Life Among the Lutherans

Holly Harden is the editor of "Life among the Lutherans," a humorous collection of Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon monologues from his radio show.

The humorist admits that he didn’t know much about Lutherans when he started telling stories about them, but he has learned a lot over the years. For example: “Lutherans are a calm, stoical, modest people, haunted by guilt, fearful of looking ridiculous.” They love to make themselves useful, such as being ushers at church.

Don’t expect big or messy emotions from these reserved believers who cherish little things like rice pudding. Hard workers, they don’t know what to do with the idea of a siesta, or, as Keillor puts it, “I don’t like to generalize about Lutherans, but one thing that’s true of every single last one of them without exception is that the low point of their year is their summer vacation.”

He also offers “Ninety-five Theses” from a Wobegonian (Augsburg Books).