The Prayer for Fair Weather is a prayer included within The Moist Heart, a liturgical book used for the celebration of Mass (Saint Fidgeta and Other Parodies, 119). The prayer asks God, who knows there are people "who live in fetid swamps", to ignore the Prayer for Rain and "dry up the mosquito-infested dank smelly lakes of which this damned state is so proud."
Inspiration[]
As Saint Fidgeta was published shortly after Bellairs's two-year teaching stint in Winona, Minnesota, "I trust you didn't miss the indication of John's tender regard for Minnesota, the so-named Land of 10,000 Lakes, in the prayer.[1]” Longtime friend Gerald Kadish adds that Bellairs referred to his time in the state as being stationed at “Saint Teresa's in the Swamps.[2]” Officially Minnesota is proud of its 11,842 unique lakes, from Aaron to Zumbra[3].
References[]
- ↑ Correspondence with Charles Bowen.
- ↑ Correspondence with Gerald Kadish.
- ↑ Wikipedia: List of lakes in Minnesota