The Double Life Is Twice as Good

JONATHAN AMES'S LATEST BOOK, his eighth, is a hilarious, erotically charged, and insightful collection of articles, essays, cartoons, and short stories. With an HBO series based on this collection's centerpiece, "Bored to Death"; a beloved novel, "The Extra Man," soon to be released as a movie; a critically acclaimed graphic novel, "The Alcoholic"; and an ongoing series of strange literary and not-so-literary performance events, Ames has proven himself to be a writer of diverse and unusual talents.

In "The Double Life Is Twice as Good," Ames's odd, Zelig-like life as a writer is on full display, as he covers the U. S. Open and a Goth music festival, profiles Marilyn Manson and Lenny Kravitz, gives a speech at an annual gathering of passionate corduroy lovers, and attends a class on how to better pleasure women. On the fiction side, the short stories feature plenty of eros, heartbreak, and sexualities of all stripes and inclinations.

Ames's unique style and humor shines throughout this new volume, reminding us yet again why "The Portland Oregonian" dubbed him "an edgier David Sedaris."