If you love Cleveland and love to poke fun at Cleveland — and can handle some crude language — you should consider picking up Mike Polk Jr.'s book "Damn Right I'm From Cleveland: Your Guide to Makin' It in America's 47th Biggest City."

The first book from the Northeast Ohio comedian — which clocks in at his contractually obligated 108 pages — is quite an entertaining read, and I found myself literally LOLing at several pages (so much that my mom asked about what I was reading, though I don't think she would have found the foul language very funny).

Polk does a really great job of balancing humor with his love for the city, which is very easy to see. He defends his jokes by writing that he wouldn't be making fun of Cleveland if he didn't love it so much, but I don't know if that is even necessary. Of course he loves Cleveland, and people who find this book funny have to love Cleveland, too. You would think this book is terrible if you didn't love Cleveland, because you wouldn't find much — any? — of it funny.

One of my favorite pages in the book was his map of the East Side and West Side:
Mike Polk Jr. Book Excerpt 1

(Seriously, who hasn't gotten confused at that roundabout?!?!?!)

My criticisms of the book: I didn't care for the three "admittedly low-impact and low-effort entries" he included "to reach the bare-minimum number of pages" — I wished he would have used those three pages for more of his entertaining jabs at the Mistake on the Lake. The book also has a few typos/inconsistencies that my editing eye couldn't miss.

If you love Cleveland and find Polk funny, I'd recommend checking out this book. (Not sure if you think Polk is funny? Watch his Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video and Factory of Sadness.)

Read Mark Meszoros' interview with Polk, "Mike Polk Jr. — the Northeast Ohio comedian you know from those mock tourism videos — is now (gulp) a published author," and check out Michael Allen Blair's video of Mike Polk Jr. talking about his book:



Mike Polk Jr. will be signing copies of “Damn Right I’m From Cleveland ($14.95) at two Barnes & Noble Booksellers locations:

• 7 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at Barnes & Noble, 198 Crocker Park Blvd., Westlake. 440-250-9233
• 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 8 at Barnes & Noble, 7900 Mentor Ave., Mentor. 440-266-0212

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

(Note: I received an advance copy of "Damn Right I'm From Cleveland" to review.)

Have a recipe that highlights the community, culture and history of Cleveland? Consider submitting it for consideration of inclusion in a cookbook.

From LAND studio's website:

About the Work

LAND studio, in partnership with Cleveland Public Library, is seeking submissions for a cookbook.

The intent of the cookbook is to highlight a focus on community, sharing, and importance of food as it relates to culture and the history of Cleveland. The cookbook will serve as a resource for cooking, platform for storytelling, and as a way to connect Clevelanders across cultures and communities.

How It Started

The book stems from the Cleveland Public Library 2012 Lockwood Thompson Dialogue in which the topic was FOOD. The speakers, Michael Ruhlman, Penny De Los Santos, and Dan Barber, raised topics such as the importance of cooking, sustainability, eating simply, rituals, and the social camaraderie associated with food. We would like to extend the program by inviting Clevelanders to share their own Food Dialogue.

Other Facts

Submission Qualifications:
•      Must have a connection to Cleveland
•      Must include current contact information
•      Must be received by FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012

Requirements:
One recipe that has meaningful value to participant. Must be from scratch.
300-500 words submitted in a Word (or like program) document about what that recipe means to participant, why it is important to share, or a related story and/or poem.
3-5 pieces of ephemera to correspond with piece: photographs, drawings, maps, labels, etc.
If participant is submitting a digital image, image must be at least 300dpi and 2" x 2".


Selection Process:
Recipes will be reviewed and tested by a panel and a select number will be chosen for final publication.  Contributors of chosen submissions will be notified.

Please note that every effort will be made to return valuable items as specified by the sender. However, we are unable to assume responsibility for lost or damaged items. Unless specified, all articles and images will be edited and will not be returned. LAND studio reserves the right to not use any material submitted. Expected print date is October 2012.

Send all materials to:
LAND studio
ATTN: COOK BOOK                                            -OR-                              food@land-studio.org
1939 West 25th Street, Suite 200
Cleveland, OH 44113

All materials must be received (not postmarked) by Friday, July 20, 2012 at 5:00pm. Hand deliveries are acceptable. Please do not send any additional materials. CDs will not be returned.

Please contact Sarah Siebert at food@land-studio.org or 216-621-5413 x 117 if you have any additional questions.

Sounds like a great opportunity to share your love for food and Cleveland. Get cooking!


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl