Keillor, IMO, would be Twain-worthy. For one thing, his humor is so rooted in Americana. -Steve Hoffman Takoma Park On 11/23/2015 4:27 PM, Rod Rawlings wrote: > At the 2013 Elmira conference, I asked Peter Kaminsky, a co-creator of the > Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize, why Garrison Keillor had not yet received > the honor. He answered that Keillor had been offered the prize, but had > declined. > > Now that Keillor is retiring from his weekly radio show, perhaps he will > reconsider. I hope so. > > Rod Rawlings > [log in to unmask] > > > > On Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 1:57 PM, Hal Bush <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Folks, we tend to rehearse this debate every few years on here. >> Personally, I have no problem with honoring a comic/ humorist, which is >> what the prize is mostly about. MT's name is attached to it: our great >> American humorist. I used to get all in a lather when someone like Will >> Ferrell or Ellen DeGeneres et al would win, even though far greater >> achievements by the likes of Garrison Keillor or Carol Burnett were >> overlooked. (Burnett finally got it last year). In the past, many others >> have been named who never have won it, including Robin Williams. And I'm >> sure Woody Allen would also never appear, as with Vonnegut. >> >> By the way, Peter Kaminsky, one of the producers and main people involved >> in the award, was at the Elmira conference last time. He even gave a >> lecture, in which he showed clips from George Carlin, among other stuff. >> He was interesting to listen to, no doubt. Clearly, $$$$ is a major >> concern. In case anyone would like to make plans for next year, to honor >> very possibly Amy Schumer or some other youngster, here are some options, >> from the website: >> >> Single tickets and sponsorship packages ranging from $500 to $50,000 >> feature an array of benefits, including an invitation to attend an >> exclusive Artist Rehearsal Dinner with Mr. Murphy and other esteemed guests >> at the $25,000 level and above. Packages begin at $5,000 and include the >> festive pre-show dinner in a pavilion on the North Plaza, the tribute >> performance and formal presentation of the Mark Twain Prize in the Concert >> Hall, and a post-show reception with the cast. >> >> (I won't be there) >> >> -hb >> >> >> Prof. Harold K. Bush >> Professor of English >> 3800 Lindell >> Saint Louis University >> St. Louis, MO 63108 >> 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h) >> <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml> >> >