A high school literature teacher thinks something weird is going on with his 19-year-old braniac student. Then he meets her parents.

(From The New Yorker, June 9, 2003, recommended by Maura Johnston)

A funny little story that keeps getting more absurd as it moves along. It’s actually kinda straightforward until you meet Samson and Paulette, who are hilarious characters.

Here’s a pointless observation: This story and the movie Meet The Parents, both feature cats which know how to use the toilet. Sort of strange, given that this is a meet-the-parents story in a way. The parallels pretty much end there, though.



Here, read it yourself.

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Now, for no reason at all, here’s a passage from Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions that I like. It’s a summation of “The Dancing Fool,” a short story by Kilgore Trout.

A flying saucer creature named Zog arrived on Earth to explain how wars could be prevented, and how cancer could be cured.

He brought the information from Margo, a planet where the natives conversed by means of farts and tap-dancing.

Zog landed at night in Connecticut.

He had no sooner touched down than he saw a house on fire.

He rushed into the house, farting and tap-dancing, warning the people about the terrible danger they were in.

The head of the house brained Zog with a golf club.