The fine people of McSweeney's have put together a preposterously funny collection that offers such useful information as: "How Important Moments in My Life Would Have Been Different If I Was Shot Twice in the Stomach," "Circumstances Under Which I Would Have Sex with Some of my Fellow Jurors," and "Pirate Riddles for Sophisticates," to name just a few. Many legislators and people like that have said that it's best when collections like this are not "all humor." We have thought about this, and thus Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans also includes selections for the more serious-minded reader, including: "The Ten Worst Films of All Time, as Reviewed by Ezra Pound over Italian Radio," "On the Implausibility of the Death Star's Trash Compactor," and "Unused Audio Commentary by Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky, Recorded Summer 2002, for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring DVD (Platinum Series Extended Edition) Part One." A consistently hilarious selection of brainy, wild humor from one of America's most popular literary magazines.

"In his introduction, McSweeney's founder Eggers says the goal of these short pieces, most of which originally appeared on the McSweeney's Web site, is to be 'funny without being humorous,' which is an open invitation for critical bashing. It's true that the short stories, essays and lists — oh, so many lists — tend not to have, or even try for, the sort of universal appeal that turns stand-up comedians into bestselling authors. Readers' reactions will depend on whether they share the same level of erudition and love for pop culture as the authors. Greg Purcell's spot-on impression of the deranged voice of Ezra Pound's later writings, for example, will work only for those who know Pound's work, while the 'Journal of a New COBRA Recruit' will be equally incomprehensible to people who didn't grow up with GI Joe in the 1980s. If you get the jokes, though, they can be side-splittingly hilarious. Of course, there are misfires, especially those that play with the idea of trying and failing to be funny." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"The selections in Eggers's new collection take many forms: stories, letters, interviews, jokes, plays, and a large number of lists....The best of the lot are quite good; the rest are worth a look." Library Journal

"Achieves the sensation of being hit by a hip, humorous train. . . . Breaks mold after mold in hilarious fashion." –The New York Times

From the Trade Paperback edition.

The fine people of "McSweeney's" have put together a preposterously funny collection that offers a wealth of useful information--a consistently hilarious selection of brainy, wild humor from one of America's most popular literary magazines.

McSweeney's is a small group that sells taxidermy equipment and also produces books, a literary quarterly, and The Believer, a monthly review. Based in San Francisco, McSweeney's is also home to 826 Valencia, a nonprofit educational center for Bay Area youth.

A Brief Parody of a Talk Show That Falls Apart about Halfway through 
The Spirit of Christmas 
The Briefing: A Play in One Act 
On the Implausibility of the Death Star’s Trash Compactor
Preview of Summer Camps
Comments Written on Evaluations of My Speech on Needle-Exchange Programs 
The Newest from Jokeland 
Excerpts from My Speech on Forest-Fire Prevention 
As a Porn Movie Titler, I May Lack Promise 
I Know What You Did Two Moons Ago (The Revenge) 
Words That Would Make Nice Names for Babies, If It Weren’t for Their Unsuitable Meanings
Reviews of My Daydreams 
Insomniacs! I Bring Words of Hope and Wisdom 
The Ten Worst Films of All Time, as Reviewed by Ezra Pound over Italian Radio 
Group Mobilization as a Desperate Cry for Help 
Fire: The Next Sharp Stick?
Not Very Scary Movies 
Candle Party 
It’s Not Actually a Small World
Unused Audio Commentary by Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky, Recorded Summer 2002, for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring DVD (Platinum Series Extended Edition), Part One
Canceled Regional Morning TV Shows 
A Letter from Ezra Pound to Billy Wilder, 1963 
Journal of a New COBRA Recruit 
A Logic Puzzle and Hangover Cure
Some People Don’t Like Celebrities
Tips from Jokes and How to Tell Them, Published in 1963
How Important Moments in My Life Would Have Been Different If I Was Shot in the Stomach
No Justice, No Foul 
Actual Academic Journals Which Could Be Broadway Shows If They Had Exclamation Points Added!
My Beard, Reviewed 
The Name Game 
Circumstances under Which I Would Have Sex with Some of My Fellow Jurors 
The Bet 
The Dance Lesson 
Attack of the Fabulons! 
Pirate Riddles for Sophisticates 
A Short Fictional Passage Entitled “Drift Nets,” in Which Several Enterprising Characters Troll the High Seas, Exploring Abandoned Trade Vessels for “Pirated” Goods, and Learn to Cope with Distinct Personalities in a Close-Knit, High-Stress Environment 
Ineffective Lines Deleted from Final Revisions of Violent Box-Office Hits
A Graceland for Adolf
Trinity 
Pop Quiz
Bad Names for Professional Wrestlers 
Evidently, It Was Live Then
Upcoming Titles from Gavin Menzies, Author of 1421: The Year the Chinese Discovered America
Good Westerns, Not Porn 
Norse Legends Reference Pages 
Goofus, Gallant, Rashomon 
Not-Good Titles for Romantic Films 
Black, Gray, Green, Red, Blue: A Letter from a Famous Painter on the Moon
Lists
Alternate Titles Proposed for This Book
Contributors