Word: witnessed
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...survival against a deity in another solar system. The core of the book is perhaps the biggest effrontery of all: in his guise as the reincarnated Twain, Carkeet offers letters, notebooks and short stories that allegedly come from the master of the tall tale. They project what his deflating wit would make of the modern world, not least the scholarly cottage industry that has grown up around Twain's own work...
...Carkeet's skill is equal to his ambition. Once again he has turned a daffy concept for a novel into a stimulating display of wit, erudition, humanity and narrative force. He weaves his diverse strands with cunning and charm and adroitly sustains suspense in what could easily have been a one-joke story. Part of his persuasive technique is an absolutely deadpan, matter-of-fact tone. Another part is the structure of the book as mystery, in which events are explained long after they happen...
Some of the stories in Back in the World are little more than personality sketches. But in the best entries, the author commands a range of styles that recall the captivating doldrums of Chekhov and the eerie menace of Paul Bowles. Wolff also demonstrates a stinging wit. An old Irish priest likes to tell his parishioners and colleagues that he does not have time to die. "One night he said it at dinner and Father Leo thought, Make time." That is a line worthy of Oscar Wilde. --By R.Z. Sheppard
...Celebrity Slams Go Fug Yourself gofugyourself.typepad.com A daily shredding of the sartorial choices of Hollywood stars, complete with photographic evidence. To wit: Parts of Courtney Love's new, larger body "are sort of sloshing around, uncontained, like a Big Gulp spilling all over your gear shift when you take a turn too fast." Chloe Sevigny proves "high-waisted pants are the spawn of Satan's sewing machine...
DIED. J.J. (JAKE) PICKLE, 91, legendary 15-term U.S. Representative from Texas' 10th District, beloved for his wry wit (he passed out plastic pickles on the campaign trail), ready handshake and ability to remember the name of every constituent he met; in Austin, Texas. A former aide to Lyndon B. Johnson who was elected to his boss's old congressional seat in 1963, Pickle helped legislate major reforms to Social Security, pension...