Garrison Keillor Books

This collection features the original Peanuts comics in its first 2 and 1/2 years. Not even the 1st Peanuts book includes all of the cartoons (I have the book and I don't remember it including the 1st cartoon where Shermy introduces Charlie Brown, sarcastically calling him "Good ol' Charlie Brown"). There are also cartoon from Holt's 2nd book More Peanuts. The 1st 5 characters included Charlie Brown (who started out naive and friendly), Patty (not Peppermint, she was just a cute girl with bobbed hair and a plaid dress and matching hairbow), Shermy (Charlie Brown's original buddy), Violet (known for her pigtails and mudpies) and Snoopy (who walked on all fours whose gags were more cute, not yet ingenious). The next year (1951) would mark the debut of Schroeder, who started out as a baby and later became a pint-sized musical genius with a passion for Beethoven (you can see the cartoon where Charlie Brown plants the seeds inside the future musical maestro's head). Violet and Patty would start out as friends to both Charlie Brown and Shermy. Also, Charlie Brown 1st models his trademarked shirt with the jagged stripe at the end of the 1st year. 1952 marks the beginning of the Sunday strip (I believe it's the one they're all playing tag; the trademarked block letters had yet to be introduced). And of course, we see the debut of the Van Pelt family. First introduced is Lucy, a cute little girl (seriously) with saucerlike eyes (she'd later sport a fussbudget attitude)and later, her baby brother, Linus (at 1st, he'd fall down a lot in the strip and had yet to be known for his blanket and his philosophy on life). Classic cartoons include the debut (of course), Charlie Brown getting offended by a rumour of a crush on Patty, Violet reprimanding Snoopy for sitting in the birdbath, the gang playing tag, Lucy mistaking Charlie Brown's record collection for licorice candy and the 1st instance of Charlie Brown getting the football yanked away (1st from Violet, but Lucy would later take on the role ever since). If you're a collector of Peanuts, you'll want this collection!

These are the strips you seldom see reprinted and yet they say so much. The first two years of "Peanuts" introduces you not only to many of the key characters (who look somewhat different than they would in later years) but also to the usually gentle, yet occasionally sharp, humor of Charles M. Schulz, which was splendid from the start but would get even better as the years passed. As a bonus, you get to see Schroder and Linus as babies, and Lucy as a toddler. (In Schulz's comic-strip world, they would age, but only a little.) You see Charlie Brown before he wore his familiar shirt with the zig-zag design, and meet Snoopy when he seemed more dog than human. What's more, there is an excellent introduction by Garrison Keillor, a summary of Schulz's life by David Michaelis, who would go on to write the definitive Schulz biography, and a lengthy interview with the great cartoonist himself. Even the index is helpful in locating such all-important items as when the immortal phrase "Good grief!" was first uttered. A valuable collection indeed.

Prior to reading this book, I had only circumstantial knowledge of "Peanuts". I thought this could be a good way to get started on it, and I was right!

That sublime book is hardcover, has a dustjacket, 2 full years of strip-ness, an introduction before the strips, and an essay after them, and also an interview with Schulz.

The whole thing is top-notch. The essay provided enormous insight on what "Peanuts" represented in its context, its public importance, and on Schulz as a person. That essay even made me cry. I swear to God, you'll cry too. Behind Schulz's funny and cute world are some terrible pains and lifelong scars. Schulz was a full of self-doubts and low self-esteem, despite his tremendous success, and all the experience he gained from that shows through his work, and works cathartically by making those moments look fun and funny and outside of ourselves.

I was surprised by "Peanuts" because I did not expect it to be this profound, nor this funny. To be honest, I expected something much more naive and lame, but it was not!

This book is my absolute recommendation for anyone intending to get started on "Peanuts": it is classy, it has perfect paper quality, good intro, amazingly deep and touching essay on Schulz and "Peanuts" - which relates the tragedy of his mother and of his going to war, and his last days - and an interview of the man himself; the whole thing gives you the impression that there was something saintly about Charles M. Schulz, and indeed, I want him canonised.

