I’m slightly obsessed with David Sedaris. Slightly. Not stalker obsessed. I’ve never written to him. I mean, if one of you happens to know him, feel free to send this to him, but I’m not going to find out how to do it directly.
That would be weird.
He does live one county over from me in the UK, so I could drive over, on the off chance he’s out litter-picking. Engage him in casual litter related conversation.
I’d pretend I didn’t know it was him and he’d invite me back to the cottage to meet Hugh. Might take a few casual, completely coincidental goes, I suppose.
If I thought about it. Which I don’t.
I wouldn’t buy an airplane ticket to NYC and look for him there, though I understand it’s where he’s seeing out 2020.
I’m not unhinged.
David Sedaris is the reason I finally subscribed to Masterclass. It’s an app with a series of videos where people who are good about what they do talk about it.
Once they added David (is that too familiar? I feel I know him quite well) my resistance to the daily FB ads crumbled. I’d pay £70 a year for him alone. Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood, Billy Collins, they’re not so shabby either.
I always assume everyone has heard of David Sedaris. He does sell-out book tours. Yet when I cite him as one of my literary heroes I often get blank looks.
David Sedaris performing his own books is intensely enjoyable. I’m not sure you will get him, properly get him, unless you hear him before you read him. Quick. Check him out here. https://youtu.be/5A2yC0-xPvo See you in a couple of hours.
My 10 year old son and I discovered David Sedaris on Radio 4.
BBC Radio 4 is peculiar in that BBC TV has a watershed, but you can turn on Radio 4 anytime and hear profanity and scenes of violence and a sexual nature (Exhibit 1: The Archers). You must be patient and work through Any Answers etc to get to it. I listen to a lot of Radio 4.
David Sedaris on Radio 4 at 6.30pm was just edgy enough for my son and I to love him immediately and for me to buy a few Audibles to take on holiday with us.
In those halcyon pre-virus days when we left the house I didn’t allow the children to use devices (must be said in a voice of hushed middle-class dread). We had enforced in-car entertainment instead to enrich their minds.
If my son and I love something there’s a 98% certainty my daughter and husband will hate it. On this occasion, however, we all chuckled along to the first chapter of Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. My daughter even requested another chapter.
I don’t recall exactly when David got into his pubescent reminisces, but I would say it was about two years too early for my children.
My husband and I enjoyed it so much we let it run on maybe 5 minutes too long. The silence in the back of the car became noticeable. Noticeable enough to become positively awkward. Eventually, with mutual unspoken agreement, I switched to Harry Potter. I’ve said it before: children spoil everything.
There were some words we just weren’t ready to explain yet. I guess, thanks to David Sedaris, now we never need to.
Yet another string to the great man’s bow.
Just waving 