If you’re a regular reader of The Southland Times, I’m sure you’re also a regular reader of the columns of the very talented Joe Bennett.
Young Mr Bennett is, without doubt, one of the funniest to grace our pages and he never fails to entertain with his weekly offerings. In fact, I’m always amazed that he is able to come up with a fresh idea every week, and that those columns of his just seem to get better and better.
This year he’s written a tongue-in-cheek inaugural speech for Barack Obama and has stepped into the shoes of Britney Spears, and much more between. And he’s taken us, his readers, along for the ride.
Of course, we’re not the only ones getting to read his wit and wisdom, he is one of New Zealand’s most widely read and most syndicated columnists and has picked up a whole bunch of awards for his writings.
Every year, Bennett pulls together a collection of his best columns and every year I pick up the book expecting to simply skim through it because I’ve already read everything it contains. And, just like every year, this year I ended up reading every single word, relishing the entire book and wishing there had been more of it.
Our intrepid author loves his dogs, red wine and pointing out the eccentricities of life. Mix those together with a dose of clever wit and you have something that is truly delightful.