Now and then we get calls, letters, or e-mails from some self-publisher hoping to sell us a copy of his or her work. Sometimes they even send the books themselves!

Yesterday we got an e-mail from a self-publisher who included a substantial excerpt from the new book. I read the excerpt. Then I printed it and showed it to a couple of my staff for their input. They confirmed my initial impression. The book's supposed to be funny, but the author greatly overrates his abilities as a humorist. (Typical non-sequitor joke: Man asks God what sustained the Israelites during the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness. God's answer: sunscreen "SPF-40 Years," musical-chair mirages, and economizing by buying stale generic matzos at oasis bakeries). So no sale!

I should note that I and other librarians ARE open to trying out new works from time to time. But if someone's going to send us a sample to try to sell us on the book, they need to make sure the sample is, you know, actually good.

This is genius. GENIUS! This guy is the next Jackie Gleason, Moe Howard, Red Skeleton and Johnny Carson in one neat little package.