Todd Barry's stand-up comedy falls along the lower end of the register: in volume, in speed, in tone. So maybe it makes sense that he's happiest onstage when he doesn't have to talk at all. Fans may wonder how Barry translates his dry delivery to the page. The answer: by making liberal use of italics. His new book is Thank You for Coming to Hattiesburg: One Comedian's Tour of Not-Quite-the-Biggest Cities in the World.

In the Spiel, joining forces with the News 4 Storm Tracker, it's the most precise name in climate science: Wayne Tracker.

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