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Poet on Call Poet and novelist Andrei Codrescu offers a wry twist on news culture in his commentaries for NPR.
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Poet on Call

Opinion

The Future Is Now ... And Then

Commentator Andrei Codrescu remembers writing fortune cookies for $5 a fortune. The last fortune he received said: "You will know the future in time." Now that it IS the future, he offers this insight: time will make truth irrelevant.

The Future Is Now ... And Then

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Opinion

As You Age, Time Turns Off The Lights

Commentator Andrei Codrescu says bulbs have been dimming, and he's not talking about flower bulbs. It's more like time has been putting out lights. He says when you're 20, you think the future is so bright you're immortal and you need sunglasses. But when you're 60, he says, you're looking forward to retiring and getting to that martini beach in the neon light you can't see your wrinkles by.

As You Age, Time Turns Off The Lights

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Opinion

Bombing Moon Gives New Meaning To Lunatics

In response to NASA putting a spent rocket part on a collision course with the moon in search of water, commentator Andrei Codrescu asks whom the moon belong to anyway. They used to call the mentally ill lunatics, but Codrescu says he now wonders who the real lunatics are.

Bombing Moon Gives New Meaning To Lunatics

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Opinion

Internet's History As Tracked By Codrescu

Commentator Andrei Codrescu recounts the entire history of the Internet, from 40 years ago, when UCLA made the first connection between two computers, up until now — in places that parallel his own life.

Internet's History As Tracked By Codrescu

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Opinion

Award The Birther Movement

To the Oscars, the Grammys and the Emmys, you can now add a wonderful new distinction: the Dobbies. Andrei Codrescu says the Southern Poverty Law Center's award, named for CNN's Lou Dobbs, should go to the "birther" movement.

Award The Birther Movement

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Opinion

Will Economy Push Californians Back To Midwest?

The Great Depression sent millions of dispossessed Midwesterners toward California's promise. Andrei Codrescu says now that the Golden State is selling off furniture signed by its movie-star governor to raise money, he's sure a reverse migration is on the way.

Will Economy Push Californians Back To Midwest?

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Opinion

Issues Are Similar, But Iran And Tiananmen Differ

The streets of Tehran look much like the streets of Tiananmen Square in 1989. Some of the issues are the same, but this is 2009, and the stakes are both different and higher. Now, the whole world is watching, listening and hearing the events unfold.

Issues Are Similar, But Iran And Tiananmen Differ

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Opinion

Pondering Google, Facebook And Wasting Time

Commentator Andrei Codrescu complains about Google and Facebook, and how people ask him things they could look up themselves on Google. He finds Facebook a waste of time — and Google an alien force worthy of fear.

Pondering Google, Facebook And Wasting Time

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Opinion

Looking To A Post-Human Future

To Andrei Codrescu, being "post-human" means transitioning to a new kind of animal, a wired, connected and, hopefully, less arrogant creature that might use its successful tools to rejoin the nature humans have nearly eliminated.

Looking To A Post-Human Future

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Opinion

Tear Down Caribbean Berlin Wall: End Cuba Embargo

President Obama has a historic opportunity to erase the unfair division of our Caribbean Berlin Wall. Lifting the travel ban is a good first step, but let's get rid of the whole embargo. It's time for real people to come first, politics second.

Tear Down Caribbean Berlin Wall: End Cuba Embargo

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Opinion

A Way To Save Economy: No-Theft Day

Commentator Andrei Codrescu proposes a Theft-Free Day to solve the nation's economic crisis. He adds that the holiday will only work if it is observed by big thieves, not just small fry. He says the flow of unfilched cash will boost the economy.

A Way To Save Economy: No-Theft Day

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Opinion

Say It Loud: I'm Hybrid And I'm Proud

The United States was always a nation of hybrids, but acknowledging it was something else. Not until the 1970s did we allow the possibility that we could accept our roots and also be Americans. The age of the hyphen was upon us.

Say It Loud: I'm Hybrid And I'm Proud

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Opinion

Economic Hard Times May Be Good For Art

Commentator Andrei Codrescu reflects on how artists respond to the economic slowdown. He goes through the decades and examines when the best art has been made. He concludes that hard times make good art.

Economic Hard Times May Be Good For Art

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Opinion

EU Artwork Flap Served Useful Purpose

An art installation depicting EU nations at the EU Council's headquarters in Brussels provoked an international incident of sorts. The Czech Republic commissioned the sculpture, Entropa, to mark its role as the current EU head, but some nations did not find humor in the way artist David Cerny portrayed them.

EU Artwork Flap Served Useful Purpose

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Opinion

The Machines Haven't Taken Over

The amount of spam dropped precipitously last month after an Internet provider playing host to spammers was shut down. If it's that easy to stop what seemed unstoppable, why can't other seemingly unstoppable human-generated and computer-driven phenomena be switched off the same way?

The Machines Haven't Taken Over

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Opinion

Suggestions For New Cabinet-Level Agencies

Commentator Andrei Codrescu thinks that the Obama presidency needs some new Cabinet-level positions. Among them: a Department of Common Sense, a Department for the Defense of the English Language, a Department of Accuracy and a Department of Unused Resources.

Suggestions For New Cabinet-Level Agencies

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Opinion

Deadly Stampede At Wal-Mart Not Surprising

Commentator Andrei Codrescu reflects on the death of a Wal-Mart store employee at the hands of a crowd of shoppers eager to get down to the business of shopping. Codrescu says we were instructed by President Bush to "go shopping" after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and that is what these folks were doing.

Deadly Stampede At Wal-Mart Not Surprising

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Opinion

Life Without Smell May Not Be Worth It

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown they can extend the life spans of roundworms even when the worms are well fed. It just takes a chemical that blocks their sense of smell. Humans, however, need the sense of smell — and a longer life may not be worth losing it.

Life Without Smell May Not Be Worth It

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Opinion

The Chemistry of Humanity

Commentator Andrei Codrescu reads the back-and-forth e-mail between himself and a chemist about a creature that eats its own brain. Codrescu gets deeper and deeper into a metaphor for humanity, and the chemist goes right along with him.

The Chemistry of Humanity

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Opinion

From Poetry to Web: Tools of Youthful Rebellion

Commentator Andrei Codrescu hears that Internet startups are like rock bands — a dream of powerless youth. Once upon a time, stand-up comedy served the same purpose. And before that, it was poetry. But today's Web sites are part of the mainstream, he says, and the rebellion is blunted.

From Poetry to Web: Tools of Youthful Rebellion

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