The Very Baddest Pie

If you ever wanted to know my influences as a food writer, I’ve always probably aspired to be one part Mike Sula, one part Ruth Reichl, one part Calvin Trillin, one part Gael Greene, one part Jim Harrison, one part Mitch Albom, one part Lester Bangs, one part Anthony Bourdain, and two to three parts Chuck Klosterman.

As with most things that get diluted, I’ve failed miserably to live up to any of those inspirations. Albom, Bangs, and Klosterman, as you might note, are not food writers.

Bangs was music and Albom sports before he started writing metaphorical paens on the spiritual meaning of life.

Klosterman is both music and sports and a culture-observing genius. I suppose maybe that’s why I’ve taken two or three parts from him. He’s recently written a book about football and he showed up at the Music Box to discuss the new work. I have not read it yet, so I have no thoughts. I did however get to meet him in the autograph line, so I asked him for his 30 second essay on what he’s learned signing autographs.