I used to red peanuts when I was a kid and finally we have the complete colection in a nice edition...it is always good to see my childhood pals..charlie brown, snoopy. A good edition for collectors and fans of comic books

Penauts is very good with lots of jokes from the times of your gramma's expressing themselves of there feelings and find the old gang of ol Charlie Brown I consider those who like to buy there penauts collection at Amazon.com. Good luck!

Simply could not resist trying the book after seeing the video. The reviewers are right---the book is even better than the excellent film.

Some things are different --- the book has a Methodist church not Lutheran, and the book has a date with the two string players at a drive-in.

What a wholesome book for youth and adults.

Rachel is a young girl who is talented at playing the violin. Her best friend is now playing softball and spends most of her time with her team. Rachel, an only child, thinks she is in a weird family. Besides having no school, she isn't looking forward to summer. Then, to her surprise, she is accepted to play in a professional orchestra. Despite her excitement, she feels major things could go wrong, especially when the conductor quit.
I recommend this book to anyone, especially those interested in music. It shows that things can turn around and prevail, even if you don't think it will.

I first read this book about four or five years ago, when I was around eleven, and it's become one of those books that I can just go back to and re-read as many times as I want and never get tired of. OK, so it's not one of the deepest books ever written, but the style is easy, the plot simple and entertaining, and yet somehow it manages not to slip into cliche or become overly shallow.

The books follows exclusively the character of Rachel Green, an early teen whose one solace from life and parents is classical music. Perhaps the reason that I found this book so enjoyable is that I am a big fan of this type of music myself (as you can see from my name!). The girl displays all the characteristics typical in an early teenager - paranoia about her appearance, desire for acceptance, the feeling that her parents are unbearable, etc. However, in the last case, she might well have a point.

Her mother is a crusader for better education and artistic facilities in the town of Sandy Bottom, and forbids a TV in the house; instead there is a grand piano. Her father meanwhile conducts imaginary symphony orchestras in the den, and cries over recordings of classical music.

As you can see, the characters in this book are, shall we say, unique, and even those characters which could be called "transitory" are invested with larger-than-life personality traits. (The foremost among these being Drew and his mother.)

Mainly due to these characters there is a good deal of humour in the book. However, there are a lot of wry observations made by the authors on some aspects of life and love. Speaking of which, there is a touching romance between Rachel and a cellist thrown into the book, further making the character of Rachel even more real and vivid.

The book's overlying theme is obviously music, which makes it a joy to read for someone who is interested in this, but you definitely do not have to be a music-lover to get a great deal of enjoyment out of this book.

All in all, for something which appears on the face of it to be merely a "children's book" it is a very enjoyable and easy read for people of pretty nearly every age.

His review was largely quite positive, so it is only a very gentle disagreement I have with reviewer Eugene Barnes, who wrote that anyone who knows music will realize this isn't realistic (regarding the music). I very respectfully disagree! I think the opposite is clear from this book--that they DO know music! Not only does one feel that way reading it, but it is well-known that Jenny Lind Nilsson, Mr. Keillor's wife, actually IS a successful professional violinist--I think she was good enough to make a living as a violinist in New York City--how many people are that good? And she definitely contributed heavily to this book--it isn't exactly in Garrison Keillor's ordinary style, although there are certainly hints of it, and this book is certainly compatible with it. Having said all that, I found this an extremely pleasant book. I wish I knew a teenage girl (or preteen) to give it to!

This is a wonderful book! It is warm and funny, and hearfelt. It has characters who are believable and interesting. It asserts that young people's feelings are every bit as important as those of grownups.

The Sandy Bottom Orchestra is, as far as I know, the only book to result from the collaboration of Jenny Nilson and her husband Garrison Keillor. There is a lot in this book of the writer's diffident voice that America has come to love on "The Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio. But the boisterous, sometimes salty humor of Keillor is admirably moderated here. So, the work is inoffensive, suitable for the young, but it is a treat for their parents as well.

