What happens when you blend celebrities with Anton Chekhov, one of the pioneers of the short story? Celebrity Chekhov happens. Ben Greenman, editor of The New Yorker’s Goings On About Town section and published author of a variety of fiction, journalism, humor pieces and essays, took about two dozen Chekhov short stories and mixed in contemporary celebrities like Britney Spears, Conan O'Brien, Jay-Z and Alec Baldwin. Celebrity Chekhov aims to critique our celebrity-obsessed culture while paying homage to great literature. Greenman will be in town tomorrow night to read from Celebrity Chekhov, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book. more ›

Let’s face it—there’s precious little in the news cycle these days to encourage risk-taking. Planning on solo skydiving? Might want to examine your company’s recently reduced health care benefits. Want to gamble your tax refund on one crazy night in Vegas? Perhaps you should invest in your 401k instead. more ›