Thriving on irritation and dread

    
Hey, turn that hat around, you're not a catcher!

We're not sure which Garrison Keillor we're going to get when he shows up this February at Symphony Hall. Will we get his patented Prairie Home Companion soliloquies about Lutherans, small town life, simple joys and deep feelings rendered in his gentle baritone? Will he be Guy Noir, his parodic gumshoe alter-ego? Or will he come as the Garrison Keillor we encounter most in his syndicated columns, The Curmudgeon?

Until we get the opportunity to find out, I recommend the sampler platter, tuning in to his radio show and reading his columns and other output. To that end here is a snippet of his most recent column with a link to the full text:

"Twice in my life I have lived in rural paradises like Montana and I learned that contentment only goes so far and what I thrive on is irritation and dread. You need the city for that.

1. A guy walks down the avenue with his baseball cap backwards on his head and you want to shake him until his contacts fall out. He is in his early 30s but thinks of himself as an 8-year-old. He is Narcissus in sneakers.

2. People who, instead of saying, "That is so cool," say, "How cool is that?" A way of expressing enthusiasm without sounding enthusiastic. How dumb is that?"

Read all of: If you thrive on vexation, these are the best of times in The Arizona Daily Star.