My Little Town: Stories from Lake Wobegon

by Garrison Keillor

"It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my home town . . ." Lake Wobegon has been Garrison Keillor's fictional home town--and America's--for almost 40 years. Many of us have grown up with "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve." The Chatterbox Café, the Sidetrack Tap, the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility, the Bunsens and the Krebsbachs, the Lake Wobegon Whippets--these are places, people, and sports teams we know and love, thanks to Keillor's ability to weave a story and tell it live. Never before collected, these expertly crafted tales are full of gentle humor, genuine emotion, and (more often than not) surprising insights into family, relationships, community, faith, and hope.

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook

Audio CD

Published January 1, 2011

About the author

Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show A Prairie Home Companion (called Garrison Keillor's Radio Show in some international syndication), which he hosted from 1974 to 2016. Keillor created the fictional Minnesota town Lake Wobegon, the setting of many of his books, including Lake Wobegon Days and Leaving Home: A Collection of Lake Wobegon Stories. Other creations include Guy Noir, a detective voiced by Keillor who appeared in A Prairie Home Companion comic skits. Keillor is also the creator of the five-minute daily radio/podcast program The Writer's Almanac, which pairs poems of his choice with a script about important literary, historical, and scientific events that coincided with that date in history.
In November 2017, Minnesota Public Radio cut all business ties with Keillor after an allegation of inappropriate behavior with a freelance writer for A Prairie Home Companion. On April 13, 2018, MPR and Keillor announced a settlement that allows archives of A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer's Almanac to be publicly available again, and soon thereafter, Keillor began publishing new episodes of The Writer's Almanac on his website. He also continues to tour a stage version of A Prairie Home Companion, although these shows are not broadcast by MPR or American Public Media.

Reviews

[Debi Cates · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite old quirky place, Lake Wobegone.

People there are loveable in spite of themselves, awkward, shy, and a few even have unexpected secrets. Lots are nosey and some find high adventures within the city limits. There the snow dictates the rhythm of all life, where the locals and even the local dogs fall in love with a wayward swan who doesn't fly south. Certainly, there you find just about every decent, sometimes complex, emotion a human being is privileged to experience.

There's lots that isn't there. No red hats, no black-masked agents in military gear, no cruel abandonment of seniors, the sick, the poor, and children. And I don't believe they had even one small billionaire among them.

I visited there to recall fondly what Lake Wobegone was like and how it made me feel once upon a time.

How might the fictional town be doing now? Would they still be kind and mostly neighborly, forgiving old hurts, indiscretions, and tools never returned? Wonder if they would welcome their home-grown, the goofy 6ft 3 inch man who invented them, remembered all their names, knew the week's exact weather, and gave each resident or brief visitor the breath of life. Would they welcome that writer and narrator who has had his own serious troubles in the last years? Would he recognize anyone?

Would time in Lake Wobegone have marched on to now be more diverse, more inclusive, even welcoming to outsiders? Would new climate patterns begin to be discussed in earnest by the resident farmers in the back corner at the Chatterbox Cafe?

Or, would all those good, normal, quirky people of the recent past have goose-stepped into 2025 too?

[Sarah Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Garrison Keillor. His stories are magical to me.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garrison Keillor and his stories from Lake Wobegon hold a warm, nostalgic, and comforting memory for me.

My Dad is a HUGE NPR lifetime listener and I was first introduced to Lake Wobegon through his cheap radio with the bent antenna...whilst doing chores and working on summer rentals. I hated the physical labor, but fell in love with Keillor's storytelling. Just magic.

I wish I could drive through Lake Wobegon where all the men are good looking....😃

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to be a big fan of garrison Keillor and met him when I was the fiction supervisor at a Barnes & Noble. I found this selection of radio shows to be sophomoric - how many fart jokes are more than enough??? As a recovering Lutheran, however, I found the humor about the church very amusing. Kristi & Abby Tabby

[Lee Belbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this book is read (or listened to) in episodes, it is funny, very odd at times and reflective of the differences between Lake Wobgon and where you live. Sadly, read/listening is coloured by subsequent misconduct allegations that could not be dismissed.

[Cher Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was light and just ok -A.

[Jean Blackwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of Harrison's best storytelling.

[Emily Mellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too short, so good.
Garrison Keillor is a national treasure

[Stuart]

A latter day collection.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Garrison Keillor. Another audio listened to on our drive.

[Alison Adamsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The portrayals are entertaining with a slight religious tint. It wasn’t as funny as I had hoped, but perhaps his humor is more of an acquired taste.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In My Little Town: Stories from Lake Wobegon, Garrison Keillor shares a brief collection of beloved Lake Wobegon goings-on. These are lifted from Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion radio program without editing, say for the final disc, where there has been some cutting and snipping to create a longer story centered around a single character.

Obviously most people giving this a listen will be familiar with A Prairie Home Companion and the segment dealing with Lake Wobegon. But it isn't necessary to be an aficionado of the program to enjoy this audio selection. It's quite possible that the less you know, them ore your appreciation may wind up being.

I'm a fan of A Prairie Home Companion, and possess a deep fondness for the Lake Wobegon storytelling. Some of those stories have actually made me cry, most make me laugh, and some rare gems cause me to ponder the universe on a deeper level. I could share some of my favorites, but none of those appeared in this collection. The Lake Wobegon stories gathered here are full of easy humor, having it seem as if Keillor is pandering to his audience rather than making them eat out of his hand. Maybe I'm simply spoiled by some of those amazing Lake Wobegon stories that linger in my mind long after the program is over. Perhaps a person gets a taste for the "good stuff" and is forever ruined in the presence of mediocrity. And as much as I dislike using that word, mediocrity, it is a fair description of this work. Why Keillor didn't share those golden moments from Lake Wobegon, I'll never know. He should have, that's for sure. But even in the realm of mediocrity, Keillor is pretty good. No, this doesn't have the magic shine of moonlight on the pines at midnight, but these stories do hold a certain momentum that can be appreciated.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I should have given it 2 1/2 stars. Although this audio version was written and delivered about as well as Keillor's previous books, he appears to have regressed a little in his old age and I found the material to include a little too much bathroom humor and even a little violence. It was redeemed somewhat with his characteristic subtle humor that sometimes prevailed.

[Kim Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? It's Garrison Keillor. It felt like going home. If you haven't been to Lake Wobegone before it is a don't miss trip. If you are familiar with Mr. Keillor's writing it is well worth the return trip.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, I enjoy Garrison Keillor stories. Clean comedy.

[Janice Lawton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in audio and the author read it. Hilarious!

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

MN loons faitful, shovel away, swan to dog, independent coyote, truth as life long quest, wafer guacomole, cars wounded healed, living history.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keillor's monologues about his imaginary Minnesota hometown are always good listening and resonate with us Saskatchewanians as well.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Change of pace for me I really enjoyed the Humor

[Nicole Marble · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, these are a dozen of Garrison Keillors monologues about Lake Wobegon. There is one that makes it worth while.

[Ketti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Garrison Keillor, thanks for clean comedy! Funny & interesting!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you not enjoy Garrison Keillor and Lake Wobegon? My 10 year old really enjoyed portions he heard, but not everything is fully family friendly.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny stories of the weekly news from Lake Wobegon as reported weekly from Garrison Keillor's radio program, A Prairie Home Companion.

[Pattie Babbitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in honor of Garrison Keillor's retirement. Thanks for the laughs.

[E. Scott Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a fun time!!

[Will Boncher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining.