Wed. Jan 10

Occasionally, something comes along and we say, "Damn, we wish we'd done that." Usually, these are impossibilities - like write a song as good as Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love" or direct a film as good as "The Departed." But when it comes to writing words, well, we do some of that. And when we found out Jake Halpern (who contributes to NPR's "All Things Considered") had written The Book on Fame, called "Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truth Behind America's Favorite Addiction," we both cursed and tipped our hat. See, we watch this preoccupation with celebrity minutiae with apalled disdain and, yet, perverse curiosity. In the grand scheme of things, who cares what the hell Paris Hilton did yesterday or who America voted their "American Idol"? (Halpern found more people watch "Idol" in that time slot than the other three major networks combined.) Halpern talks to fans, stars, aspiring stars and digs into the psychology and technology of it all, dissecting this tsunami of pop culture. He speaks at Brookline Booksmith Wednesday January 10 at 7 p.m. Free.

279 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-566-6660 brooklinebooksmith.com