Lake Wobegon
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Lake Wobegon is a fictitious town in Minnesota, claimed to have been the boyhood home of Garrison Keillor, who reports the News from Lake Wobegon on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion, broadcast live every Saturday afternoon over Minnesota Public Radio and NPR stations throughout the US. It's proud of the statue of the Unknown Norwegian, is the home of the Leonards baseball team, is served by Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery and the Sidetrack Tap, and contains Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility parish. There is lots of tuna hot dish, snow, Norwegian bachelor farmers, ice fishing, tongues frozen to cold metal things, and lutefisk. Keillor characterizes Lake Wobegon as a place where "the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."
The place is generally regarded as a small town in which "progress" is viewed as something the pilgrims were involved with. While people of color, gay people and others no doubt exist in the city, thus far they have not really manifested themselves.
Despite not existing, to many the town sounds appealing and some have humorously gone off in search of it. A book of photos, co-authored by Mr. Keillor, documents images which could have in fact come from there.
Keillor has also written several semi-autobiographical books about life in Lake Wobegon.
See also: Lake Wobegon effect.
