I think Noel Murray expressed my own opinion of Oberst well in his popless series. Something about not being a superfan but admitting that "the kid's got talent!" His political songs give me a mad case of the dork tingles, but I rarely skip through his more playful songs if they come up on my shuffle.

A fat person.

Good write-up, Ellen
Though that bowker survey thing was pretty depressing. Not surprising, but depressing. I read way more than I watch TV, but I always feel a teensy bit obnoxious and uppity when I hear a statistic like that and immediately start thinking "Shame on you dumbfucks surrounding me! Read a motherfucking…

Nuh-uh.

Me too. It's cute when they say "meow".

It's pumpkininny!

My brother uses Chet's line "Yer stewed, buttwad!" in pretty much every conversation we have.

How can you be looking forward to something that was released in 2008, D?

I'm going with #2 as the joke nomination, since it's probably full of jokes. Traveler could be a good one. I found it pretty taxing by the end, but the individual stories are pretty wonderful.

Suggestion for further reading: Stephen Millhauser
I would like to put forth Edwin Mullhouse: The Life and Death of an American Writer 1943-1954 by Jeffrey Cartwright by Stephen Millhauser. He's an amazing writer who doesn't get his props.

Bring a dictionary
I loved reading this book and occasionally thinking to myself, "No fucking way that's a real word." McCarthy writes like he's been alive for 300 years. All his stories have a kind of "Listen-the-fuck-up-this-is-serious" feeling to them.

Donald Barthelme burst my delusion bubble.

Yeah, fucker

Give me Screeching Weasel

Stern all! The White Whale spouts thick blood!

"That's it! NO more battlefield trips for you jokesters!"

When I see pictures of Desi Arnaz, I am emotionally unaffected.

That purple-socked biatch from the Muppet Babies.

Go back to your shanty-towns you brain-dead hicks.

Slacking off at work! That's why I'm here!