unfortunate episodes involving vodka sours, his rocky marriage. And then there’s his friendship with the twenty-four-year-old girl dressed up as the Statue of Liberty for the parade. It’s rumored that underneath those robes she is buck naked, and that her torch contains a quart of booze. It’s Lake Wobegon as it’s always been – good, loving people who drive each other crazy.

Astonished to learn that her impeccable mother led a secret life marked by her passionate love for a Las Vegas man and a private commitment to pleasure, Barbara elects to end destructive patterns in her own life while honoring her mother's final wishes, an effort that coincides with a veterinarian's efforts to marry her reluctant fiancé. Reprint.