We Are Still Married

Before he decided to throw in the towel and become what his fans wanted him to be, Garrison Keillor really wanted to see himself and his society from the outside. He spent a lot of time in New York and Denmark. In that, as we learn in this book, he became who he thought he wanted to be. In our collective lives of quiet desperation, most of us don't get that chance. We don't have the money, talent or perceived time to do so. But Keillor did. The ostensible lesson is that who we are IS who we want to be. But these notes were written before he drew that conclusion. My favorite passage is called "Episcopal," where he makes up new words to an old Fats Waller tune to describe the attractions of being Episcopalian: I'm slow to anger Don't covet or lust. No sins of pride except sometims I really must. Episcopalian, saving my love for you. The theology's easy, the liturgy too. Just stand up and kneel down and say what the others do. Episcopalian, saving my love for you. With this, Keillor sums up the current (and probably end) state of his career. Oh, hear that old piano, from down the avenue... I smell the dry rot, I look around for you... This book was written before he gave up, and you'll enjoy it.

Not really fair to review this now - I'm a bit hazy on it. Because it's an anthology of humorous/whimsical articles and a few daydream stories, I wisely only read it in small doses over a while - the pieces suffer if you read too many in a row, and weren't written for this. Still it means I'm not as up on exactly why it got an A-.  Several pieces are definitely not worthy of an A, though few would drop below a B. I recall really relishing 'Who do you think you are?', a reflection on dealing with the assumption of mediocrity. 'The Current Crisis in Remorse' was a clever satire on the much (legitimately) pilloried denial of guilt in the courts. How to write a letter was on the money, and particularly the first of 'Three Marriages' was quite touching and felt authentic.  He's in the same category as P.J. O'Rourke, but less biting, and his humour is not so much the clever one-liner as a slow characterisation. He rides on the edge of sentimentality but somehow rarely crosses it, managing warmth and definitive whimsicality.

This work represents a *hodgepodge* of Garrison Keillor works that would not have fit well published in any of his other books. If you are looking for a book about the life and times of Lake Wobegon, MN, this is not it. Even so, there are a good many short pieces in this book that make it a DEFINITE ASSET to your collection. My favorites include "The Young Lutheran's Guide to the Orchestra" (a hilarious parody on "The Young Musician's Guide to the Orchestra"), the poem "The Old Shower Stall", the essay on sneezing, the essay on letter writing, and Keillor's commentary on being voted one of the sexiest men in America. Though not typical in his established "The News From Lake Wobegon" story form, the poetry and prose in this collection are definitely typical Keillor humor!

And listening, Garrison, to your weekly escapades in Lake Wobegon.But, of course, this book is not a member of the elite Lake Wobegon Trilogy (Wobegon Days, Leaving Home, Wobegon Boy), but something else entirely. The stories here are terrific. Some laugh-out-loud funny, some touching. The story "He Didn't Go to Canada", the story of the author's 'grueling' experience in the Minnesota Elite Guard had a special resonance to me. I can't say too much, lest I spoil it. Letters From Jack is great too. A collection of less-than-inspiring one-way correspondance from Prarie Home Companion's first sponsor, Jack's Auto Service. "Your Book Saved My Life, Mister" is a cute treatise on the price of fame that comes with being a book author. Though I must say, if you have the opportunity, hear this story read out loud by the author sometime. It's on his tape, Stories, and it just works better when listening to it.A few of the stories drag on a bit, and are less than entertaining, as do some of the poetry. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a book to make you smile, laugh, or sigh, this is the one.Let me leave you with this: "I think you're the best lyric poet in the world, but your critical essays REALLY suck." Read the book. You'll get it.

How disturbing to be "the first" [as my screen now declares] to submit a review. Where are the other lovers of dry, wry, commentary rendered into delightful prose? This special book is a warm, thoughtful compendium: Keilor Mark II. The section/chapter on the art of writing a letter, alone, is a book unto itself: almost mandatory for parents. To say more would spoil the surprise of opening virtually any page and the joy of reading on. C'mon folks, get in touch with your humanity.