I have now read this book twice. It was wonderful both times.

Great book for any cat lover

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

Simply wonderful for both grown-ups and little loved ones. My only regret is my copy isn't a hardcover! Cat lovers, art lovers, rhyme lovers, and fans of Garrison Keillor's special humor will ALL adore this book. It's hard to find something to fault! Highly recommended for libraries, read-alouds, and even beginning readers who can follow along with the repeated verse, which is thoughtfully in all-caps to distinguish it from the rest of the story. Every page is illustrated with detailed paintings that pull you deeper into the story, and the bold yellow background for the reading text makes finding the story's words easy for little people. Whoever laid out this book deserves kudos for making it accessible to every age. I would love to see a reading level assigned to this book and have it incorporated into the Accelerated Reader program.

The children's bookstore where I bought this book is long gone, and my son's childhood is rapidly disappearing as well. But we continue to read this book year after year, and enjoy once again the story of Garrison Keillor's prodigal cat. The rhythms and rhymes of the story are delightful, and the artwork is amazing -- at once both ethereal and down to earth. Yes, you might have to read the story to a child haltingly the first time, stopping to explain the meaning of words like promenade, abyss, sardonic, and minions. But you'll sail through it the other hundred times, so it's worth the initial effort (even if you do have to own up to the fact that you know what muscatel is). We never get tired of the story and when we get to the end, we linger for a long time on the last page -- one with no words, just a sad line of overstuffed, decrepit and dissipated felines limping home. Two of them look just like our own cats!

The narrator's cat wants to go out, and he argues with it, telling her she better come back if he lets her out. When he finally lets her out, she takes off immediately to Europe and lives it up on chateaubriand and other fancy food, and develops a decidedly European purr. But her life of excess results in her eventual demise, and she ends up back home again after a year and half. The text is all told in rhyme, and the artwork is in an interesting cubist-influenced style. The book is quite sophisticated, and may go over the heads of most small people. It has about 1100 words.

This retelling of the prodical son story based on a runaway cat is one children's book that moms and dads will love, maybe even more than their kids. Garrison Keillor's poem is a joy to read and the artwork so is beautiful you won't even want to let your children get their hands on it. The story is rich in sarcasm and symbolism for adults and funny rhymes and sound effects for the kids.

Keillor is probably best known in the Midwest where his tales of the imaginary town of Lake Wobegon are heard on many radio stations in that region. This book is set in a variety of real Minnesota towns and depicts life in the rural Midwest. Those from these stomping grounds will easily relate to the short stories contained in this book. But even if you dwell in a California metropolis you will still find a warmth, perhaps uncommon, yet very appreciated. Take, for example, the following exerpt quoted from The Notebooks of Carl Krebsbach:
"It was the annual January thaw, nature's way of arousing false hopes and tempting the good people of Lake Wobegon to let lown their guard and not wear a scarf so that nature can kill them. A form of natural selection to reduce the optimist population and promote the survival of embittered stoics who believe that fate is against them. Which it is.
The thaw means that snow on the roof melts and freezes on the overhang of the eaves, forming a dam to back up the water so it can get under the shingles and freeze and gradually rip our house apart, which is nature's goal, to obliterate us. Nature is not benevolent towards us, it wants us out of here. It's good to know this. In summer, you can almost believe otherwise.
Luckily, summer is soon over. As it turns cold, our mood improves. we're excited. Cold is a stimulant. So is danger. It's good to have nature to deal with. That's why self-pity declines in the fall. People don't sit around and anguish over what to do with their lives. Instinct tells you. You're a mammal. Stay warm. Stay close to the food supply. Shovel the roof. Make babies. Make a few extra in case the wolves get one. And then on a cold night in January, you walk out in the moon light and agsinst all reason, beyodn all expectation, you're utterly happy."

In addition to Keillor's down-to-earth story telling this book contains wonderful photography by Richard Olsenius. I actually bought this book because I am a fan of photojounalistic photograghy. Great writing and great photography, a bookshelf is incomplete without this volume.

