Word: alida
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...article appears one day, depicting John as a "portly Lutheran Lothario" who "tried to 'psychologically seduce'" women at the public radio station where he works. However, up to that point in the book, readers are lead to believe that John is kind, quiet, in love with his girlfriend Alida, and not coming close to stepping on anyone's toes along the way. This sudden, almost violent disclosure of persecution makes the reader stop and wonder what he or she has been missing--or what Keillor is intentionally excluding from his character sketches...
Another perplexing scene in the novel, though a much less politically charged one, is the issue of Alida, John's adored girlfriend. She is described time and time again as beautiful, brilliant, and full of personality. She also eludes John's proposals of marriage repeatedly. Then, as suddenly as the radio station scandal arises, she agress to be his wife. One could believe that this is nothing more than Keillor's deus ex machina for the story--she has to say yes eventually, but it has to take a while to build suspense...
...disbelief has to be employed on the reader's part as well. Why is such an incredible catch attracted to this quiet Midwestern boy? And why does she suddenly say yes, after so many enthusiastic no's? After reading the sweetly sentimental poem John wrote for their wedding, Alida falls into his arms, and he realizes "why men have written poems all these centuries--it is to impress a woman in hopes that she will sleep with you." It is as if Alida has suddenly thrown away her previous desires to live life fully as a single person...
...Alida M. Daly, warden at the North Prospect Church polling site, said she had worked at polling sites in Cambridge for more than 40 years. "I love it," she said...
...airplane trailing a perot for president banner buzzed overhead, a frenzied crowd, some wearing ROSS FOR BOSS T shirts, cheered the diminutive man who they believe can clean up the mess in Washington. "Change means starting over, not just remodeling the house," declared Austin housewife Alida Anton. Many Americans agree with her that it may be time to hire a new contractor: a TIME/cnn poll showed Perot at 33%, Bush at 28% and Clinton at 24%. (See cover stories beginning on page...