Selected Pieces

Part gonzo journalism, part memoir, part stand-up comedy, Selected Pieces takes us on a whirlwind tour through the unquiet mind of a unique author. Never satisfied with what he sees, Ezra Williams tackles sex, cancer, true crime, loss, high finance, musical legends, literary commentary, travel writing, Internet mysteries and much more, making every page of Selected Pieces an unexpected adventure, and every paragraph an unalloyed delight. A beggar’s mistake harms no one but the beggar. A king’s mistake, however, harms everyone but the king. Too often, the measure of power lies not in the number who obey your will, but in the number who suffer your stupidity. R. Scott Bakker, The Judging Eye How much truth is contained in something can best be determined by making it thoroughly laughable and then watching to see how much joking around it can take. For truth is a matter that can withstand mockery, that is refreshed by any ironic gesture directed at it. Whatever cannot withstand satire is false. Peter Sloterdijk, Critique of Cynical Reason So ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen, Anthem, from the 1992 album The Future