Zombification: Stories from National Public Radio

by Andrei Codrescu

Witty, aphoristic, and never at a loss for a trenchant comment, NPR's much-loved commentator, Andrei Codrescu, has been keeping his American audience abreast of the absurdities of American culture for over ten years. He is known nationally for his regular appearances on "All Things Considered," and now for his recent debut as a film star in the movie version of his own book, Road Scholar. The Romanian-born Codrescu is fast on his way to becoming an American pop icon. In Zombification, Codrescu's NPR essays from 1989 to 1993 have been gathered together here in one volume, where they appear in print for the first time ever.
Born in Transylvania, Romania, in 1946, Codrescu emigrated to the United States in 1966. He began then to cast a keen and watchful eye upon his adopted homeland. The essays collected here come directly off the NPR airwaves, and were broadcast during a period in our nation's history that witnessed the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and the radical change in American foreign and domestic policy. All of these momentous consciousness shifts have been chronicled through the eyes of Codrescu, an incisive commentator who seems to miss nothing. Ranging from indignation at world indifference toward the new nations of Europe to compassion for the underprivileged of the United States, Codrescu takes the pulse of our time with the exasperated affection and barbed irony for which he is known.
The area of Codrescu's concerns is wide, extending beyond world politics to include, for example, whales, dreams, Gypsies, and yes, that weathered institution, Congress. However, the unique voice who transmits these startling words could only be that of the Transylvanian-American who has given NPR listeners a sense of 1990s wonder.
Zombification is a powerful book by one of America's finest writers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Humor, Journalism, Literary Fiction, Short Stories

307 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Andrei Codrescu is a poet, novelist, essayist, and NPR commentator. His many books include Whatever Gets You through the Night, The Postmodern Dada Guide, and The Poetry Lesson. He was Mac Curdy Distinguished Professor of English at Louisiana State University from 1984 until his retirement in 2009.

Reviews

[Tracey]

I'm afraid a chunk of this collection of essays is rather dated; compiled in 1994, he discusses the Reagan and Bush I legacies (albeit with several eerie present-day coincidences - see "Family Values* ") and the Bosnia conflict... something we've almost forgotten about 10 years later. In that respect, it reads like a series of snapshots, most in a stark, grainy black and white.

I enjoyed the essays on New Orleans and other places more than the political or sociological ones, as they were not so much on the left-leaning, pessimistic side. I think I prefer Road Scholar over this collection for the same reason - I enjoy his observations about America the Country vs. the People & Politicians. This book has gotten me interested in finding out more about Constantine Brancusi and a book called The New Americans by Al Santoli, so we'll see what becomes of that.

I did find the idea of "culture stamps" intriguing - similar to of food stamps: those who can demonstrate a need for art get these stamps, redeemable at any valid cultural event; and just as food stamps can't be used to buy junk food, the culture stamps can't be used for cable TV or at movieplexes. It just might obviate the need for the National Endowment for the Arts... :^)

Recommended to thoughtful readers looking for a jaded examination of recent history, leavened with bitter humour and occasional flights of fancy. Wish there were an audiobook version read by the author.


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*"So I don't really know why the Republicans are talking about "family values" when families can't get good value on anything anymore."

FYI: Amazon.com's Statistically Improbable Phrases for this book: casserole widows, culture stamps

[Ronn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish I'd read this 20 years ago.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never really dug Condrescu's NPR bits, but thought maybe his ESL pronunciation was biasing my judgement, so gave this collection a chance - read them in my own voice, as it were. I am still "meh" about the material: it seems like incomplete thoughts lacking punch - all texture without structure and feeling like a draft of a possibly better essay. Still, there were highpoints. I did not know he lived in Louisiana, or at least did during this dated Reagan Era compendium, and I like most his ruminations on that nearest faraway place of this diverse nation. His insights into Roumania are, of course, enlightening. Well traveled he touches on my own Detroit home city with a humble recollection of the 1967 Detroit riot and the persecuted artist Tyree Guyton.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether you are already a fan of Cedrescu's sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant anecdotes and rants from NPR, or if you've never heard of the man, I would urge you to snag a copy of Zombification and expose yourself to the text version. Filled with many short essays/stories/humorous anecdotes, you can read as much or as little as you want in one sitting and feel equally satisfied either way. But, if you are like me, you'll keep reading and reading until you exhaust the available material. Straight on in a burst or bit-by-bit, you'll have an enjoyable experience and more than likely even have a unique thought or two.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays by this Romanian-born American poet, novelist, and frequent contributor to NPR. These essays are, in fact, commentaries he contributed to NPR in the late 80's and early 90's. Whether writing about international politics, his adopted home of New Orleans, his travels in and out of the United States, or the current events of the day, he is always sharp, insightful, thoughtful, and provocative. Reading it these days, with the fall of communism a distant memory, it serves as an interesting reminder of the pre-9/11 origins and evolution of some of the issues we face today.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old collection of Codrescu's on air commentaries from the 80's and early 90's. Comments on everything from Mardi Gras to the need for Cultural Stamps instead of food stamps. I always like reading his commentaries, but only if I can hear his Roumanian accent in my head. All of the essays are 1-2 pages long, so it's easy to pick it up, read a few and then go do something else.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that if you are not familiar with Andrei Codrescu, and have not heard him read his pieces on NPR, you probably won't find this to be a 4 star book. I think knowing his tone makes the essays more entertaining.

50 Book Challenge #5 (or #6?) is complete for 2009!

[Magda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed his NPR audio-essays to the point of staying in the car to hear the end, but these one- or two-page blurbs are disappointingly non-magnetic.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides]

This book is a collection of mini-segments that Codrescu wrote for NPR. Some of them seem interesting, but I don't think this is the kind of book I'm in the mood for now.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good collection of essays giving hints of the bad direction America was headed by the late 90s.