Former critic Dale Peck once famously called Rick Moody "the worst writer of his generation," but is he also the worst musician at band camp?

That's precisely Mr. Moody's concern in an essay about his experiences at Music Omi International Musicians Residency in the 2008 Music Issue of The Believer.

Here's how Mr. Moody begins his tale:

It's about two in the afternoon on the day that I’m due at Music Omi, but instead of pulling into the driveway, I’m thirty miles away at the Blandford Plaza rest area. Killing time. It's ninety-four degrees according to the car thermometer, and I'm watching the travelers of the interstate come and go in search of donuts.  read more »

Back in January, The Observer (okay, well, not the whole staff, just this reporter) profiled comedian and blogger whipping-boy David Cross. At the time, Mr. Cross had been caught up in a nasty spat with his so-called fans over his decision to take a role in Alvin and the Chipmunks. ("He's digging his own grave, professionally," wrote one of the more restrained commenters.)

"People genuinely don't like me," Mr. Cross told The Observer. "They find me arrogant and abrasive." Well, not everyone, it seems.  read more »