This American Life: Lies, Sissies & Fiascoes
Are you a sucker for a well-told story--one that'll make you hoot with pleasure, drop your mouth in disbelief, tear up with empathy? If that be the case, you're likely already a fan of the brilliant beyond-hipThis American Life. If you're not yet familiar with the Public Radio show and its ingenious host, Ira Glass,Lies, Sissies & Fiascoeswill tickle your ears and engage your sense of wonderment. Underscored by adroitly chosen musical bits fromJonathan RichmantoLiz PhairtoYo La Tengo,The Best of TALsprings into action illustrating the criterion for true fiasco with Jack Hitt's lively narrative of an uproariously bad production ofPeter Pan.David Sedarisrecounts reeling off insults and complaints in iambic pentameter as a teen bitten by the Drama Bug (which bites "Jews, homosexuals and plump women who wear their hair in bangs" the hardest). Dishwasher Pete tells how he duped the Letterman show, Scott Carrier gives a moving account of how his life unraveled and came back together during the season he conducted interviews with schizophrenics, and Ira Glass sounds off on getting over heartbreak.--Paige La Grone