I tried to go to a reading/book signing for Mr Sedaris back in June at Books Inc on Van Ness (his newest opus is When You Are Engulfed in Flames). That event was to start at 7p and I think people had been in line since 4.. Needless to say I didn't wait (or rather get in), it was the most people I've seen at such a thing, worse than Palahniuk (although Chuck straight moved to an auditorium with tickets and all for his novel Snuff)



So it was with relief when I snapped up tix to for Sedaris at the opera house.. I thought $40 was a lot hear some dude talk. Turns out it wasn't enough. I ended up sitting in possibly the worst section at that venue, the mf-ing balcony. You are like at a 92-degree angle from the stage, it is nuts steep. David Sedaris looks about 2-inch tall, that's how far I was. They shouldn't even sell these tickets (it sadly prolly sold out). And to think, I was in row A (although I think there were maybe 5 to 8 rows in front of me.. you know, like AA.. great system)

Anyway, the show started not long after the scheduled 8p. It took me a minute to warm up to the whole thing cuz David Sedaris actually just reads his stuff into a microphone. I thought he would walk around, more like a stand up comic. The intro said he would share all new stories with us but I was bummed when the first one he read was Undecided which is his latest New Yorker story. It's really good though and I only had read that big bit about airline food

He then read other long stories from loose pieces of paper, material he said he was constantly reworking on this tour. There was one about traveling on a train and another about his book tour. He really got me on the part where people can just look so dirty and walk around like it's normal. "Casual wear", they call it. David finished with some odd entries from his diary (a fountain of information) and fielded like, 5 questions from the audience

It felt short but it was long enough for someone perched up this balcony. The man might come off as very mild mannered but his vulgarity and delivery can be fantastic

Oh yeah, David also spent quite some time promoting an author and a book he loves, George Saunders and his latest: The Braindead Megaphone. It's pretty cool considering they don't know each other. I'm tempted to get it but I have to finish Me Talk Pretty One Day and many many more in my "to read/in progress" stack(s). He went so far as to sell these next to his own in a booth set up by the entrance for books and autographs. They must have made a killing (you usually pay that insane price printed on the book)

Go see David Sedaris live. If you have some cash, spend a little more though you will laugh no matter where you sit


More David Sedaris

- archive of New Yorker articles (some favorites: The Way We Are, In The Waiting Room, Suitable For Framing)
- archive of appearances on the radio program This American Life
- wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sedaris
- some books of his I have read
- David Sedaris: Live At Carnegie Hall