Welcome to the dinner party. This is your icebreaker.

Here's a joke I heard from a friend of mine. Why did the cow roll down the hill? Because it didn't have any legs.

I'm Brendan Francis Nuneum.

I'm Rico Gagliano. And from APM American Public Media, this is The Dinner Party, the culture show that gives you an edge in your weekend conversations.

You just got a joke from Antoine Wilson, author of the brand new novel, Panorama City.

We'll hear him read from it later in the show.

That book is exponentially funnier than the joke he just told, by the way.

Let's hope so.

And later, we'll speak with novelist Martin Amos about his new novel, Lionel Asbo, State of England.

Also coming up, San Francisco band The Fresh and Onlys share their dinner party soundtrack.

New Yorker regular Simon Rich shares his favorite heavenly humor.

And in honor of the Jewish New Year, Star Chef Susan Fenninger

pairs Jewish food with everything.

But first, as at any dinner party, we start with Small Talk.

All week long, you've been hearing these headlines.

Secret tapes causing so much trouble for Mitt Romney just 48 days before the election.

China has begun cracking down on violent anti-Japan protests.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour is heading to its final frontier.

Now for something you might not have heard.

We are speaking with Pat Morrison.

She is a columnist for the LA Times.

Pat, what story are you going to be talking about at parties this weekend?

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