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A Prairie Home Companion: News from Lake Wobegon

American Public Media


Podcast Overview

Revisit memorable performances of Garrison Keillor's signature monologue, The News from Lake Wobegon, from rebroadcasts of the live public radio program A Prairie Home Companion. Garrison created A Prairie Home Companion in July 1974 and hosted for 42 years, until July 2016. Enjoy classic tales from the town where "all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Produced by American Public Media. Twitter: @prairie_home

Podcast Episodes

The News from Lake Wobegon for July 8, 2017

"It's been hot and steamy out there and people have been showing up down at the bathing beach, that we don't think are from our town, we are not sure." Pastor Inqvist and his wife take a four-week vacation so the Worship and Music Committee enlists a replacement pastor to deliver the sermon, and the Anderson boy returns after many years as a carnival entertainer, in a July 2001 monologue.

The News from Lake Wobegon for July 1, 2017

"It's been lovely whether. It's been warm. We got a little bit of rain. It's been great for the tomatoes." Irene Bunsen gloats when her tomato plants outstrip her brother-in-law Clarence's crop, the 4th of July committee debates rules for the annual parade and picnic, and Mr. Olson fights proposed changes to this year's fireworks display on behalf of the volunteer fire department, in a monologue originally from July 1999.

The News from Lake Wobegon for June 24, 2017

"This is the shank of summer. It's such a gorgeous time of year. It's been so beautiful in Lake Wobegon. The yards, the lawns have never looked more beautiful than they do right now." Thoughts on lawn maintenance and strawberry-rhubarb pie, the Tollefson boy considers moving to Los Angeles, and a deerfly bite helps the Whippets continue their winning season, in a monologue from June 2014.

The News from Lake Wobegon for June 17, 2017

"We had some storms out there but it's been all good for us. The mourning doves we hear them in the morning, we see the fireflies at night." Clarence Bunsen sleeps on his boat so he can think in the middle of the night; the story of Mr. Musselman, who was driven from town by deerflies; and the Whippets win a close game, a monologue originally from June 2015.

The News from Lake Wobegon for June 10, 2017

"It's been cool. There's been some rain, which we appreciate out there because it gives you a reason not to do things you thought you were going to have to do." The high school decides to hold graduation outdoors at the last minute, the class of 2015 pulls off one of the better graduation pranks in recent memory, and the town takes time to enjoy the summer weather, in a June 2015 monologue.

The News from Lake Wobegon for June 3, 2017

"It's been June weather. Everything is happening at once. The dragonflies are all kind of breeding and they're out and they're mating." Thoughts on desert living and the benefits of rhubarb, the high school's senior class pulls the annual graduation ceremony prank, and parents contemplate their graduates' futures, in a monologue from June 2014.

The News from Lake Wobegon for May 27, 2017

"It's been warm out here, been in the 80s, so we were very grateful for this big thunderstorm that came along on Tuesday night. Big shards of lightning splitting the sky sure gets everybody's attention."The Lutheran Church search committee looks for a replacement for Pastor Inqvist, caterpillars take over the sidewalks, and Irene Bunsen calls into a radio station at 3:30 in the morning, a monologue originally from May 2010.

The News from Lake Wobegon for May 20, 2017

"The weather's just been gorgeous. It was warm this last week, it was up in the 80s. There was a little bit of rain, not enough, but there's never enough." The Whippets win a few games with the help of young pitcher "Whiplash" Wilson, garage sale season begins, the Larson boy gets a job at Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery, and a bat invades Lake Wobegon Lutheran Church and frightens Pastor Haugen, in a May 2014 monologue.

The News from Lake Wobegon for May 13, 2017

"It's been cool here this last week, actually 'cold' I think would be a better term for it -- and it snowed. But it's only the first week of May and precipitation comes in many different forms." Cool weather temporarily rids the town of insects, Carl Krebsbach becomes a spectacle after being covered in plum blossoms during a storm, and the Lutheran Church searches for a replacement for Pastor Ham, in a monologue from May 2010.

The News from Lake Wobegon for May 6, 2017

"It was warm and kind of windy all week and we got this terrific thunderstorm on Wednesday, which was a great boon, to get washed off like that." Fishing season begins and fishermen return to their pursuit of famous walleye Old Pete, Luann cuts her hair very short, the town analyzes photos of Pastor Liz in Rome, and Pastor Haugen irritates his secretary Marlene, a monologue from May 2014.

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