Me

Pity the poor satirist in end-of-the-millennium America. How can you poke fun at reality when reality is already a punchline? Exhibit A: this novelette by the slow-talking (but apparently fast-writing) NPR host Keillor. Inspired by Jesse ''The Body'' Ventura, the pro wrestler recently elected governor of Minnesota, this book features...well, a pro wrestler just elected governor of Minnesota. There are a couple of clever embellishments: Jimmy blows up his opponents with sweat-seeking cruise missiles, for instance. But in the end, you're left wondering ''Why bother?'' I'd rather read about the real pile-driving, boa-wearing, Schwarzenegger-costarring McCoy. C