Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor (August 7, 1942-) was born in Anoka, Minnesota. He earned a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota where he edited the student-run literary magazine Ivory Tower and worked as an announcer for the campus radio station. After working for Minnesota Public Radio, he created the comedic radio show A Prairie Home Companion in 1974. In 2006, Keillor opened an independent bookstore in St. Paul called Common Good Books, but he sold the store in 2019.

Keillor has been a lifelong reader and writer, skipping swimming lessons as a child to go to the library or a radio station instead. He has written several novels set in the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, which also appeared in his radio program. His work has garnered several awards, including Peabody and Edward L. Murrow Awards. In addition to prose fiction, Keillor has also edited several books of poetry, written short stories for The New Yorker, and written a column under the pseudonym of “Mr. Blue.” His works often comment on Midwestern life in clever and humorous ways.

More information on Garrison Keillor from the Minnesota Historical Society.