In May 2003, Hyperion published a satirical novel that remains one of the most eccentric, laugh-out-loud literary collaborations in modern American humor: Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not. Co-written by **Amy Sedaris**, **Paul Dinello**, and **Stephen Colbert**, the lavishly designed book combined investigative journalism parodies with full-color photographic character portraits by Todd Oldham.

Following the cancellation of Strangers with Candy, the trio channeled their shared comedic vision into literature, skewering the sanctimonious tropes of travel journalism and the desperate decay of rural America.

The Plot: A Self-Absorbed Journalist on a Mission

The book is framed as an investigative exposé written by Russell Hagner (played in photographs by Paul Dinello)—a deeply unqualified, pompous journalist who receives a magazine grant to document “the disappearing small town in America.”

Hagner drives to Wigfield, an obscure, bankrupt town built directly beneath a massive federal bulk-water dam that is scheduled for imminent demolition by the Army Corps of Engineers. Instead of finding folksy, salt-of-the-earth wisdom, Hagner encounters a population of deeply deranged, opportunistic misfits who are utterly indifferent to their impending underwater demise.

An Ensemble Brought to Life in Print

Sedaris, Dinello, and Colbert didn’t just write the book; they physically transformed themselves into Wigfield’s bizarre citizenry for Todd Oldham’s hyper-saturated character portraits:

  • Russell Hagner (Paul Dinello): The clueless narrator whose narcissism blinds him to every obvious danger.
  • Chuck Hatchett (Stephen Colbert): A sleazy local strip-club proprietor and taxidermy enthusiast with an unhinged philosophical outlook.
  • Gretchen Wigfield (Amy Sedaris): The town’s ancient, chain-smoking founder who operates a corrupt roadside souvenir stand.
  • Duncan Snodgrass (Colbert): A delusional local historian who believes the town was founded by time-traveling Vikings.
  • Donny Kramer (Dinello): A teenage delinquent whose only life ambition is to drive a golf cart into a ditch.

The Sold-Out Stage Tour

To support the book’s release, Sedaris, Dinello, and Colbert embarked on a multi-city theatrical reading tour in the summer of 2003. Sitting behind folding card tables in business suits and thrift-store wigs, the trio performed the novel’s dialogues live. The tour sold out venues nationwide, including New York’s Jane Street Theatre and Chicago’s Vic Theatre, proving that their live improv chemistry remained as razor-sharp as ever.

Critical Standing and Cult Legacy

Wigfield received rave reviews from critics nationwide, earning comparisons to the satirical work of Flannery O’Connor, Christopher Guest, and Terry Southern. Today, it remains an essential collector’s item for fans of the Second City triumvirate.

Archival Cross-References