Sex, Drugs, and a Pop-Culture Critic at the B&N next month

Chuck Klosterman: The Ultimate Indie-Yuppie

Ugh, Chuck Klosterman. You're a good writer, you're super-successful, you started out as a nerdy nobody, and you're more obsessed with the minutae of pop-culture ephemera than anyone on earth. We admire all of that. So why do we find you so fucking annoying? It's a dilemma, truly. 

We hear that the author of New York Times bestseller Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto, will speak about his new release, Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Danerous Ideas, at the Barnes & Noble at Boston University on Monday, September 25th, at 1 p.m. Following the program he will sign copies of his books.

Is he really "the new Hunter S. Thompson?" People says so, but they also put Britters on the cover every other week. Could he be "the reigning Kasparov of pop culture wits-matching?" Apparantly, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. "One of America's top cultural critics!" shrieks the mavens at Entertainment Weekly. Word Up doesn't have much of a taste for his books, but his sharp commentary in the NYTM and Esquire are usually to our liking. We had fun reading this piece about DJ Dangermouse, and this one about SoaP.

So here's the surprise factor: Chuck Klosterman IV comrpises a selection of Mr. Pop-Culture Ironic Anti-Hero Man's profiles and trend stories of the past decade in its first part. Part II is his opinions on new shit. Blah blah. In Part III, the Chuckster actually tries his hand at FICTION WRITING. Remember, that deals with actual emotions and character psychology, not just the finer points of the history of The Real World! (Which, to be frank, totally has it's own merit.) If we don't wind up enjoying his short stories, though, we hope the raving Klostie fans out there won't tell us to go die. *Hides* 

We're scared. And also ridiculously intrigued. Anyone spot Chuck in a fiction writing workshop lately?