I was what you would call a "Noobie" to all of Garrison's work until recently. I picked up this book at a college library after speaking to my mother about the Minnesota author project I was recently assigned. She was familiar with his work and suggested that I look into it....so I did. I never thought that this would open up such big can of worms, and I mean this in a good sense. After reading the book from cover to cover, I went on the internet to find out more about Garrison's work and turned up some very interesting search results. I then read it again and now I guess you could say that I'm hooked on the Lake Wobegon saga and I am planning on picking up a couple of his earlier writings related to Lake Wobegon.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend this book to anyone who has vast, little, or no knowledge of Lake Wobegon.

I was what you would call a "Noobie" to all of Garrison's work until recently. I picked up this book at a college library after speaking to my mother about the Minnesota author project I was recently assigned. She was familiar with his work and suggested that I look into it....so I did. I never thought that this would open up such big can of worms, and I mean this in a good sense. After reading the book from cover to cover, I went on the internet to find out more about Garrison's work and turned up some very interesting search results. I then read it again and now I guess you could say that I'm hooked on the Lake Wobegon saga and I am planning on picking up a couple of his earlier writings related to Lake Wobegon.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend this book to anyone who has vast, little, or no knowledge of Lake Wobegon.

Fans of Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" are already an imaginative sort. We know what Arlene Bunsen looks like, or Pastor Inquist. We've got a good idea how Roger Hedlund has been rotating his crops, and the main goings on on Main Street. We don't need pictures of this area because we already know it by heart--we've seen it on the radio. This book does exactly what it should...it doesn't dispel our images of Lake Wobegon, but gives us pictures of its neighbors and people living their lives in rural Minnesota. All the images are sepia toned. With a few exceptions, the subjects are unposed and candid, getting ready for the prom, or readying the field for corn.

The composition of the shots are superb. The short prologue gives a first person retelling of how Keillor invented the town that "time forgot and the decades cannot improve." That introduction, however, is so short that it's almost unfair to say that this is a Garrison Keillor book. He essentially wrote the foreword (although it's not titled that way), and the pictures tell the real story.

My only disappointment is that there isn't any color. Certainly sepia tones give us nostalgia the way we'd like to remember it, but sunset on a farm is something you can't appreciate in shades of brown. Rural life has its monochromatic moments, to be sure, but there's enough color and life to help us remember that not everything is nostalgia.

This gripe doesn't detract from the beauty of this book, though. Thankfully we never see Lake Wobegon, only hints and shadows. It allows us to preserve our preconceptions, but gives us a deeper feeling of connection with the area. If you're a fan of APHC, you probably already own this book (or you should). If not, take a look at a lifestyle that might be foreign to you.

From the Central Minnesota prairie, in beautiful black and white pictures and picturesque prose, here is the Genesis of Garrison Keilor's magical mythical Lake Wobegon, site of "A Prairie Home Companion." Here we get to *see* the strong women, good-looking men, and above average children of and for whom he speaks on Saturday nights. Accompanying Richard Olsenius' stunning photography (how can the viewer not be deeply moved by the picture of the veterans at the St. Wendell cemetery on Memorial Day?) are excerpts from the Radio Show, interviews with inhabitants, and essays and musings from Keilor - like this:

"Culture isn't decor, it's what you know before you're twelve. It sticks with you all your born days. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You can try to wrestle free of it, like those geese who trail the V-formation, trying to look as if they aren't part of this bunch, as if flying south were a personal decision on their part, but your feint towards independence only makes it clearer who you really are. Some people like hot dish better if it's called cassoulet, or pot roast if it's pot-au-feu. Fine. Suit yourself. Same difference."

Whatever you call those culinary delights, you'll like this book. Come see Father Kleinschmidt's Annual Blessing of the Snowmobiles. Ja, you betcha! Reviewed by TundraVision.

