Post to the Host

Comments from the week of 06.02.24

Hi, Garrison.

I have looked forward to your posts as an island of gentle humor in a sea of attacks on Donald Trump. I implore you — can you please keep your opinions of the man out of your posts? It’s like a turd in the punchbowl. It can only get worse.

Leslie Ritchie
Hastings, Minnesota

You’ve got it wrong. The turd is him and it is hard for any sensate person to ignore him. I don’t weigh in often. And your query is the only reason I’m bringing him up now. The man is an out-and-out fascist, the first prominent American fascist in my lifetime. What am I supposed to write about? Daffodils? All of my Republican friends have turned away from him: they’re serious conservatives, they’re not revolutionaries. GK

---

How did your family get involved with the Brethren, and at what age did you reject it? Or was it more of a process than a point in time?

Susan Barlow

Manchester, Connecticut

Both my grandfathers were Plymouth Brethren, the Scotsman and the Canadian. I walked away at the age of twenty. An elder told me that a Christian could not be a journalist. That was it. I was out. GK

---

I read in your autobiography how much your mother loved Christmas. Do you enjoy the holiday as much as she did?

Victor Uher

Shenandoah, Texas

I don’t. I love the Christmas Eve service at church, the carols we sing, the dimming of the lights when we sing “Silent Night,” and I like Christmas breakfast and the stockings, but there’s so much dreadful music and salesmanship. But when it snows, it’s magical. GK

---

One dark late winter night I sat in a cabin deep in the Maine woods listening to PHC. What year is lost to my mind, but I was younger, my first wife was still alive, and you had Michael Stipe on as a guest. It was an otherwise quiet night on the ledge in the forest, waiting for another deep blue day to run sap lines for the sugaring operation. The ledge endures, we all gently fade, with good memories of simpler times and solid bonds of familial grace. If you pause you can still hear it. And Michael was a good guest.

Jeff P. Russell

He was a good guest. I wasn’t a fan of R.E.M. but Michael was very gracious. GK

---

GK, my mind is exploding over the election of Claudia Sheinbaum as President of Mexico. 58% of the vote. Wowza. Thoughts?

Best regards,
Annemarie in Wyoming

A woman with a German last name elected president of Mexico and the opposition didn’t claim that it was rigged. Maybe there’s something we don’t know about Mexico. GK

---

Daryl Davis, an African American man from Chicago, received a lot of press about 6 years back for telling his story of befriending the head of the KKK, resulting in him stepping down and away from the Klan. His approach was surprisingly simple, based on listening and calm conversation.

Sometimes I feel this is the correct approach towards people I meet (or encounter online) that are part of the MAGA crowd. Yet, it is so hard to maintain patience and understanding when someone can be so hateful, especially when they mask it as patriotism or adherence to Christian faith.

Do you have any hopes of us bridging this ever-growing gap in this country? How would you approach those that support a criminal and believe the country would benefit from something like Project 2025? These aren’t cave trolls one hopes to not encounter by chance should they take the path through the woods at night. These are everyday people you meet and hear talking in the grocery store, the streets, or as a friend on social media. I feel we are beyond the point of avoidance, since half the country seems to believe an orange hypocritical dictator, who says whatever he needs to say to get what he wants, is the best fit for POTUS. 

Seth Hayes

I have no response. I am incredulous. GK

---

Garrison,

I am 82 years old, the son of a Southern Presbyterian minister, who volunteered to serve as a chaplain in the second world war and served in the Seabees in the South Pacific, witnessing the slaughter at Guadalcanal.

I have never found a church home where I felt comfortable but the teachings of Jesus form the core of who I am.

It took me 70 years to learn to love myself — the whole package — the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly — unconditionally — which allowed me to move to Portland, Oregon, and to marry an old high school classmate, June Quackenbush, with whom I reconnected at our 50th high school reunion in 2009, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where we had attended James A. Gray High School. 

