Ambassador Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1986) Winner
Garrison Keillor
ギャリソン・キーラー
Garrison Keillor
Pen Names:
Garrison（Pen name adopted around age 13 and used professionally）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1942-08-07 （Anoka, Minnesota, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Raised in the Plymouth Brethren; later attended the Episcopal Church
- Residence History
- Anoka, Minnesota (birthplace) → St. Paul, Minnesota (longtime residence and base) → New York City (worked/lived while producing radio shows) → Collegeville / St. John's University area (early radio work)
Career
- Occupations
- author, radio personality, humorist, singer, voice actor, bookseller
- Active Years
- 1969-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | — | English | BA | 1962–1966 | United States |
University of Minnesota
English
Degree:
BA
Period:
1962–1966
Year of Graduation:
1966
Country:
United States
Began broadcasting at the student radio station during college
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Peabody Award | A Prairie Home Companion | — | Peabody Awards | 受賞 |
| 1990 | Medal for Spoken Language | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 受賞 |
| 1994 | National Radio Hall of Fame (inductee) | — | — | National Radio Hall of Fame | 殿堂入り |
| 1999 | National Humanities Medal | — | — | National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) | 受賞 |
| 1988 | Grammy Award (Spoken Word) | Lake Wobegon Days (recording) | — | Grammy Awards | 受賞 |
| 2007 | John Steinbeck Award | — | — | John Steinbeck Award committee | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Fitzgerald Award for Achievement in American Literature | — | — | Fitzgerald Award organizers | 受賞 |
| 2007 | The Moth Award – Honoring the Art of the Raconteur | — | — | The Moth | 受賞 |
Peabody Award
1980
Work:
A Prairie Home Companion
Organization:
Peabody Awards
Result:
受賞
Medal for Spoken Language
1990
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
受賞
National Radio Hall of Fame (inductee)
1994
Organization:
National Radio Hall of Fame
Result:
殿堂入り
National Humanities Medal
1999
Organization:
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Result:
受賞
Grammy Award (Spoken Word)
1988
Work:
Lake Wobegon Days (recording)
Organization:
Grammy Awards
Result:
受賞
John Steinbeck Award
2007
Organization:
John Steinbeck Award committee
Result:
受賞
Fitzgerald Award for Achievement in American Literature
2016
Organization:
Fitzgerald Award organizers
Result:
受賞
The Moth Award – Honoring the Art of the Raconteur
2007
Organization:
The Moth
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Lake Wobegon Days
1985 fiction/short stories 272 pagesA collection of stories set in Keillor's fictional Minnesota town Lake Wobegon, portraying Midwestern daily life with humor and nostalgia.
Midwestern lifesmall-town charactersnostalgia and humor
WLT: A Radio Romance
1991 novel 352 pagesA novel set around a radio station, exploring romance and human drama.
radio culturerelationshipsnostalgia
Homegrown Democrat: A Few Plain Thoughts from the Heart of America
2004 essays/criticism 240 pagesA collection of essays on Midwestern America, politics, and culture reflecting Keillor's perspectives.
political essaysAmerican cultureMidwestern observation
Bibliography
- G.K. The D.J. (1977)
- Happy to Be Here (1981)
- Lake Wobegon Days (1985)
- WLT: A Radio Romance (1991)
- Homegrown Democrat (2004)
- That Time of Year: A Minnesota Life (2020)
- Cheerfulness (2023)
Adaptations
- A Prairie Home Companion (film directed by Robert Altman, 2006)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- observational narrativegentle humor with ironyconversational, rhythmic monologue
- Recurring Motifs
- Lake Wobegon (fictional town)small-town everyday lifenostalgic, gently exaggerated portrayals
Health
-
minor stroke2009-09-07Brief hospitalization; returned to work within a few days
Legacy
Widely known as a writer and radio personality who portrayed Midwestern culture with humor and nostalgia. Through long-running programs like A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer's Almanac he influenced American popular culture, though his legacy was complicated by allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior.
Museums
Archives
- Restoration of A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer's Almanac archives by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR)
In Popular Culture
- His voice and narrative style have been parodied (e.g., The Simpsons)
- Impersonations on shows such as Saturday Night Live
Quotes
-
Lake Wobegon is a place "where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."
Source: Monologues from A Prairie Home Companion (Lake Wobegon) (1974)
Trivia
- Known for wearing distinctive red shoes.
- Opened an independent bookstore "Common Good Books" in St. Paul in 2006 and later sold his interest.
- Adopted the pen name "Garrison" at about age 13.