A wonderful compilation and reading of the words and works of Jesus. At first I was a bit hesitant to purchase a reading of the Gospel by the dramatic voice and personality of Mr. Keillor. I was very pleasantly surprised and grateful, however, to find that he completely allows the story to speak for itself. The pacing is perfect and gives one time to think about the spiritual significance of the words. I have listened over and over and will continue to do so for years to come. The perfect gift for one who has everything, and a great bargain, even if one pays full-price!

This is great: I borrowed this from the library and now I'm buying it. Very understandable and easy to listen to. He draws you into the story and makes you feel as if you are there, as he always does. Wish he would do the old testament, too!

I wasn't sure what to expect. I feared that inventing a "Gospel of Jesus" would trivialize the message, yet, this is wonderful! I found it almost meditative, prayerful. I do so appreciate that it "tells the old, old story that I have loved the best."

I liked it quite a bit. Garrison Keillor's style of reading helps to bring out the peaceful nature of Jesus. I did wish at times that he would emote a bit more, however. I also wished he wouldn't have put quite so many pauses in the sentences. But other than that, I was quite inspired by his reading.

Garrison Keillor has the perfect voice for reading the Gospel of Jesus. it is a pleasure to listen to and easy to follow, and would be a perfect introduction for someone wanting to find out what the Gospels actually say. there is no pretension or 'religiosity'; it is just a simple narrative. excellent!

I play this CD whenever I need to laugh. It is classic funny Prairie Home Companion humor, both intellectual and silly.

Garrison Keillor can leave me cold, but these collections are a great distraction in the car on trips. Virtually all the jokes I already know, but they are still fun to hear and draw an occasional laugh.

The four CDs in this collection are great entertainment, albeit a bit ribald, from Garrison Keilor's NPR radio shows. I've bought several copies for friends and even sent a couple of copies to our troops in the mid-east. My son says it helped boost morale when he was there. Avoid it if you're easily offended, but great fun for the rest of us.

This is the best way I know to get through a long road trip laughing. It will also take your mind off your worries, because you have to really pay attention to keep up with the rapid fire delivery style and you can't think about much else at the same time. This has become a classic in our home, and a great gift for everyone who says, "I have to have that for myself!"

I got a cassette tape of the first PHC joke show years ago and just about wore it out from playing it to keep me alert and upbeat on road trips. Now I found this compilation on 4 CDs and I'm laughing more than ever. Sure, there are sophomoric jokes, 3rd grade jokes, puns, groaners and old chestnuts you've heard before, but somehow they all work when presented by Garrison, Roy Blount, Paula Poundstone and the rest. I love it!

In a time when reality television programs are wildly popular, with their narcissistic, silly people who think fame will make them important, these stories are about life. As so many other reviewers have noted, Garrison Keillor's Lake Woebegone stories look at human nature with all of its frailties and hidden dreams and hilarity and moments of grace. He can make you laugh out loud and cry in one story. I've had this cd collection for about 13 years now, and I still don't get tired of it. All the stories are good, but Bruno the Fishing Dog remains one of my all-time favorites. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

This is a fine collection of monologues from the period during which Keillor was most popular, and it also has gorgeous guitar links provided by Chet Atkins, whose trademark arpeggios are beautifully rendered on an acoustic guitar with a rich, mellow sound. I was moved by these recordings to buy several Chet Atkins CDs. "Meeting Donny Hart at the Bus Stop," "Pastor Inqvist's Trip to Orlando," and "Mammoth Concert Tickets" contain all of the elements that earned Keillor his loyal following -- an affection for the Minnesota region, fallible human characters, hope and compassion, all told with a twinkling sense of humor.

I have virtually all of Keillor's Lake Woebegon works, and this is his finest! "On Meeting Donny Hart" is perhaps the finest tragi-comedy of them all! You'll bust a gut listening to Mazumbo, Gospel Birds, Pastor Ingquist's Trip to Orlando, Mammoth Concert, and Babe Ruth Visits Lake Woebegon-- the whole set is superb. I can't say enough good about this excellent product.

