Mark Leyner, "The Making of ‘Tooth Imprints on a Corn Dog’"


1. List the numerous references to popular culture that the narrator gleefully makes throughout this story. Try to distinguish between those that are fabricated and those that are relatively authentic. What kind of coherent vision do they create regarding the milieu from which the narrator speaks?

2. Describe the character of the narrator. In what ways does he appear distinct from the author, and how is he inextricably bound to the author's true identity? How do these issues mesh with the form in which the story is told?

3. "I've been commissioned," the narrator begins, "to write a poem." Within the form of the diary, what other forms of writing does the narrator employ to impart his particular story? How are these forms tied to aspects of popular culture? How are they essential to the story itself?