Garrison Keillor came to Sitka on the two-week Prairie Home Companion cruise, which previously traveled through Alaska in 2006. He also paid a visit to pen pal and Sitka park ranger Jasa Woods. (Kendall Rock/KCAW photo)

Raven Radio listeners are well acquainted with the voice of Garrison Keillor, host of both “A Prairie Home Companion” and the daily “Writer’s Almanac.” But those in Sitka got a special chance to meet Keillor in person, while he visited during Prairie Home Companion’s two-week cruise through Alaska.

The M/S Maasdam left Seattle on Monday, August 15th and has since stopped in Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Anchorage, and Kodiak, most recently cruising along Hubbard Glacier. Their next stop is Victoria, B.C. and return to Seattle on Monday, August 29th.

Before getting lunch with pen pal Jasa Woods, a ranger with the Sitka National Historical Park, Keillor stopped the Raven Radio studios to talk about retirement, his process for the “Writer’s Almanac,” and “seeking grandeur” in Alaska.

We’ll have a follow-up story on Keillor’s visit next week!

Post-interview, reporter Emily Kwong gave Keillor a sampler of Raven Radio gear – sweatshirt, hat, bumper sticker . (Kendall Rock/KCAW photo)