I traveled from Berkeley, California, and June traveled from Portland, Oregon, both of us traveling at the invitation of a mutual classmate, June Todd Smith, who had remained in North Carolina for her entire adult life. We were all friends in high school but I had no idea that June Quackenbush loved me and, in fact, had written a poem when she was sixteen in which she prayed to God that one day she and her Bill would be one and actually spoke that poem to me, from memory — she had that kind of memory — standing in the doorway of her motel room, in her nightgown, having retired from the festivities early, as she had Parkinson’s disease and was exhausted from our busy day, at the urging of our old classmate June Todd — as we were saying goodbye.

My prayer
 
I prayed to see my Bill tonight,
But God seemed not to think
That he and I’d be coupled right —
That our thoughts would not link.
 
I pray that God would give to me
An evening with my Bill,
Moments of joy and love and glee,
To flood my heart with thrill.
 
I pray my Bill would of me know,
The way I of him dream;
And that his thoughts would ever grow
Of us, as love in team.
 
Although this love may foolish be
As schoolgirl crushes will,
I pray one day our God may see
As one, me and my Bill.
 By June Quackenbush, 1957

I had a very full life in the Bay Area, including my son, Leslie, who lived in Oakland, and it was a difficult decision to move to Portland but that is what I did Easter Saturday 2013 after three and a half years of visiting each other every other month, back and forth — I would go up to Portland and June would come down to Berkeley. 

June passed over December 29, 2021.

All of this is to give a bit of context to my question. 

I am struggling to know how to love my enemies as Jesus admonished us to do. I wonder if you have any insights about what that would look like, in his day and age. I understand that compassion is important, but it seems like accountability is also important . . . 

Anyway, I would appreciate any wisdom you may have gained over the years about this idea of loving one’s enemies.

Bill Denham

Thank you for your story and for June’s poem. As for forgiveness, there is a difference between personal enemies and historical/political/cultural enemies. I forgive the man whose shakedown scheme got me thrown out of public radio in 2017. I simply push him to the side; he isn’t in my thoughts. But authoritarians who seek to deprive us of our system of justice, our civility, our respect for truth over disinformation — these people need to be fought, and in our free society, we have legal nonviolent means of doing so. GK

---

Just wondering, how did you keep track of family lines, family story lines, quirks quarks and charms of all your Lake Wobegon denizens? Did you keep it all in your head or did you have a list of your characters?

Bill Schwan

I kept it all in my head and so there have been many errors and inconsistencies. I have the benefit of listeners who tell me when I get it wrong. GK

---

GK,

I finished Cheerfulness this month and really enjoyed it. As I did, I realized the work of yours that’s embedded the deepest into my brain is actually Daddy’s Girl, as I read it to both my kids countless times for many years. I’ll be wandering through a grocery store and see a label — souvlaki, sauerbraten, etc. — and it will activate the rhymes, and they’ll spin around in there for twenty minutes or so. It’s certainly a treasured tome in our family.

What are your memories of writing that book? Do you look back on it fondly? 

Justin, from Ohio

I wrote the book for my little girl who was eight at the time and I read it aloud to her. She was, and still is, a very funny person and she enjoyed listening to those weird rhymes. It’s the only book I ever wrote with just one reader in mind. GK

---

Weeks ago, I sent a letter to Post to the Host, with a note of thanks for a line you had written in one of your pieces. The line was written about yourself, to the effect of “being a bass, which resounds from beneath the floorboards of the church.” I mentioned being “labeled” an alto as a child, not a “prized” soprano, but that your line made me realize I actually sing bass! I was appreciative. As a throwaway comment toward the end of the letter, I mentioned I was a psychologist — now I’m not even sure why. When you or your editors rewrote my note of thanks, “I am a psychologist” was the first sentence in my missive. 

Since I would never begin any type of correspondence with that declaration, I was curious as to why it was edited as such. It was kind of embarrassing to have my name attached to the letter as it was reworded. I also wondered why my note of “thanks” for your line was omitted. 

Thanks for the invitation to ask a question!

