• The Christian Science Monitor, Friday, June 17, 2011 3:30 PM

Here's the fiction part: Leslie Knope, the character played by Amy Poehler, is writing a nonfiction book about the town of Pawnee, Ind., where she serves as deputy director of Parks and Recreation in the NBC series of that name.

Here's the nonfiction part: The 240-page book, "Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America," is a work of fiction co-written by Michael Schur, the show's co-creator and executive producer.  It's set to be published in October under a licensing deal between NBCUniversal and Hyperion Books.

Husna Haq, writing in the Monitor's "Chapters & Verse" blog, puts the Pawnee tome into a broader perspective of NBC's leadership in building fantasy worlds around hit shows.  Other examples cited include the  "Dunder Mifflin Inc. Scranton Newsletter" on the website of the "The Office" and such merchandise as a "Kabletown swag set" from "30 Rock," and Greendale Community College apparel from "Community."

Read the whole story at The Christian Science Monitor »