David Sedaris

I love David Sedaris, he is absolutely one of my favorite writers. He is extremley funny and I have read almost all his books. I wanted to know who else loves Sedaris' work and if they had any recommendations of other writers...

David Rakoff is a good parallel in the personal essay dept., as well as Sarah Vowell. But it's hard to catch up with Sedaris, who is one of my favorites as well. Be sure to catch him live some time and/or listen to his audiobooks, most of which he reads himself (along with bits from his sister, Amy). Sedaris will sit there for hours signing books and chatting with each person, so it's worth the wait to get your book signed.

I just got the new one When You are Engulfed in Flames as an audiobook. Ever since I heard him on NPR, I can't imagine 'reading' him rather than 'listening' to him. I haven't finished listening yet, I am on the 3rd of 8 discs.

After I first heard him I got the audiobook Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Then I found an Audiobook box set on Amazon Used, though it wasn't used, just selling for a reduced price.

My favorite thing about Sedaris is that he has the voice of a cartoon elf. Every time he comes up on This American Life I am completely thrown that I'm listening to an adult male.

I too love David Sedaris and agree with #2 - see him in person if you get the opportunity.

I thought that Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman had a similar tone just from a female point of view.

i am actually planning to see him this fall when he comes back to ucla, but I also want to buy one of his audio books for a trip I am taking in a few days. When I got to see him live, I want all his stories to be relatively new. So, should I buy the audiobook anyway, or wait to see him live then buy it?

I would guess that he would be focusing on his new book when you see him in person so probably buying one of his earlier books would be the safest.

But having said that I should also confess that I would find his stories funny repeatedly so maybe you should get a second opinion.

It has been my experience (3 times so far) that he generally reads new material. Anything should be safe. He's coming back here in April! Yay! I'll wait to buy the new book.

I'm about halfway through Me Talk Pretty One Day and am only mildly amused. I know he has many books out, and, because I have the attention span of a short-tailed shrew, I have to ask this question: "What is his funniest work?"

David Sedaris, if you ever read up on what people write about you, please give me Amy's e-mail. I saw her on a cooking show my sister was watching and guessed who she was from her cameo appearances in your books AND I want her to read my books . . . just imagining her reading them would make me so happy that I will send her a copy of The Woman Without a Hole and, maybe, Kyoka, Japan's Comic Verse because I do not have a spare copy of Rise, Ye Sea Slugs! on hand. And, if you will agree to write the preface, I will select a hundred or so holothurian haiku from the last-mentioned for a gay-oriented version which my sister who is even straighter than I am believes would be a best-seller. I do not think there is anything particularly gay in said book, but will grant that there may be something about brainless squirting sea cucumbers -- for that, and not the nudibranches that scientists insist are the sea slug proper is what we are talking about -- that might appeal to them, I mean, you.