Ever curious,

(Dr.) Sally Sexton

Apologies for the editing. We edit posts to eliminate long prefaces and florid compliments and meandering sentences and to get to the gist of the matter. Sorry to cause embarrassment. GK

---

Did either of your parents live to a very old age? Did either get dementia? Who took care of them until the end of their life? Have you personally ever had to take care of anyone with a disability, addiction, or mental illness?

Thank you,
JPG

I never took care of such people. My dad reached 88, my mother 97, and though their minds faltered at the end, I wouldn’t describe it as dementia. My dad simply got drowsy and slept a good deal but he woke up and was very much himself when I brought my little daughter to visit him. My younger sister supervised their care and for my mother, who outlived Dad, we hired caregivers, which Mother liked. She didn’t want to be a burden. In her last year or so, she carried on conversations with people who weren’t there, particularly her sister Elsie, but she did seem to hear their responses and address them. And she knew when we arrived. GK

---

Can you return to Ann Arbor’s Hill Auditorium? It is said due to the excellent acoustics one can whisper on stage and still be heard anywhere in the auditorium. Microphones not required unless for broadcasting or recording. You should try that.

Larry Skrdla 

I’m coming toward the end of my performing career and people are naturally reluctant to book an old coot to do a show for fear he’ll topple over. I understand. And the interest of college students in a man my age is slim at best, more like morbid curiosity. GK

---

Garrison,

From some of your recent comments, I sense a folding of the hands and a “leave me alone” attitude; in addition, you are at great pains to avoid much in the way of political pronouncements. As one of your ardent fans, I object! You have considerable clout and it is your choice as to how you use it. I object to your neglect of one of your most powerful gifts of poking fun at both political parties. I originally hail from Oklahoma so I think of you as one of the few remaining humorists (remember Will Rogers?) who can make us laugh and think!

Raymond S. Stewart

I think my best columns are about happiness in ordinary life, such as a recent visit to the Met Museum on Teen Night when the old palace was packed with thousands of teenagers wandering around. Listening to music, looking at the statuary and paintings, the van Gogh and Rubens and Rothkos and all such. Other writers smarter than I do so much better covering politics. David Remnick, Tom Friedman, Jennifer Rubin, Ruth Marcus, and others. I feel in my heart that this November we will decide the future of the country for decades to come, perhaps a century. I do believe the facts are out in the open for everyone to see and that you can’t make people see what they don’t want to know. God help us. GK

---

Good morning, Garrison.

Although I post on Facebook, I’m becoming personally afraid to say what is on my mind today for fear of physical retaliation. Lose a friend or two, too late for that. Personal physical retaliation is my concern today.

Here in Nebraska, we now allow anyone, mostly, to carry a concealed gun almost anywhere, without a permit and without a background check and without any training. Our governor is totally behind all things guns. Based on the current national news, CBS Sunday Morning 6-2-2024, Ted Koppel did a piece that showed people coming as close as you can imagine to calling for all-out war, and that piece was recorded before last week’s news. The lack of almost any truth in today’s supporters of the Republican Presidential contender is beyond my comprehension. I could say more but I’m sure you get the picture. Thanks for letting me speak here.

Anonymous

I hear you. I don’t expect civil war. The issues aren’t clear-cut. Resentment isn’t a strong enough motive. GK

---

For years I have pondered the meaning of the red shoes and socks. I’ve wondered if it’s to get the attention of shy people who predominantly look down or if you are too shy to wear a distinctive topper. At your height it would certainly stand out in a crowd and one could see you at a distance on a crowded sidewalk. Can you shed some light on this so I can move on to other topics, such as if there was a boat launch somewhere that enabled the doomed pontoon boat prior to its sinking?

Bob

It was an innocent habit that seemed like fun at the time and later when I tried to go back to black wingtips and black socks, people complained, so I went back to red socks and red sneakers. Maybe I’ll try to find red leather shoes but then that’d cover up the socks. GK

---

I am very sad that there are no Prairie Home Companion events scheduled in San Francisco. All the local shows I attended in the past were filled with enthusiastic audiences. In another Post to the Host, a person asked about why there weren’t any shows in his area (I don’t remember his location), and Garrison’s response was that no one asked him. Is there a protocol that fans should know about? I miss being part of the PHC community.

