The Mirth of a Nation: Audio Companion, Fellow Traveler and Friend for Life

The audio medium is probably the best way to absorb this collection of comic pieces written by American humorists. The vignettes, which range from the hokey to the truly jocular, receive the royal treatment by seasoned actors Roberts and Essman. Other performers, notably Plimpton and Rakoff, add spunk and pizzazz to what might otherwise be dry, vaguely spirited essays. Rakoff gives a cynical and hilarious performance of his own ""All Happy Families...,"" about a neurotic dude whose New Year's resolution is to explore ""more natural avenues to happiness"" (e.g., by eating four packages a day of Robert's American Gourmet Gingko Biloba Rings). Essman's reading of Carina Chocano's ""The Self-Help Hot Line"" is appropriately saccharine, while Roberts's delivery of Bruce McCall's ""Who Wants to Keep His Job"" is matter-of-fact. All the pieces were anthologized in either Mirth of a Nation and More Mirth of a Nation, and some originally appeared in the New York Times magazine, Tropic magazine, Salon.com, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, the New Yorker and other publications. While some tracks are bound to be replayed for friends more than others, this is overall a valuable and well-performed collection. (Nov.)