by Haley Mitchell, staff reporter

In hopes of escaping this year’s 550-page monster of a UIL Social Studies book, I recently picked up a copy of funny-man Bo Burnham’s “Egghead” in hopes of taking a mental vacation away from the politics of 1920.

“Egghead: Or, You Can’t Survive on Ideas Alone,” with its pleasant blue jacket and quirky cover art, was an enticing read from start to finish. I was not disappointed. Already familiar with Burnham’s comedy routines, I expected his book to be more humor than poetry, so I was pleasantly surprised by his clever use of wordplay and alliteration to convey deep meaning.

Part of what frustrates me about poetry is that behind the lines of complicated language devices and indecipherable paragraphs, authors can leave too much room for interpretation. This most certainly was not the case with “Egghead.” Burnham leaves little of the aforementioned room, handing you his main dish on a platter without even letting you glimpse at the menu or try an appetizer. While some may prefer the depth of classic poets like Byron or Shakespeare, “Egghead” was a good choice for me.

(Note that this book is not for the faint of heart. While some poems are level with those of beloved children’s poet Shel Silverstein, others belong with the likes of Catullus. Some illustrations are also pretty graphic, so be wary of your background audience while reading this book.)

All in all, “Egghead” is a fantastic summer read, full of wit, wisecracks and wordplay. It’s not poetry in the classical sense–it’s poetry for the non-poetic, but it has profound depth if you look for it.