Garrison Keillor is to the spoken story what Mark Twain was to the written - a kind and intelligent sense of humor mixed in with a wickedly insightful knowledge of human nature. His monologues, the "News from Lake Wobegon", have always been the centerpiece of PBS's wildly successful Prairie Home Companion, and I have found none of his stories to be superior to those contained within this collection.

Pastor Inqvist's Trip to Orlando is worth the price of these cassettes alone with the story of the humble Lutheron Minister and his desire to please his Church Deacons and Mrs. Inqvist at the same time. The Gospel Birds is another "church" story, but you'd be wrong if you came to a listen thinking that Mr. Keillor is simply a "holy roller" trying to pound his version of "the gospel" into anyone.

His stories are about what makes us human - our nobleness and our failings - and his storytelling is so skillful, he allows us to hear that our shortcomings are as important in who we are as our triumphs.

This is one of 2 collections of monologues (the other being "Fall") that (to me) comprise the absolute best of Garrison Keillor's recorded Lake Wobegon stories. Some of the later collections have a more uneven feel, but "Gospel Birds" and "Fall" don't have a weak moment on them. The stories range from hilarious to touching to heartbreaking, and many times are all three at once. You'll laugh at these whacko Minnesota characters, but you'll also see yourself in them, and feel along with them as well. This is time well spent.

I bought this to get a copy of Keillor's incredible version of "The Raven". That, alone, is worth the price of this CD. The rest of the content is a nice bonus. This is very enjoyable to listen to while waiting for the next door bell on Halloween night.

Another great addition to the PHC collection. A collection of bits and skits from various halloween shows and a few that have nothing to do with halloween but they do have the feeling of the season. If you're not a PHC fan but are looking for another halloween cd to add to your collection this may not be the right cd for you. But, if you are a fan, then you will enjoy this collection that could have easily been a part of the PHC 'FALL' cd from the 'SEASONS' collection.

An especially welcome addition to my holiday listening collection. Good humor, music and stories. Well worth the money.

Garrison Keillor's "Horrors" is not only one of Keillor's great works of all time, but it is a marvelous take on Halloween itself. This cassette series has everything fans of Keillor could possibly want from brilliant, unique stories to sharp, witty skits to wonderfully appropriate music for Halloween. The best thing, in my opinion, on this series, however, is Keillor's unsurpassed reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". To sum up, this cassette series is enjoyable year around and is a must-buy for any fan of Garrison Keillor and "A Prarie Home Companion".

I purchased 2 of these books. One as a gift, the other for my family. This book is a keepsake-I will hold onto it for generations! My kids (Ages-16,14,12) just loved thumbing through the pages. The quality of the book is phenomenal-the pictures are wonderful-tons of interesting facts, articles and recipes (my favorite section-) Many of which have been family recipes for years, I didn't know they were Minnesota State Fair winning recipes -many yummy "Minnesota Hot Dishes"

I would recommend this book-I leave it on my coffee table, and I cant believe how many people say-where did you get this-"I WANT ONE!" Amazon has the best price I have found too!

I have two other books this author and would recommend any of her books. The pictures are great and the book is put together wonderfully. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history, vintage, or just loves fun reading.

State fair buffs, cultural historians, sociologists, book designers, fun lovers, gift givers: Don't miss this Amazon-priced opportunity to buy MINNESOTA STATE FAIR, AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY. It's packed with thousands of dynamic, annotated pics. It's a 213 page-turner of great Heartland Americana. It's also the perfect coffee table gift for collectors, friends, family, and clients.

We are delighted to see that the award winning Koutsky team has produced another gem in their historic trilogy about Minnesotans creating and enjoying quality of life experiences. MINNESOTA STATE FAIR preserves and celebrates the State's extraordinary heritage. This book is crafted in the outstanding design format that characterized the authors' first two books: MINNESOTA EATS OUT and MINNESOTA VACATION DAYS.

We particularly enjoy the forward by the inimitable, Garrison Keillor. Our Minnesota friends agree that this book brings back memories of their favorite experiences at the Fair, such as grandstand celebrities and bandstand performers. MINNESOTA STATE FAIR actually covers one hundred fifty years of pioneering progress and fun.

