Post to the Host

Comments from the week of 09.24.23

GK,

Thanks for your public service commentary about Congressman Jordan’s legislative grandstanding on behalf of a partisan indictment against our duly elected president. Many of us see this political charade dressed in governing for what it is — “performative nihilism” as columnist David Brooks calls it. Perhaps we should apply George Wallace’s description of “limousine hypocrites” to this kind of crude partisan retaliation. Now that the Republican wackos in the House want to shut down the government again maybe you could start a grassroots campaign to dock their pay for any however many days they create havoc for other government workers. There is a list of those in Congress like Jordan — Madhatter Taylor Greene, Madman Gaetz, Bubble Head Boebert, Slimy Santos — who deserve to be penalized for this hypocrisy. Can you use your talents to get your readers to scream our heads off about this?

Harlan Oates

Midlothian, Texas

I’m not the noble patriot you take me to be, my friend. I’m an old man having the time of his life. I run around doing shows, many of them before wonderful crowds in red states like Kentucky and Indiana, where I hum a note and the crowd sings “It Is Well With My Soul” and it brings tears to my eyes and I toss poems at them and joke about being 81 and talk about my hometown, and sometimes a tall woman and I stand eye to eye and sing sweet duets. I’ve seen so many noble campaigns come to nothing and then suddenly great leaps forward happen almost by happenstance. It’s a mystery. The 2024 election is going to be decided by people under 30, who have the most at stake, and they need to register to vote in order to make a difference. That’s the answer, simple democracy. GK

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Dear Mr. Keillor,

I first started reading and listening to you in the early 1990s. I went to school to study theater, got caught up working for the Democrats and the government, now applying to film school so I can try and make something good and beautiful and entertaining and helpful in my next chapter (don’t try and talk me out of it). 

Just … thanks so very, very much.
Duncan Teater

I want to do the same exact thing, sir. I got caught up doing radio and got to make a movie almost twenty years ago and now finally I’m working on another one. We’ll see who gets to the finish line first. GK

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Dear Garrison,

I suggest we stop listening to THAT Jim Jordan and, instead, listen to Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee)! In between listening to your stories on CD in my car, I listen to old radio shows. Fibber McGee and Molly are among my favorites.

It’s hard these days to be “cheerful” but I’m giving it the ole college try. My prayers for you.

Monsignor Bob Murphy

Tain’t funny, McGee, as Molly used to say. I am older than you so I listened to them on the radio, not on CD. I lay on the floor by our monumental Zenith radio with the wooden columns in front and eagerly awaited Fibber opening the door to the closet and the avalanche of trash that came out. We tried to duplicate that sound effect on PHC with Tom Keith and it was awfully hard, even with a big mound of trash. GK

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Hi, GK.

Isn’t this a great, great song? Maybe you could consider it for one of your sing-alongs — either on stage with your fans, or alone in the evening with your sweetie.

Like you, The Seekers sound just as good 50 years later.

Maria

DeKalb, Illinois

It sounds good as a trio (sometimes quartet) but as a solo by me, I don’t think so. I ran into a couple of audiences in California last week who simply didn’t want to sing. They were much too cool. I had them sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic and they were embarrassed, likewise the Doxology and Will the Circle Be Unbroken and though they were willing to sing Surfer Girl, they froze on Amazing Grace. This is why I love the South. We’ll do the Ryman in Nashville in January and the roof will rise. GK

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Any chance of Garrison returning to the Great Southwest next year? We saw him perform at the Santa Fe Opera in 2017 and had an immensely wonderful time for three hours!

If not Santa Fe there’s Albuquerque with the 2,000-seat Popejoy Hall at the University of New Mexico. They also have a few smaller venues as well. There’s also the National Hispanic Cultural Center (600 capacity) where we saw comedian Lewis Black perform and Judy Collins sing.

We’d love to see Garrison one more time! New Mexico is a Democratic state and so are we! Thank you for your consideration!

Santiago Ramos

I am still shuffling along and doing shows and just had a nice string of them in California that felt very loose and easy and spontaneous. So we’ll see about New Mexico. Heather Masse lives out there so then I’d get to sing with her and meet her family. GK

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Mr. Keillor,

The Minnesota Twins are in the MLB postseason. Their postseason nemesis is not. How far can/will the Twins go in postseason play?

Go Twins!!

Mike

We Minnesotans do not expect triumph. We hope not to flop but we don’t need to dominate. We try to be Good Enough. GK

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GK,

With all the terrible things that are going in the world, I need something funny. I asked Siri for some jokes, and this is what she offered:

An apostrophe and a comma decide to go to couple’s therapy. Even though the apostrophe was being possessive, the comma didn’t want to end things.

Why did the meatballs tell the spaghetti to go to sleep? It was pasta bedtime.

I’m hoping you can do better. Please make me laugh. I’m sure I’m not the only one who needs it.

Casey Gale

Kansas City, Kansas

A discouraged fellow named Casey
Said, "The world is driving me crazy.
Please make me laugh
For a minute and a half,”
So I told him a joke (this is racy)
About the young man of Madras
Whose balls were made out of brass;
He could clang them together
And play “Stormy Weather”
As lightning came out of his ass. 

GK

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Garrison,

Five years prior to your debut, dad’s plane crashed and he died along with his Augustana College debate team. Knowing that your impetus to venture into radio was based on your article in The New Yorker and that dad gave you your first New Yorker made me smile. If there is any way my husband and I can make it to Nashville for your show, we will.

I am so grateful you are still out there, making a difference. This creation of yours is a treasure! The world is a good place with you in it — thanks for keepin’ on!

My best,
Heidi (Anderson) Emanuel
Frayne’s daughter

I’m glad that Frayne told you about me. I think of him often. In 8^th grade English, he handed me a copy of The New Yorker magazine with a piece by A.J. Liebling in it and I read it and decided that’s what I wanted to do, to write like Liebling. I’m still somewhat wide of the mark but it’s been a very worthwhile mission. Come to the show and tell me more about your dad. GK

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I’m looking forward to your Sacramento show at the Crest. If you’re hungry while in the neighborhood, may I suggest a burger at Jim-Denny’s, a little (10 stools) diner that opened in 1934.

 Raoul Renaud

I’m sorry I missed it. I went to In-N-Out drive-thru instead. GK

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These songs are twice as great!

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