Joe Ohio

James Lileks is a writer who lives in Minneapolis and works fro the local paper the Star-Tribune. He also writes columns for Newhouse News Service and several other outlets. In addition, he maintains a website, http://www.lileks.com where he pens a daily column he calls "The Bleat," which is usually a humorous look at his daily life. He is married to an attorney and he is home during the day with their child, Natalie, whom he refers to as the "Gnat." To call him a humorist, although his writings are often hysterically funny, would not do him justice. He is a true wordsmith, akin to David Sedaris, and I'm constantly amazed at not just how much he can churn out on a daily basis, but the quality. His writing is smart, quirky and sometimes opionionated, but without being partisan. He is the kind of writer that you can admire the writing even if you disagree with the opinion. He has written two hilarious coffee table books, The Gallery of Regrettable Food and Interior Desecrations in which he skewers the recipes and interior designs of the 60's and 70's.
His new venture, is called "Joe Ohio," a series of tales about a fictional man who collected matchbooks. Each matchbook generates a speculative tale about Joe Ohio and if you read these pieces, you'll truly grasp the genius and imagination of James Lileks. The "Joe Ohio" series has it's own separate site-http://www.lileks.com/joeohio/index.html. Check it out.