Lectures at the University normally focus on scholarly subjects such as biology, economics or history.

Writer Chuck Klosterman, however, will speak tonight about, among other things, popular culture.

“I don’t know what I’m going to talk about,” Klosterman said in a recent phone interview. “They always tell me to talk about viewing one’s life through the prism of pop culture, but for the most part I just talk about writing and my career and, you know, doing drugs and chasing women and mistakes I’ve made.”

Klosterman’s experience with pop culture writing comes from a variety of formats. He began in newspapers in his home state of North Dakota, and after writing his first book, “Fargo Rock City,” about heavy metal, he moved to New York and ventured into the magazine industry.

Two books, including a series of articles and essays on pop culture titled “Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs” and “Killing Yourself To Live” about rock and roll death and suicide, followed.

“I like writing on all the levels, but writing a book is the only time you’re really able to produce the words you sort of have in your mind,” Klosterman said.

Right now, he said, he’s working on a novel – his first.

Until very recently, Klosterman was a senior writer at Spin magazine. The publication was purchased by another company, and many of the current staff were let go, he said.

“The guy who took it over is the guy who used to be the editor of Blender, so it’s basically going to become a teen pop magazine,” he said.

His split with Spin doesn’t mean he’s through with magazine journalism, though.

“Honestly, Spin was probably only, like, 10 percent of my income. I signed a contract with the New York Times magazine; I’m going to start writing for Wired; I write for ESPN,” he said. The only real difference, he explained, is that he will no longer have his office at Spin.

As a rock journalist, Klosterman is well aware that the music industry is changing.

“I think the music industry is in trouble, but I would say people who write about rock music are in more trouble than the artist,” he said.

“Ten years ago people read rock magazines to be introduced to new bands,” he explained.

“Now, you don’t need a rock critic to tell you what’s good.”

This change could put Klosterman’s job in danger, but he said he believes things will evolve.

“Rock music changes. In the ’60s it really reflected being a young person, and if you were a young person and you said you liked rock music, people knew you must mean the Beatles and the Stones and the Byrds and stuff. Now if someone says ‘I like rock music,’ it means nothing because you have no guess as to who they listen to or what their life is like.”

Klosterman’s appearance at the University was scheduled by the University Union student programming organization.

Rebecca Belou, the Union’s Ideas and Issues division coordinator, said she has read Klosterman’s books, and it was her committee that voted to bring him to the University.

“He’s a rock music journalist, so it could be pretty interesting to hear what he’s done on the road and stuff,” Belou said.