Sincerely,
Donna Hayes

It’s a simple matter, Donna. I’m a very old man and my time has passed and there are other performers people’d rather see. I keep going because I enjoy doing it but I’m fine playing smaller towns and little theaters and when it’s time to hang it up, I’ll be grateful for all these good times. GK

---

Hello, Garrison.

As you were deciding on a career and I am glad you chose the one you did, did you have a Plan B? A second career that sparked your interest?

Regards,

George Smith

Mill Creek, Washington

I started out as a morning DJ at a radio station up in Stearns County, Minnesota, and I would’ve happily kept on doing that. The early morning go-to-work audience is a wonderful audience and you feel you are performing a real public service, trying to put people into an affable mood. GK

---

Would you be willing to help me write my mom’s obituary? She was born August 27, 1929, still survives … do we do it now or after the fact? Born in Kansas but spent most of her life in Nebraska. She was a stewardess for United Airlines. We celebrated her 90th with the theme, “still flying the friendly skies with Alice!”

I read in one of your posts recently that you used to write obituaries and immediately wondered if you could help me with Mom’s. What is a fair price for your services?

Jennifer Edwards

This is your joyful duty, Jennifer, and you need to start working on it now. Sit down and pull together the facts and encourage her to tell the stories. You can do it. GK

---

Mr. Keillor,

Do you have any thoughts on how the significant body of writing work you have created during your lifetime will be studied, read, performed, or simply ignored by future generations, who seem to have decided that storytelling is something that belongs exclusively in the Bible?

W.R. Christenson

I don’t go back and read my old work, W.R., and so I don’t expect anyone else to do so. I don’t give it a thought. I just finished a book, Brisk Verse, that I think is rather good but I don’t expect it to be noticed widely. GK

---

Dear Mr. K,

Greetings again from sweltering Sacramento.

Next week, my Grumpy Teen (now much more cheerful) is graduating from high school, with accolades, etc. I am proud, but prouder still that the Ex and I seem to have raised an ethical and funny and kind person.

We will be traveling abroad this summer so GT can meet some cousins, and then GT will go to college. We will be separated by an entire continent.

I am thrilled for them, but a bit sad for myself. Besides taking up hobbies, walking more, and giving alms, do you have any suggestions for this empty nester?

Cheers,
Stephanie

In ten years, there will be grandchildren. Clean out your house in Sacramento so you can move to wherever the grandchildren are and help raise them. GK

---

It’s not been too prevalent of late, but sometimes Garrison’s true delight in his marriage can make this aging (77 years), unpartnered, divorcee feel, well, lonely and sorry for herself.

Debbie

I’m sorry. I will try to keep my happiness to myself and write about plants or bodies of water or cloud cover instead. GK

---

Dear Mr. Keillor,

Life used to be simple, back when we had PHC and could tune in and listen; regardless of where we were. In Denmark, for instance. Now your old cast might as well be on Guantanamo Bay or in outer Mongolia. A shame not to use that great talent. The Rolling Stones have the right spirit, why not Prairie Home Companion?

One of my favorites, Ruth Harrison, has a large fanbase among the librarians at Aarhus University. Yes, Aarhus University, right in the middle of the Kingdom of Denmark. These loyal followers work hard at the Library of Esthetics on Langelandsgade 151; Jette Bohn, master librarian, is a big Ruth Harrison and Garrison Keillor fan.

It would be great if there was a complete collection of broadcasts, featuring Ruth Harrison, to access. Or even better, if new episodes appeared. The World needs knowledge, the World needs libraries and librarians. And librarians need Ruth Harrison.

Thanks.

Happiness and good health,

Michael Wedell

I pass this assignment on to you, Michael. As for the PHC cast, we’re still out on the road doing shows, howbeit secretly. I’ll try to write a new Ruth Harrison sketch for them soon. GK

---

Short and simple: Brisk Verse. Have you read it yet?

CLICK HERE to buy a copy today!