It's another visual stunner. We found pictorial chapters about harvests and technology, animals and animal husbandry, grandstand and bandstand performances, midway attractions, racing and other competitions, exhibits and education, food and dining. There's even a 24-page illustrated appendix of over 100 tested, updated recipes from Minnesota State Fair food stand classics, blue ribbon winners, and the best of Heartland cuisine, as it evolves through the Century.

We are enjoying the many facets of this extraordinary book, and think Amazon book buyers will, too.

The pictures are wonderful but some have been repeated from another book about the Minnesota State Fair. The history is very interesting. There are two mistakes in the book. Since a good editor or prof reader would have caught the first error. The second is hidden. Both are picture errors. You would really have to know the fair pritty well to catch it. Most of the history is from 1854 to around the 1990's. Since cars are a big deal at the fair in the early years, so where is the mention of the Minnesota Street Rod Association car show at fair on the eastside of the grandstand. The cheapest thing on the fair grounds for a buck before the grandstand was remodel in 2002. The Carousel is mention in the book but very brief. A small couple of lines about it. Which is very confusing. Yes, carousels have been at the fair since 1892 when they where called merry-go-rounds, but the fair didn't have a permit one until 1914. They don't mention a fire in 1939 that distroyed fancy band organ and scroched some of the hand-carved horses, but they do mention that is moved and continues to entertain adults and children a like at Como Park. So if you where looking for info on the updates of the fair, your out of luck. Very little new pictures. The book "Blue Ribbon: A Social and Pictoral History of Minnesota State Fair has more info and some cute stories. Which the writter of blue ribbon is praising this new book. This book does do some justice to major things at the state fair. But not all. Brief info on Skyride, Carousel, Space Tower, Giant Slide and Ye Old Mill are just too brief. The buildings in the book are very interesting but to me I want to know where on the fairgrounds they where and if they where still standing where would they be today. Which some are gone like most of the church dinners are. The dairy building in the book is now the Fine Arts building. Which to some people now consider Empire Commons as the Dairy building. Empire Commons is pictured as a drawing. Which doesn't do it justice since that's where the butter sculputers of Princess Kay and her court are housed. There is no mention of the Haunted House. Even the French Fries booth has picture in the book. But even the Andy's Grill isn't even in the book and that has some history at the fair since it was a dinner across the street from where it now is. My one question to the authors are have they ever been on any of the rides that are perminatly at the fair grounds. Did they talk to the owners of the ones that are left. Dosen't seem like they did. Seams like they just used info from fair board. Why not talk to some of food booth owners, some have great stories to tell. I'm sure they wanted to add so much more but they just couldn't. Why not cut the recipes. The recipes could have been a book on it's own. Since money from the sale of the book goes to the Minnesota State Fair Foundation more people whould buy a recipe book then a illustrated history book with 214 pages. The cost of the book $35. Which is expensive book. When I bought mine it was shrinked rap. So I couldn't just look at it. For me this book doesn't do the State Fair justice. But I've worked there so I know alot by talking to people who have been there for over 50 years. If you like the fair and just want to get a brief history then I would recomend it. Or just go to the Minnesota State Fair archives and museum which is housed in Haritage Square. Open during the 12 days of the fair 9 to 9.

This was intended to be Keillor's last show in 1991. It was not, to a lot of people's great relief. First there is the music - if ever there was a recording to match the guitar work of Chet Atkins and Leo Kotke in 'Sleepwalk' I've yet to hear it. The songs Keillor sings, sad songs, beautiful songs of endings and parting will break you heart. The last episode of the 'News from Lake Wobegon' is just astounding. You cannot miss the tone of a man saying goodby to a lifetime. The humor is what it always was, just plain wonderful. If you've got to leave, didn't want to, hoped you would come back you will hear it all here. Parhaps the finest show he's ever done.

Keillor outdoes himself with this extra-long show. An artifact, a historical document, and a labor of love.