Garrison Keillor

The first new Lake Wobegon novel in seven years is a cause for celebration. And Pontoon is nothing less than a spectacular return to form—replete with a bowling ball-urn, a hot-air balloon, giant duck decoys, a flying Elvis, and, most importantly, Wally's pontoon boat. As the wedding of the decade approaches (accompanied by wheels of imported cheese and giant shrimp shish kebabs), the good-loving people of Lake Wobegon do what they do best: drive each other slightly crazy.

From the beloved creator of A Prairie Home Companion, a timely, thoughtful collection of poems that provide solace and wisdomWhen Garrison Keillor published Good Poems, he touched a chord in readers across America. The anthology of poems he selected for their "wit, their simplicity, their passion, and their utter clarity in the face of everything else a person has to deal with" inspired thousands to buy what was for many their first book of poetry.Now, in Good Poems for Hard Times, Keillor has pondered over the archives of his beloved Writer's Almanac radio show to select a batch of consoling, rousing, and truthful poems guaranteed to raise flagging spirits or to inspire those in need of a dose of wisdom or honesty. But these poems are not about suffering. They're intended to reach us and stricken friends by holding out a picture of the grace of ordinary life. Above all, this eclectic anthology, including works from Raymond Carver, Emily Dickinson, Charles Simic, Billy Collins, Robert Frost, Kenneth Rexroth, and many more, fit Keillor's definition of "good": memorable, beautifully worded, and accessible. They're not highbrow. They're not stuffy. But when hard times send us skidding into the meridian, the poems collected here are what we need them to be: just plain good.

Every day people tune in to The Writer's Almanac on public radio and hear Garrison Keillor read them a poem. And here, for the first time, is an anthology of poems from the show, chosen by Keillor for their wit, their frankness, their passion, their "utter clarity in the face of everything else a person has to deal with at 7 a.m."Good Poems includes verse about lovers, children, failure, everyday life, death, and transcendance. It features the work of classic poets, such as Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Robert Frost, as well as the work of contemporary greats such as Howard Nemerov, Charles Bukowski, Donald Hall, Billy Collins, Robert Bly, and Sharon Olds. It's a book of poems for anybody who loves poetry whether they know it or not.

"The Doo Dads are singing "My Girl" on the radio and on the porch of the big green house on Green Street, fourteen-year-old Gary is studying pictures of naked women, aware that Grandpa is looking down from the window of heaven and wondering how a Sanctified Brethren boy could turn out so badly.". "He has never so much as kissed a girl, except his rebellious cousin Kate, a sophisticate of seventeen who knows about The New Yorker and also how to swear and exhale smoke through her nose. He feels lost when she falls for a heroic southpaw pitcher named Roger Guppy. But this is the summer when things change. Gary comes into possession of an Underwood typewriter. He fights back against his bullying born-again sister and his tyrannical teacher. And he starts to become a writer, producing fantastic tales about talking dogs, fatal blood diseases, tornadoes, and the lady with the torch."--BOOK JACKET.

"In the twenty-seven years since Garrison Keillor first brought it to life, the town of Lake Wobegon has become a national treasure. Every Saturday night, when that unmistakable voice says "It has been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon," millions of fans of A Prairie Home Companion find themselves in the most famous small midwestern town (pop. 942) in America.". "This book combines text and image to reveal the real-life origins of the place where "the women are strong, the men are good-looking and the children above average." Keillor meditates on the enduring culture of the county and on the years he spent there as a young writer and an outsider. And a short story of Lake Wobegon, "October," appears here for the first time in print."--BOOK JACKET.

The screenplay of the major motion pictureAmerica’s most celebrated radio show is holding its very last broadcast unbeknownst to the fans filing in to watch it. Coinciding with the release of the film version, A Prairie Home Companion features a special eight-page photo insert from the movie as well as an interview between Garrison Keillor and Robert Altman, who once again showcases his unique style of wit and humour in this fantastic crowd-pleaser.

An anthology by various authors on a variety of subjects. Akhil Sharma's Cosmopolitan is a love affair between an American woman and an Indian immigrant, while Tim Gautreaux's Welding with Children is on a man caring for his grandchildren.

After her family moves to California where her father goes to work in the gold fields, Amanda decides to make her own fortune baking pies and she encourages others to provide the necessary services--from a general store to a school--that enables her town to prosper.

A comedy on John Tollefson, a 40-something bachelor from Minnesota working in a college in New York State as manager of its radio station. The college caters to academically challenged children of financially gifted parents. A spoof on academia.

Wallace P. Flynn loves smelly cheeses so much that his family leaves him, his dog and cats can't stand to be around him, and even the skunks have to move.

Fourteen-year-old Rachel comes to terms with her eccentric family while taking refuge in her violin playing.

Dissatisfied with her life, Puff the cat leaves home and becomes a rich and glamorous model, but eventually returns having found out that it's better to be who you are.

Includes twenty-one short stories.