GETTINGOFFED Tlrings l\le laarned i FonrWomenl,thdrrci Dumped Me i Edited by Ben Karlin r Grand Central i Publishing, $23.99 i guys sobbing on their bathroom floor from heartbreak will find comfort here.</p><p> First, very few of the writers actual- ly talk about being dumped.</p><p> Another prob- lem is that their voices blur together.</p><p> Snarky, vaguely naughty put-downs are the default mode, and with few exceptions it's as if all the essays come from some tibercomic with a reallybad dating record.</p><p> Ultimately, all a reader can do is ruthless- ly reject most of the pieces and go steady with the few that catch the eye.</p><p> I'll be returh- ing the phone calls of Marcellus Hall, who drew a witty, two-page comic strip on "the lessons of a cyclical heart." I'll be flirting madly and suggesting drinks with Dan Sav- age, who tells a hilarious story about sleep- ing with a girl to bry to avoid the fact that he's gay.</p><p> And I'll heave a sigh of relief after reading Bob Kerrey's sweet, poignant story of falling in love with a girl in a photograph , - finally, after all these guys and their is- ,ii sues, it's a pleasure to hear from an adult. i$ I t MichaelGiltt --, Z I- c-'. ,--t ) | ,\ \l _, _l e, !en l(arlin, abehind- the-scenes force at "The Daily Show" and The Onion, ap- parently has a lot of fiendswho gleaned lessons fromhaving, their hearts broken.</p><p> The result is a compilation of es- says that take a dizzyingrange of forms.</p><p> But despite the heavy hitters in- volved - including Stephen Colbert, Andy Richter and evenBob Kerrey - it's doubttul any
