Contemporary Culture Humor

Creative people of all types use the Library: authors researching historical facts, artists looking for photographs, or musicians looking for unique recordings. I recently helped a local stand-up comedian look for authors similar to David Sedaris, an author who writes about himself, his family, and contemporary culture with sardonic wit and incisive social critiques. Books by such authors do not share the same subject heading, so a list was created for Good Reads titled Contemporary Culture Humor. The title is a little awkward, but it describes the content.

The newest book on the list is Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut by Rob Sheffield. Rob Sheffield has been a music journalist for more than twenty years. He is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, where he writes about music, TV, and pop culture. He is the author of the national bestseller Love is a Mix Tape, a memoir of love and music. Chuck Klosterman, another author on the list, said this about Rob's newest book:

A handful of rock writers can explain what they think about music, and lots of rock writers can explain what they feel about music. What makes Rob Sheffield different is that he nderstands how those feelings are generated. He can turn those abstract emotions into concrete thoughts. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the smartest guy in the room is also the funniest guy in the room...and the nicest guy...and the tallest guy...and the most vocal Chaka Khan fan.