We missed that whole “Black Friday” thing (post-traumatic stress symptoms related to a former life working retail), and the holidays are creeping up faster than a cheer-stealing Grinch in a dogsled. We’re sure that some of you, dear readers, find yourselves in a similar boat. But, before you start snapping up pre-packaged bath sets at Target, check out Austinist’s very special recommendations. We’ve sorted through some of the sparkliest surprises available locally and on the......

From stage performances to her role as Jerri Blank on Strangers with Candy to her guest column, "Sedaratives," in The Believer, Amy Sedaris has made a career out of making people laugh with her absurd brand of wit and charm. With I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, Sedaris has extended her talents to the world of cookbooks. In the informative and entertaining book, she shares some of her favorite recipes along with special tips......

Sure, David Sedaris is all the rage. And with good reason. His faux-angry satire always provides us with a hearty laugh. Even more so when we hear him read it. He's one of the great humor writers in the country today. Here's the catch, he's not even the funniest person in his family. We love David but give us Amy Sedaris any day. The absurdly funny Amy has kept us laughing for years with......

February 28th (usually) marks the end of the shortest month of the year, the month with a holiday devoted to love, the month where women's magazines dedicate chunks of print to relationship issues and how to overcome loneliness. Feb. 28th also marked the day Rhett Miller's latest solo effort, The Believer, came out. Woo Hoo! We love the Old 97's and, by extension, their leading man, Mr. Miller. The Old 97's are from Dallas and......

If we read an author’s work in McSweeney’s, The Believer or Paste, we blindly assume the author’s other work is excellent as well. So, knowing that writer and musician Jack Pendarvis has appeared in all three publications, we can only assume he’s a bad ass. Pendarvis’ new collection of short stories, The Mysterious Secrets of the Valuable Treasure, is a Pushcart Prize-winning book that, according to his publisher, is “laugh-out-loud funny and dripping with......

For those Amy Sedaris/Strangers With Candy fans who have been holding your breath, waiting for the off-beat comedy to come to the big screen, please exhale. Because it might be a while and we don't want you to die. If you'd like to help the nation see Jerri Blank 20-feet tall, then you can e-mail Warner Independent (press@warnerindependent.com) and share your concern. Also, if you don't already know (and we didn't until today*) Amy......

It's the night before Austinist embarks on our Spring Road Trip to the Coachella Music Festival in the California desert, and we've all but finalized our itinerary and list of distractions to keep our eyes off the road. Here's what we're taking along for the ride out and back: All those recent copies of New Yorker, The Nation, The Believer, Harper's, Saveur, Paste, and maybe even the piles of SXSW schwag that have been......