Floating Off the Page

On any given day, millions of Wall Street Journal readers put aside the serious business and economic news of the day to focus first on the paper''s middle column (a.k.a. the A-hed), a virtual sound-bubble for light literary fare -- a short story, a tall tale, an old yarn, a series of vignettes, and other unexpected delights that seem to "float off the page." In this first-ever compendium of middle-column pieces, you''ll find an eclectic selection of writings, from the outlandish to the oddly enlightening. Read about:

• one man''s attempt to translate the Bible into Klingon

• sheep orthodontics, pet-freezing, and toad-smoking

• being hip in Cairo, modeling at auto shows, piano-throwing

• the fate of mail destined for the World Trade Center after 9/11

• the plight of oiled otters in Prince William Sound

...and much, much more. Edited by 20-year Journal veteran Ken Wells, and with a foreword by Liar''s Poker author Michael Lewis, Floating Off the Page is the perfect elixir for fans of innovative prose in all its forms and function.