Newsflash: The annual One Book, One Philadelphia project is suddenly cool. How come? The new pick for the book everyone in the city needs to read — and discuss! — between January and March ‘08 is none other than McSweeney’s wonder boy Dave Eggers’ latest, What Is The What. It’s a memoir from the perspective of one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. (Sorry, no vampires or Coreys here.) Whereas past choices were a little Oprah-ish and self-consciously multiculti, this one’s just plain cool, despite being about Sudan and all. And sure, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius was so popular it got mentioned on Ed, but it’s always felt like Eggers is fightin’ the good fight. What makes this pick even funnier is imagining Mayor Street (OBOP is one of his pet projects) reading, and then giving a thumbs up to, a Dave Eggers book. Perhaps next he’ll curate the CD for an issue of The Believer.
Free Library: “Y’know, Reading Is Fundamental And Shit”
McSweeney’s For President!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 17th, 2007 at 3:49 pm.