Half Empty

Rakoff's essays are a mix of the personal--touching on being a Jew, being a writer, being gay--and reportorial. Think David Sedaris influenced by Malcolm Gladwell. The writer's voice is unblinkingly honest, self-deprecating, scathing, funny, profane, heartfelt, and moral. His narration at first seems like a caricature of an urban gay voice. And while not immediately engaging, its dryness matches the book's wit and its feline nature its catty asides. In short order, it's clear that Rakoff's excellent pacing and timing, his ability to be intimate in an intimate medium, his precision, remarkable expressiveness, and mastery of tone make this program a standout, a perfect match of written and spoken voices. No one else could read these entertaining pieces, nor would you want anyone else. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

August 9, 2010
In this sardonic collection of essays, Rakoff (Don't Get Too Comfortable) plays the role of a naysayer who tries to convince the reader, with humorous asides and sarcastic one-liners, that the world is going to hell in a hand-basket and the nerds and geeks will someday be the globe's financial and political tyrants. His topics are a hodge-podge lot that covers hopes and dreams, the meaning of a Jew who eats pork, optimism, a stunted childhood, and the New York City Exotic Erotic Ball and Expo. While his wise-cracking humor isn't always on target, he shines when discussing the acceptance of grief and mortality in "All The Time We Have," and "the bohemian myth" of artists and Rent creator Jonathan Larson's demise the day before his popular show opened, in "Isn't It Romantic?"