Cambridge Forum; WGBH Forum Network; Garrison Keillor: Christmas Blizzard

I do want to. OK. Me and My mom sent me this and also to you. OK. Who's you ladies going to. Church. How are you? Good, how are you? Just fine thank you. I also grew up listening to your show. I wanted to visit Lake Woebegone mmhmm as a kid mmhmm, um still do. But my question actually I I recently picked up a copy of, of um good poems for hard times mmhmm and in the introduction you talk about the lack or the loss of communal life in Some Americans and a sense of commonality and shared purpose which I guess is it's probably difficult thing to have and to begin with in a country that's so diverse as ours. And but, I guess my question is uh recently um I feel like a lot of people in my generation thought that we had kind of regained that in a way with the political changes in this country in the past year, but I feel like now we're as fractured as ever and uh maybe even worse off in some ways. And I wonder if you think that there's if there's way to regain some feeling of shared purpose and

shared. Mission and commonality and or whether that's a kind of a impossible dream and we have a pursue our own... no, I find that people, people your age full of full of optimism and we and we look to you for For optimism. Um certainly don't look to people my age for it. Heaven sakes! They know too much, they've seen they've seen too much and they've had the wrong experiences. No people people your age have bounding Christians. And your generation I think is a generation that is that is uh uh more literate than mine because of the Internet and, and uh and has highly developed social skills and I think has an ambition to see the see the world and to and it to live life big but we have to live it as individuals. First I think before

we have anything to offer to each other and no there's there's there's great possibilities for for common life. Don't be discouraged by by this last year and I know we don't we don't we don't measure these things in months or years they take place over a long over a long period of time. We have we have much to hope for and that's a really nice looking shirt Pajamas. Thank you. Yeah You're welcome. I got it at Target for about $5 So. Well there you are see a $5 shirt and it looks that good on you. Make that the start of something Big. Thank you. Thank you very much. All right. Another yes, sir. Hi there my question is also I guess based out of a political question. As you said to the fellow earlier fiction are what you want. And you know it's because we understand that

fiction has power. But my concern is that Some people are realizing that fiction has power who we might prefer not have realized that. People are are are realizing that fiction can be used towards dare We say it pernicious Etan's or people get it in their nose that those who disagree with them are using fiction towards pernicious ends. And I was wondering whether what what your thoughts were about this sort of trend in our society at this point. We trust the reader. I trust the reader if you don't trust the reader. And then what's our hope. We trust the reader. And I do. I think the reader can, can read, ugh, dishonesty. Quickly, you know in a few pages. And some people prefer

dishonesty How nonetheless I think people can if you can read this very clearly and and pernicious n'est whenever you whatever you mean by that people people pick up In it instantly. The readers are are. Smart. They're bright a pennies and. And we count on that. We count on it. And We toss our lesser works aside and they don't and they do not waste their time on them. And and there and there they have great taste. Well you see if You did if We didn't think that I wouldn't be here. You see you have some optimism still. Yes well some, some. Thank you. Yes sir. Hi Ms. Sarah. First Well I'd like to say you're well my favorite authors and I listen your show ever since I was a kid. Oh, my name's Dan, sorry. And uh so I just wanted to know if Chicago. were a real place. All the stories you've ever written and really happened and these are real Students. What would you want to live there yourself. Like is that your idea of a utopia.

Well, now we're assuming it's a fictitious place and uh (laughter) Sometimes on Public Television, Some Mist County and has been left off the ground. street. and has invisible to satellites but would you want to live there, anyway? Real or not. Well some days all days I would like to live in Lake Wobegon. And sometimes um when I'm just dissatisfied with myself which uh which which happens which happens often when when I'm when I take a a soft and an on charitable look at myself. And your own personal character. And and. how I spend my time, um Then I think maybe I would be better if I lived in Lake Wobegon where here are fewer Television.

And where you are always being watched by any people. It is in a way a kind of a Lutheran penal colony, (laughter) and uh And so your life is always open to a inspection of others. But on the Another day. Which now are all most days are not like that. Uh, no I wouldn't. Uh you couldn't pay you to live there. Was I would I would I wanted to live in a place where I can uh see movies and I want to go to shows and I want to hang out with people who are entirely unlike me. You know who are Jewish and who are you from Jupiter Florida. The. And. Those I am not I'm not I'm this is not an odd. Thing is it to to want to us among people who are entirely unlike yourself I mean I know the words diversity I'm not sure what everybody means by it, but isn't this what we want? Well sure I guess makes life more interesting.

Of course it does. Course it does. And it pushes us a little bit so no I would choose New York if I could choose any place. Fair enough, fair enough. Great to know. OK. I think we should, um I think we should close here and I think uh the young man mentioned a communal experience. I think we should had a communal experience and I think that we should sing Silent Night! (ah from crowd) It is in your hymnal if you need the words. (laughter) Uh If I think it's around 2 to 150 wanted something but you don't need the word Steve. Let's just let's just find the key and let's sing Silent Night. I'm sorry? Who is what? Oh dim the lights dim the lights. I thought you were saying give me more light. Which would be a whole other thing to talk about. OK that's Just very funny. (all singing): Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child

Laugh out Loud. Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. (singing bass part). Silent night, holy night Shepherds quake at the sight

The few street from. Alleluia. Christ the Savior is born. Christ the Savior is born born. Silent night, ho- oly night. Son of God Solar!

His. Name's for Jim. Maria. Put we did. Jesus Lord at thy birth, Jesus Lo- Bye the way. Had. Thanks so much thank you f-.