Too Soon To Tell

Calvin Trillin's voice is so organic to the American landscape that reading Too Soon To Tell, his current collection of essays, (previously published in Harper's, The New Yorker, and his syndicated newspaper column) is like hearing the echo of a relative you remember from long ago who would pontificate on just about anything. No matter the subject, Trillin turns the same entertaining, incisive, funny, and eloquent pen to it. Despite the varied subjects, there is a lot of sameness involved. Many of the pieces refer to either Trillin's wife, daughters, or neighbors. Most rely on his deadpan sense of humor. Still, if he's gotten a little lazy of late (he has, after all, been traveling the country and recording our foibles for over 30 years), he's earned it. He is Trillin; hear him quip. A-