Greg Brown, Butch Thompson Trio, Garrison Keillor, Charlie Maguire, Helen Schneyer, Maxine Sullivan.
I cannot sing the old songs ( Garrison Keillor , Greg Brown )
[undocumented]
Ralph was reading a Scandinavian joke book and realized that he hadn't had a customer for three hours. Anthony Krepsbach was kicking a stone along the sidewalk. He said that school was let out because of the bad smell in the vents. The Post Office closed because it was too cold. The government hadn't paid last year's fuel bill. The people took up a collection to pay the bill which they will take off their income tax in April. A salesman in a pink Cadillac came through selling satellite TV dishes. Evelyn at the Sidetrack was mad because the patrons had been ripping off the cigarette machine. With a good TV in the Sidetrack, nobody would ever leave. Dorothy at the Chatterbox said that her customers would spill all of their food. Father Emil at Our Lady was interested because he thought that really good reception in the youth center might attract more patrons. In the old days, Father Emil's turned their TV sets to the wall on Saturdays and Sundays. Father Emil's father sold his farm in 1931 for the price of a truck. They loaded the furniture into the truck to head for California. His father told that it was time to make something of yourself. He hitch hiked for three days to the monastery where the monks took him in. He knew that God loved him. He walks at night and looks at the houses with bluish TV lights in the windows. TV actors don't care about children but Father Emil recites their names giving them a silent blessing. He does not recognize a house. He sees a black figure approaching holding out his hand. It was Ralph and he told him the joke about the drunken Norwegian sleeping with the pigs. He thought that he could understand some of the pigs. It sounded Swedish. He said, "Er du Svenske?" The pig said, "Norske."
1983.10.22 Berkshire Eagle / 1983.10.22 Louisville Courier