Do you hear that? It is the sound of my heart breaking. No more Mr. Blue!? Say it isn't so! Of the many, many good things Salon offers, Mr. Blue is the best. I wish him a speedy recovery and a long and happy life. But I also hope he knows how much his devoted fans will miss him. Tuesdays won't be nearly as good without him.
-- Julie Lloyd
Thanks to your advice column I have completely turned around my life. I was lost and alone and confused and poor and ugly, but now thanks to you I have started a very successful business in my very own home and am rich and successful and handsome and surrounded by a bevy of friends.
I do still have one problem; I tend to exaggerate things a little bit.
Thank you for your wit and wisdom, your passionate defense of the freedom to fail and your sincere desire for people to succeed. Enjoy the porch-sitting; stay away from the Lancers until after lunch.
-- John Livingstone
I've never sent Mr. Blue a question, mainly because I have no major romantic or literary angst clawing at me.
But I'll miss the column immensely for one big reason: He's a great writer, and that shines through even in the unusual format of a question-and-answer column. His solid advice, humor, honesty and occasional crankiness are those of the wise uncle I've never had. His writing slides right into your brain in the way that only good writing can.
So, Mr. Keillor, take good care of yourself, and if you feel up to it, I hope you'll lend your talents to Salon's pages in one form or another. I'll miss you.
-- Kelly Ryer
I was saddened to read that this was Garrison Keillor's final advice column. Though I haven't always agreed with his advice, I always found him to be witty, endearing and refreshing.
I am glad he has made the decisions that will add to his personal happiness, and wish him all the best. He will be sorely missed.
-- L.A. Solinas
The news that you are quitting the Mr. Blue Biz is devastating to me, as sad as a death in the family and I approve 100 percent, because you are taking your own advice. Wise man. I will miss your wise-nosity. I panic a little knowing your calm, brilliant approach to personal problems won't be accessible to me anymore. It's horrible to contemplate a world with only Abby and Ann (YAAAAHHHH!!!!) offering columnar personal advice. Are you going to have the decency to publish your Mr. Blue columns so those of us addicted to your particular brand of advice can tearfully bring forth the sacred volume and worshipfully read the glories of days gone by?!?!? WE WILL MISS YOU -- but thanks for the memories!!
-- Katie Kingston
Thank you, Mr. Blue, for inspiring me to live well, to treat strangers kindly and to be a writer at heart. I wish you all the best.
-- Andy Lee
How will I survive my workweek without Mr. Blue? I'll find a way because I understand why he must go. I wondered how he could be so many places at once without becoming obsessively overworked. I'll miss you, Mr. Blue, but there's always the "Prairie." You've touched and helped me many times.
-- Christina Woodard
While I wish Mr. Blue a happy and wonderful life and a safe recovery, I can not help but feel complete sadness at the end of his column.
Mr. Blue was a moral compass for these weird and interesting times of ours; a counterpoint to our Jerry Springer, Do-It-If-It-Feels-Good culture. His responses were always polite and good-natured and filled with nothing but common sense and an occasional laugh. They always brightened my day and encouraged me to enjoy life just a little bit more.
I shall miss him terribly.
-- Monica Gaudio
As one who looked forward to Mr. Blue's weekly measure of humor, grace and wisdom, my disappointment at his departure is immeasurable. He is, quite simply, the best advice columnist ever. While I'm all for Garrison Keillor's decision to broaden his margin of leisure (to paraphrase Thoreau), my own margin feels more narrow today. I will sorely miss Mr. Blue.
-- Victoria Reiners
"And when people do bad things with their eyes open, they dull their consciences, and this makes them dangerous to others."
Wow. That was the most clear-headed, concise thing (dare I say Poetic?) Mr. Blue has written in his column. That's quite a feat considering how direct and forthright he has always been.
Be well, Mr. Blue, and best wishes.
-- Scott Boyer
It was the best advice column ever. Especially because, in addition to being so damn sensible, Mr. Keillor was so present. Reading the column was like sitting around the table after dinner, over coffee and perhaps a little cognac, chatting with an unpretentious, charming, witty and utterly grounded sage.
-- Rafael Antonio Nazario
It's heartbreaking to see Mr. Blue trundle off into the past. Just another reminder to enjoy good things while they're here, consider yourself lucky to be living through interesting times and never take anything for granted. I hope Garrison recovers fully and resumes writing books, at least. God, I miss the bastard already.
Just one thing: Please do not attempt to replace him with some witless, self-absorbed columnist. Your staff is already sagging with too much arrogance and suspect talent. Balance it out with another "experienced" scribe, will ya?
-- John Carlton
Mr. Blue, your departure has got me all verklempt, but it helps that we will always have Lake Wobegon and the Salon archives.
I never wrote in, but I am one of the young people you helped indirectly -- you helped me grieve for a dearly departed, helped me forgive people that needed it, myself included, and I thought of what you would say to me more than once as I nervously filled out my graduate school application. I will be going to New York, and who hasn't dreamt of that at least once, and to the school of my earliest ambitions, which is the best gift I ever gave anybody. So thanks for all the kind words and thoughtfulnesses, best wishes, enjoy the restructuring and the convalescing.
-- Vikki Cravens
Shares