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A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

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GK responds to queries on topics from childbearing to potato salad, with a little bookstore fetish in between.

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Here's your chance to ask GK your most pressing questions—about the writing life, the radio life, Lake Wobegon, Guy Noir, whatever you like. Also, feel free to send feedback about the show. Honest comments and criticism are always welcome!



Post to the Host:
I woke up today and heard of the passing of Kurt Vonnegut. I enjoyed his wit, his sarcasm and his unfailingly Christian-like humanism. Mostly I just liked his stories that took me to so many weird places. Of his life I know very little but I seem to remember his lament that novels, or the written whatever, were being ever more marginalized in a society of instant gratification. He touched me with that one. My kids think To Kill A Mockingbird is just an old movie. So I mourn Mr. Vonnegut's passing not only as a hero but as a signpost on my own road through geezerhood.

Bill S.
Fenton MO

I read about Mr. Vonnegut this morning, dead of a head injury from a fall, and have been thinking about him all day too. He was a dark writer and also very mischievous and when you met Kurt, the mischievous stood out. I met him a few times and he had a fine morbid streak, talking about old age or politics or the Publishing World These Days, and he also had a big sense of fun. He came to the N.Y. premiere of the Robert Altman's "A Prairie Home Companion" and seemed in fine form that evening, but was especially graceful at a Paris Review gala at which he was chosen to eulogize his friend George Plimpton. Which he did with great gravity and elegance. I was emceeing and I remember Kurt's irritation at having to wait in the wings for somebody to tell somebody to do something before the show could get started. He could fume with the best of them. He was irascible and said he had written his last book and was all done and it was all over, and then he came out with "Man Without A Country". He had a good ride. He had a lot of fun being successful, I think. And then a graceful decline. One could hope for the same.

Comments (5)

Who would not want Kurt Vonnegut in their Granfalloon?


Garrison
The April 14 show from St Paul was the best I've ever heard. Although I enjoy them all and have seen you three times in Cincinnati, this one was classic. Keep it up.


I read many books by this man in high school (30 some years ago, and I remember a quote from Mr. Vonnegut - "We are what we appear to be, so we must be careful what we appear to be." Good advise, yes?


Mr. Vonnegut was a native of Indianapolis, my adopted and beloved hometown. This year (as a bittersweet irony)has been named The Year of Vonnegut here in Indy. Different arts organizations are sponsoring readings & presentations of his works throughout the year. Mr. Vonnegut was reported to be delighted at this honor, and was to present a lecture here a few weeks ago. Fate intervened, however, and his son, Mark, stepped in to deliver the talk. It was quite moving and funny and Very Vonnegut. Mr. Vonnegut's wife, Jill Kremetz (sp?), also spoke and summed up that her husband, quite simply, was the smartest man she ever knew. It was a good way to end the evening.


Gosh, this is the first time I've heard about Kurt Vonnegut's passing. Very sad to hear. We had invited Mr.Vonnegut to speak at UMass Amherst back in my college days and he was brilliant and we sold out the auditorium. He mentioned he was bringing his family and it turns out he has a very, very large extended family, quite a few of whom all turned up for the speech! May his memory be always cherished. As I said I am really happy that I am an APHC fan or I probably would never have heard. I used to listen to the show every weekend when I lived in Seattle but now that I am back in the UK, am happy to get it online as it adds that special something to the weekend. So when are you guys coming to do a show in the UK?

Best wishes from RS in Sheffield, South Yorkshire,England.



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