Out of My Head: Coon Dogs That Lie to You, Killer Pancakes, and Other Lunacies

The title, which suggests frenetic zaniness, belies the contents, for Atlanta TV star Powell offers low-key, gentle humor that at its best is delightful. He proposes the ``wimpersand'' as punctuation to finish sentences that end in a whine; explains why autographs by Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, are so rare; proves that listening to classical music makes the listener fat. As might be expected of a good ol' boy, Powell is a regionalist and devoted to food Southerners regard as haute cuisine, extolling the virtues of Killer Pancakes (made with both flour and grits) and boiled peanuts. Non-Southern readers will forgive him, given the charm of these pieces. (May)