X - CHUCK KLOSTERMAN

I saw this guy speak a year or so ago in Los Angeles and it was interesting to learn that he can preform live the same tricks and techniques he preforms in his books.  This makes sense because he writing is consciously trying to invoke the spirit of a slightly stoned barroom conversation in tone. Since this is the defacto tone of the internet essay complex, wide and joking and not to deep, and since Klosterman came around right at the start of this genre, his success seemed sensible. The timing really does seem key, Klosterman was a written at midwestern newspapers before his books became popular and it’s hard to imagine his tone and style being as successful in that format. Anyway, I’d always assumed that the essays (I’ve read most of his books) themselves were basically stream-of-conciousness in essence with a solid few passes of punch-up and reference sprinkling. However, there doesn’t seem to be that much punch-up, frankly, given how quick and all over the place he was live. All of that is to say that this essay collection is exactly what you would expect from Klosterman. It’s mostly a collection of previously published profiles and essays, along with some stuff that wasn’t published elsewhere or was published somewhere so obscure as to be basically new (including a very long, self-parodic essay that reviews every KISS album). I skipped some of this stuff I’d already read in magazines and the ones about sports matters that don’t concern me. Klosterman is sort of in the Mark Maron realm for me where I’m interested in their essays/interviews when I’m already interested in the subject/interviewee. But the Venn diagram between Klosterman’s interests and mine has significant overlap, for instance when he discusses why people hate Nickleback, and he’s consistently sharp and funny. XXXXXX