Summertime in Lake Wobegon: Dull For Them, Charming For You

I just finished Garrison Keillor's "News From Lake Wobegon: Summer" collection on CD. It's just one CD, one of four (one for each of the four seasons) put out in 1983. The Prairie Home Companion radio program has been a fixture of public radio for over twenty-five years, but it's only been in the last few months (thanks to a stay-at-home job) that I've discovered the quiet charms of the world of Lake Wobegon, Minne-SOHD-a.

This 55-minute CD tells us stories about the fictional (I think) town of Lake Wobegon and how its residents cope with the dog days of summer. This is done in the form of six different monologues from Garrison Keillor, and his delivery, as always, ranges from the subtle to the ridiculous, just as the stories do. The six stories are:

The Living Flag — in which the residents of Lake Wobegon decide in their extreme patriotism to make a flag that incorporates every member of town standing on Main Street, only to realize that if they're all a PART of the flag, no one can really see it...and their way around that problem.

The Tollefson Boy Goes to College — about the love we have for our families, even when they embarrass us. The best bit in this one is about Senator K. Tollefson. You'll just have to listen to it to find out what I mean.

Tomato Butt — Well...without giving away too much...this one is also about the love we have for our families, even our sisters. As the younger brother of a once-domineering older sister, I really identified with this one.

Chamber of Commerce — a brief list of announcements and minutes from the Chamber of Commerce--funny in a more subtle way than "Tomato Butt."

Dog Days of August — About the boredom that kids get after two months of summer vacation, and the ridiculous (but genuine) things they do for fun...including watching ants for hours on end. As a kid who did all of the things Keillor describes here (and a few arson offenses to boot), I really enjoyed hearing his take on it.

Mrs. Berge and the Schubert Carillon Piano — a very funny story about the things we will do at an auction if you just give us the chance...how else would eBay still exist if this wasn't true? This really brings home the small town feel of Lake Wobegon, and the characters Keillor creates here are hilarious and poignant.

Of the six stories, my favorites are "The Living Flag" and "Dog Days of August." They work on so many levels, but mostly just because they ring true. I've really lived in a big city my whole life (well, moderately big...bigger than Mayberry), but I've lived in places that have this same sense of community that Lake Wobegon has. This includes the good (neighbors who care about you) and the bad (every neighbor knowing your business), but it's a unique feel that Keillor really brings to life in this fictional world he's created and populated. The more you listen to his marvelous stories, the more characters you meet; I love these people, and I'm getting a picture in my head of what they look like, where they live, how long they've been in Lake Wobegon, and why they moved there to begin with.

It's a wonderful town--and it's high time you visited. Check out "News From Lake Wobegon: Summer" today.