American Spirit

I didn't mean to read this book. I was trying to read several books I felt I should read. But I heard the author on NPR and he was funny so I downloaded it and kept telling myself I would let myself read it once I finished reading all that I should read. Well, all that I should have read never got r......more

I don't want to overhype this but Dan Kennedy is like the new master of American loser fiction. He's so good at the dry delivery and suckerpunch to your heart (sometimes at the same time). I think it's interesting to see some of the crappy ratings and reviews for this book. I think some of these peo......more

An amusing guy-version of an Eat, Pray, Love odyssey. It starts out with the main character tooling around, drinking morning coffee and then noontime beers, in his leased BMW ("the Bavarian land-barge situation"), trying to kill time and hide that he's been fired from his "mid-six" Manhattan publish......more

I came to this novel from hearing its author, Dan Kennedy, interviewed on a podcast I love called "Bullseye." On-air, Kennedy was engaging and witty. He also has a great Twitter feed and happens to be the host of "The Moth" podcast, which endeavors to do nothing more than relate great stories told b......more

There are some vile bits in this book. If you don’t like vile bits don’t read this book or the rest of this review. The book follows 45-year-old Matthew Harris who is “long, lanky, slightly underweight, now hung-over, semi-moneyed, tall, and medium slim, with no evident interest in shaving.” He is goi......more