false 3895008 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 10871 16 2930757 1998 Pure Drivel total:1182|5:248|4:430|3:375|2:109|1:20| 1182 4323 1486 136 7103 3.58 22726 3557 71004698 847802 1220646 0786864672 9780786864676 20 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182001088m/1220646.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182001088s/1220646.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1220646.Pure_Drivel 3.62 125 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 3 0 false Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 12 17:55:51 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 15:12:28 -0700 2009
I love Steve Martin. He's an interesting fellow, a good Letterman guest, and the kind of guy you could talk to for an entire afternoon and sti...more...]]> 9532023 440179 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.67 832 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 5 1 false Sun Nov 25 17:29:26 -0800 2007 Sun Nov 25 17:33:32 -0800 2007 more...]]> 65657683 1730247 1220646 0786864672 9780786864676 20 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182001088m/1220646.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182001088s/1220646.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1220646.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 5 0 false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 31 09:27:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 31 09:46:17 -0700 2009 "Pure Drivel" is pure fun. Comedy is a funny thing (well, duh), either you laugh or you do not; you can’t fake it. And if you are into Steve Martin, as I have been since he was that wild-and-crazy-guy with the arrow through his head, then this book will not disappoint.

...more...]]> 65192180 2567683 682780 078688505X 9780786885053 28 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177117859m/682780.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177117859s/682780.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/682780.Pure_Drivel 3.64 198 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 4 0 false Mon Jul 27 17:30:13 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 17:42:37 -0700 2009 more...]]> 63254701 2517013 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 4 0 false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Mon Jul 13 05:33:12 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 05:44:41 -0700 2009 more...]]> 35182117 1615660 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 4 1 false Mon Oct 13 08:27:35 -0700 2008 Mon Oct 13 08:28:16 -0700 2008 48977180 2109152 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 2 0 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001 Wed Mar 11 17:57:15 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 17:57:15 -0700 2009 more...]]> 80824019 3037828 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 5 0 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001 Sat Dec 12 21:59:55 -0800 2009 Sat Dec 12 22:02:37 -0800 2009
This book (as well as Cruel Shoes) is a great book to have around if you want to read a short story here or there. Perfect for traveling.

Books like this, though, kind of mak...more...]]> 53934739 1371761 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 1 0 false Sat Apr 25 11:53:31 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 25 11:56:21 -0700 2009 more...]]> 23064088 1107634 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 3 0 false Tue May 27 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue May 27 13:20:10 -0700 2008 Tue May 27 13:53:31 -0700 2008 more...]]> 50177719 2154158 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 5 0 false Mon Mar 23 10:18:01 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 18:21:55 -0700 2009 19575184 501971 1220646 0786864672 9780786864676 20 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182001088m/1220646.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182001088s/1220646.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1220646.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 4 0 false Mon Jun 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 06 09:40:14 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 24 05:46:05 -0700 2008 Steve Martin is a wordsmith. He was off his game more often than expected, but this is almost a vanity publication for him. One of the perks of being famous is that publishers will put your words in print (e.g., the previous Pope's and Jack Palance's books of poet...more...]]> 77765662 2888671 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 1 0 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Nov 14 11:37:56 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 14 11:39:25 -0800 2009 70467116 247321 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 2 0 false Thu Sep 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 08 08:42:55 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 10 12:12:02 -0700 2009 45535270 1992693 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 5 0 false Fri Feb 06 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 06 00:25:42 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 06 00:27:14 -0800 2009 50860795 2067728 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 1 0 false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Mar 29 18:23:51 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 29 18:24:49 -0700 2009 43884607 1923697 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 3 0 false Sat Dec 13 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 21 19:54:47 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 19:56:52 -0800 2009 71987346 2688564 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 0 0 false Mon Sep 21 08:44:35 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 08:45:38 -0700 2009 65033659 2388553 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 1 0 false Sun Jul 26 13:57:06 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 13:58:01 -0700 2009 38656389 1751339 10871 0753813955 9780753813959 86 <![CDATA[Pure Drivel]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507m/10871.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166334507s/10871.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10871.Pure_Drivel 3.66 1182 Pure Drivel is a collection of pieces, most of them written for the New Yorker, that demonstrate Martin's playful way with words and his unerring ability to create a feeling of serendipitous improvisation even on the printed page. Here's a passage from a piece that announces a shortage of periods in the Times Roman font:

"Most vulnerable are writers who work in short, choppy sentences," said a spokesperson for Times Roman, who continued, "We are trying to remedy the situation and have suggested alternatives, like umlauts, since we have plenty of umlauts--and, in fact, have more umlauts than we could possibly use in a lifetime! Don't forget, umlauts can really spice up a page with their delicate symmetry--resting often midway in a word, letters spilling on either side--and not only indicate the pronunciation of a word but also contribute to a writer's greater glory because they're fancy, not to mention that they even look like periods, indeed, are indistinguishable from periods, and will lead casual readers to believe that the article actually contains periods!"

Although some of these pieces flirted with topicality when they first appeared, Martin is most successful when he leaves the real world behind and gives his wit free rein. This collection preserves the best (so far) of his glorious improvisations. --Simon Leake

]]> 1998 3 0 false Tue Nov 25 17:13:43 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 25 17:15:23 -0800 2008 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3895008