Thursday, April 28, 2011

David Sedaris



Last night, I had the pleasure of once again hearing David Sedaris at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus, an event that I've looked forward to every year for the past five years. I buy a series ticket to the Writer's Word (many of which I've posted about here), and the series culminates in a raucous finale by Sedaris.

When I was a kid I loved the joke:

What goes HA, HA PLOP?


I'll leave the answer at the bottom.

David Sedaris tells his hilarious stories, reads from his travel diaries and tells sometimes disgusting jokes while nearly two thousand people rock the house with laughter. I literally have to bend over in my seat sometimes to catch my breath. If you've never read his work, please do. Especially if you're like me -- beset with near-constant situational anxiety and a tendency to forget that the world is something other than tribulation! The best thing about Sedaris is his brilliant ability to weave a biting, bitter humor with sweetness -- after listening to him talk of his beloved parents, sisters and brother and partner Hugh, I always feel more tolerant toward my own family and all of our complexities -- there's something so powerful about recognizing human frailty and laughing at it --

Answer to riddle:


A man laughing his head off. It still makes me giggle. :)

15 comments:

  1. I've loved David Sedaris since his early days of writing and reading his stories on NPR. He's proof that a writer can make it, and make it good. Tickled that you get to see him in person!

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  2. This is wonderful. I will have to go out and buy something written by him. I do remember him from NPR as well.
    xo,
    Noelle

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  3. I really wanted to see him last month when he was in our town, but I had nobody to go with... and thought to myself "Elizabeth goes to hear authors speak all on her own... I could do that".
    But in reality, I didn't have childcare.
    I'll be sure not to miss it next time. I just love him. The next best thing is the audio versions of his books.
    Sigh.

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  4. speaking of jealousy on my blog, i am JEALOUS of you!! i adore him, really. he's made me laugh/cry too, to the point where my husband had to read him to find out what was so fn funny!!! awesome. i'm so glad you got to go.

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  5. He's completely brilliant.
    And I love your description of his writing..

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  6. Love Sedaris. When he is on NPR, I can't extract myself from the car.

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  7. He's one of my favorites. His dry, deadpan delivery can't be topped.

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  8. I firmly believe it takes a healthy sense of humor to make it through life.

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  9. Well of course I love him too. SO much. He has brought me so much pleasure. I love his books and his recordings. One day I'll see him live. I sure am glad you got to. Dang! I want to have been there with you, spitting and splitting with laughter.
    Ha-ha-plop-PLOP!

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  10. OMG!!! I am so in love with David Sedaris. I have all his books, and his books on tape and and and.....my goodness, I sound like a gushing Bieber fan.

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  11. I had to stop reading a short story by DS about going to the doctor in France, because I was pregnant at the time and afraid that the incontrollable laughter might cause contractions! What a treat to be able to hear him. Buy tickets for me too, next time :)

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  12. What a great time! I adore him and his sister Amy is terrific as well.
    xo

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  13. Sounds like a perfect evening~so glad you got to go! All that laughter just feels so good, doesn't it?

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  14. I love the thought of you laughing in your chair and having some time to just be in bliss. So pleased you went to this and shared with us. David Sedaris rocks. If Americans knighted people, I would be first in line to nominate him.

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  15. Okay, since I obviously live in a box, I'd never heard of him (rarely listen to radio.) Googled him and came up with an essay reading on Letterman on "the stadium pal." My head just fell off : )

    So glad you had an evening of hilarious laughter...

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