The Works of David Sedaris

[Karrit]

I recently finished Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. I too, am now one of the crazy ladies laughing on the train thanks to David.

I wanted to read the story about Santa and the 7 or 8 black men to my husband. After about 4 attempts, all of which led me to hysterical laughter, unable to breathe, let alone speak, my husband finally just took the book from me and read it.

Ok, so now I am a crazy lady on the train and at home!

[pathtaken]

That is what is so great about David.
What other authors actually make you laugh out loud while reading their books? I had to stop reading so I could catch my breath during Talk Pretty.

[monsterzero]

Amazing how one family could produce both David and Amy.

I keep thinking their mother drank while pregnant and was a big fan of that 'Altered States' kind of sensory deprivation as punishment. Nothing against them, but anybody with that kind of sense of humor....you can tell as children they must have had a blast.

[razzy]

word to all those praising David for making them laugh out loud. He's fantastic. I would love to hear him at a reading one day. In the meantime, I'll take an earlier poster's advice and get his books on CD.

[blondie]

I didn't think much of Barrel Fever either, but while I was at a friend's house reading the first chapter of Naked (the one about his childhood OCD), I started laughing so hard I was coughing and sobbing. The chapter with the Rooster did the same thing to me. Eventually, I think my friend got annoyed, 'cause whenever I tried to read a little out loud to explain why I was laughing, I couldn't get the whole sentence out.

That OCD chapter is still my favorite -- his mother's turn of a phrase and mocking his OCD tics to his teacher kills me.

[sumire]

Once, I conked out while listening to This American Life, and I was actually laughing in my sleep listening to the bag-of-urine-strapped-to-his-leg piece.

Jesus Shaves is my all-time favorite--I read it in Esquire and loved it so much, I tore out the pages and carried it around for years until I found out that he had books and stuff.

[Deleted]

I think it is interesting that everyone is discussing David and Amy Sedaris. They've done a play or two together on or off Broadway---Amy played a nun who sweated a lot---Sister Sweat or something.

I prefer Mr. Sedaris' family essays to his fiction. But his plays are quite good too. His Christmas play about being one of Santa's Elves is a Christmas tradition in my town. And it is the one hardest to get tickets to and the ticket sales support several playhouses' seasons (like The Nutcracker for the Ballet companies).

I love Amy Sedaris' appearances on David Letterman. She did a late night tour of her neighborhood that was hilarious. I was laughing out loud throughout her segment. It was the night that Mr. Letterman rode in to work on a horse and the episode was actually filmed live at night.

My favorite Mr. Sedaris essay (sorry, forget the name and I don't have the book to reference) was about his attempt to befriend his apartment building's slut's young daughter. His mother warned him that he could end up with Michael Jackson's reputation and as the story played out; she was right as usual. I think that Mr. Sedaris is always irritated that his mother is usually proved right. Like his mother's humor, Mr. Sedaris' humor has that cynical understanding of human nature and its ability to warp any happy endings.

[shaz]

I've met him! I've read Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day. I find people who like him have read both of those books, and like best whichever one they read first (I'm in the Me Talk Pretty One Day camp). I have had the privilege of seeing him speak on two different occasions. The first time was in the 3rd row of the auditorium, and that's the night that I met him too. He basically read a few classic essays, tried out some new material, and answered audience questions (though he adamantly refused to do his Billie Holiday impression). He was absolutely hilarious, and I was surprised by how short he was, and also his slight nervousness about speaking to large crowds. I was in stitches and wiping tears from my eyes the entire time. He has such a dry delivery, and he just really brings his essays to life by telling them himself. He read his essay from Me Talk Pretty One Day about being in French class in France and all the students in the class trying to explain Easter to the Northern African woman. I almost died when he got to the part about the flying dust pan and the cinder block reindeer. God love 'im.

Ya cain't kill the rooster!

ETA: I guess I should tell details about meeting him. Well, it was not THAT big of a deal--kind of rushed. He had a book-signing after his talk (if you ever go hear him speak, bring your book along because he signs them afterward!). My friend and I waited in the long line. He had his book; I did not (and I will forever hate myself for that). Anyway, we got up to the front of the line, said our hellos. Then he asked a couple questions. The only one I remember is him asking my friend what his Easter plans were (how topical!). Friend detailed the deep-fried turkey experiment his family was planning on doing. I can't really remember what David said, but then he signed my friend's book, and drew a very detailed Easter egg in it.

[mrpancake]

That's so cool! I love his books, his sense of humor reminds me a lot of my own, and I like my sense of humor. I remember just laughing hysterically out loud reading his books and I'm sure people thought I was crazy. I'd love to go to a reading of his some day.

[Shanmac]

Awesome, shaz!

I find people who like him have read both of those books, and like best whichever one they read first

Not me. I read "Me Talk Pretty One Day" second, and I prefer it, by far. "He nice, the Jesus." That's all I need to say.

I saw him in Chicago on Halloween 2005. Amazing. I got to hear the Billie Holiday impression! He read the essay about the midget (sorry, I know that's not PC, but that's how he refers to him) guitar teacher and did the Oscar Meyer song in her voice. Priceless!

Since it was Halloween, a few (and I do mean few) people dressed up, and one guy came in full Santaland Diaries regalia. I was both horrified and delighted at once.

The best compliment I've ever been given was when I gave a friend I hadn't seen in years the link to my blog. She emailed me the next day and said, "Have you ever read any David Sedaris? Your writing reminds me of him." I was beside myself with glee. Wish I thought she was right, but I'll take the compliment nonetheless.

It seems like it would have been insane to grow up in that family (and not always in a good way), but it can't have been all bad if it produced Amy and David. I would love to be a fly on the wall listening to a conversation between those two.

I read "Naked" on a flight to Paris, and I think I frightened half the passengers with my hysterics. But I did score huge brownie points with one of my profs, who saw me reading it, because he's a huge fan.