Lewis Black

The last time The New Yorker's George Packer was in Iraq was January 2007. He's not sure if he wants to go back, but that doesn't mean it's not on his mind. "I do find myself thinking about it all the time still," he says. "Thinking of other ways to write about it."

One of those ways was the play, Betrayed, which was based on his article of the same name from March 2007. (In January, The Observer's Doree Shafrir profiled Mr. Packer as his show was set to debut at the Culture Project in Soho, where it will close June 16th.)

 

>> Click here to check out this week's special coverage of the Baghdad Bureaus from observer.com

 

He also says he has "a little novelistic idea," but, for now, that project remains in his head. "It's as if, maybe the journalism has run its course," Mr. Packer says. "But there are other levels of experiencing it that journalism can't capture."  read more »

The guys that brought you The Aristocrats, the movie where more than a dozen comics delivered versions of the oldest, dirtiest joke on the Hollywood comedy circuit, have just signed a six-figure deal for a book that will interview salty comics about controversial topics.

!Satiristas¡ will be written by Paul Provenza with photographer Dan Dion, the house photographer at the Fillmore Auditorium.

Matt Thornton at Publishers Weekly writes:

In the book, comedians George Carlin, Lewis Black, Janeane Garofalo, Sarah Silverman and others will sound off on everything from race to religion, politics to pornography.

There's talk of a concert tour based on the book.

• Publishers Weekly

Among the more eye-catching political events this week is tonight's fundraiser for Mark Green at Caroline's Comedy Club. The featured performers for the $500 a ticket (minimum) event will include Daily Show alums Lewis Black and Paul Mercurio.

One of the fundraising chairs is the old Green standby Bruce Wasserstein. And among the event's "patrons" is Bob Guccione.

- Jason Horowitz

From Walter Winchell to Matt Drudge, journalists have always liked to think of themselves as fascina  read more »