My BFF Joel Stein

In the nonfiction world, I can’t get enough of Joel stein, LA Times columnist and frequent Time Magazine contributor. His articles are, admittedly, lighter than your average Time magazine fare, but I really enjoy his laidback, comedic style. I was first introduced to him while reading Time, and I must admit his are some of the few articles I don’t skim in the magazine. Generally he sticks to political or pop culture satire in his articles for Time. I’ve always heard that every truly funny thing has a bit of truth in it, and I think that’s the appeal of Stein’s writing. What he writes is sometimes ridiculous, but it always has a nugget of truth in it that keeps the humor genuine. But I have to admit that I like fiction infinitely better than nonfiction. My favorite fiction authors are Stephen King, Janet Fitch, Sylvia Plath (for the Bell Jar, which is arguably autobiographical), and Charles Frazier. All of them write with this dreamlike quality that I think is rare.