Pajiba

Great review JM.

I heard his interview on NPR this weekend, and it was pretty freakin' hilarious.

The worm in the leg! GAH!!!!!

Blech! Pooh! Thspd!

It sounds like another great read from one of my local-boy-done-good heroes.

Not sure why, but I haven't read any of Sedaris' stuff yet... now I definitely feel that I should. Thanks for the review, Jennifer.

And btw, there is no such thing as "reads too much"!

I've been meaning to read Sedaris but keep forgetting when I'm at the library. Anyone have suggestions on where to start?

I finally got "Then We Came to the End" by Joshua Ferris last night and I love it so far. Highly recommended for all cubicle drones.

Great review. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Sedaris and I really enjoyed this book. There are many poignant moments in When You Are Engulfed in Flames, but I also think that, in terms of hilarity and wit, it holds up right next to Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day. In "That's Amore," for example Sedaris explores issues of loneliness and dysfunctional friendships, but Helen's writing "Happy Holidays" on that envelope (read it, you'll know what I mean) had me laughing loudly to myself for days...people around me were becoming concerned.

Rob, whichever you pick (and there's not a bad choice really), make sure you hear him too. As much as he'll deprecate himself as just "reading out loud" it really is a performance.

LOVE David Sedaris, his writing is like none other out there

will definetly be picking this up at some point

great review Jennifer!

I adore David Sedaris. Hilarious and completely human.

I enjoy reading Sedaris. His essays always have that core of truth, even when they are funny, sad or bittersweet. I first heard him on NPR with the "Santaland Diaries," and I laugh out loud every time I hear it. Jay is right, hearing him read aloud adds much to his writing.

Rob, I would start with either Me Talk Pretty One Day or Naked. They're fabulously funny and incredibly affecting.

Nice review Jennifer, it's always a treat when Sedaris publishes a new collection.

Rob,
Perhaps start with Me Talk Pretty One Day? I think it's probably the most accessibly funny, and is a good intro into his weird world. From there, you can pretty much go anywhere.

My actor friends and I have always thought that the dinner-party-turd story could make a genius audition piece for the right actor - the perfect storm of appalling and hilarious. I haven't quite figured out how to make it work - but when I do....

....I'll probably get thrown out of the audition hall. WORTH IT.

David Sedaris is one of my favorite authors. I grew up around Raleigh, NC so I often times find myself laughing even more at his descriptions of some places in the area because I know it's completely true.

I saw him speak in Greensboro a couple years ago, and he does so in the same fashion has he writes, except it's way more obvious that the man has done a fuck ton of drugs.

Also, during the question and answer session, someone asked when Hugh was going to be nominated for sainthood.

This just reminded me of another site, Stuff White People Like:

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/26/25-david-sedaris/

But seriously, thanks for the review. Skitt and I were talking about this a few days ago and I wasn't sure if it was worth the extra bucks to buy in hardback - your review says that it is, so I'll make it my next read after finishing Spook.

Mr. Prisco himself bought me my first Sedaris book as a birthday present and I have never looked back. I adore him, Sedaris and Prisco. And look forward to reading anything that either of them have written. I blew through When You Are Engulfed in Flames in a day. It made me laugh and cringe at the same time.

I'll also agree that seeing Sedaris read in person is an amazing experience. I bought myself and my best friend tickets to see him in Wilmington a few years ago, and I laughed so hard that my ribs were sore the next day. I've seen him twice since then, and each time has been so much fun.

At a free reading at Borders he had a *"fuck it bucket" on the table where he was signing copies of Dress Your Family. I complimented him on bringing it for everyone and he laughed, saying that some of the staff at the hotel he was staying at were fans, and had left it in his room as a joke.

*For those who haven't read him yet, the "fuck it bucket" is a bucket of candy concocted by, I believe, his vulgar brother The Rooster. When his father's house was damaged by a hurricane, The Rooster brought a bucket of candy with him to cheer him up, saying (this is not quite verbatim) "When life gets you down, just say fuck it and eat some motherfucking candy."

Pretty shiny five dollar! So glad to hear this is of like quality to the prior ones. I'm just finishing Sloane Crosley's I Was Told There'd Be Cake, which is reasonably entertaining, but I fear she's going to suffer mightily in comparison.

make sure you hear him too. As much as he'll deprecate himself as just "reading out loud" it really is a performance.

Even if you've read all of his work, get the audiotapes -- it's a completely different and wonderful experience to hear him relate the stories. They're available as a box set with, of course, a rooster on the cover. You can't kill the muthafuckin' rooster!

Agreed, socalled. I wait for all his books in audio form. I've nearly crashed my car numerous times from guffawing at his readings.

I recently read "Dress Your Family In Courdoroy And Denim" based on a prior Pajiba comment thread. It was quite simply one of the worst books I've ever read. I was so bored out of my skull, I kept saying to myself, "there's nothing interesting about him or his family or his stories!" His writing style could be mastered by a 10 year old. I could not believe how utterly unimpressed I was. I was shocked at how wrong so many people could be! I consider myself somewhat of a book snob and this guy is the pits as an author. Based on that one experience, I would never waste any more time reading anything he offered. Maybe he should try fiction because his recollections of his childhood and memories are so unoriginal and boring, I couldn't care less about him or anyone in his family.

You want a good piece of fiction, read "Peace Like A River" by Lief Enger. I just finished it and it's at the top of my favorites list now. The man's writing is purely fantastic. Everyone I've recommended it to falls in love with it.

I was shocked at how wrong so many people could be!

Helcat, it's not being wrong, it's having an opinion. You don't have to like him, but we're not wrong in doing so.

we're not wrong in doing so

Yes we are Julie. We're either crazy, tasteless, or lying. That's why he's overrated, you see.

[/stab, stab, stab]

Helcat, Different strokes for different folks, I guess - I can't stop reading Sedaris when I start and tend to tear through all his collections in one sitting. His family stories read to me like a more screwy (and larger) version of my own family, and (as someone who works in theater) his characterizations just kill me. I'm sorry they bore you, but I really don't see where you get "unoriginal" - it must just be a taste thing.

Julie-
It's also MY opinion that you were wrong. Please don't shoot the messenger who simply has a different opinion than yours. I don't think my thoughts warrent a firing squad.

I think you misread my tone Helcat, I'm not trying to shoot the messenger, it just bothers we when people classify different opinions as wrong. They're just different. In a similar vein I can't stand Augusten Burroughs...his books make me want to punch my bedroom wall, but I don't think anyone is necessarily wrong if they love him. They just think differently of him than I do. :)

I will be checking out the Enger book, because I'm a whore for book recommendations.

Thanks for all the suggestions! It runs in my mind that I have a Tattered Cover podcast from Sedaris, I'll check it out when I get home.

It's also MY opinion that you were wrong. Please don't shoot the messenger who simply has a different opinion than yours.

Hold on, O Messenger of Truth. Shooting the messenger is more than justified when the insulting message was formed by the messenger. Did someone else give you this message with which to enlighten us?

Are you seriously positing that, with respect to a subjective work of art or literature, you can go beyond your own opinion of not liking it to a valid opinion that someone else's liking it is "wrong"? How does that work exactly?

I can see if he's writing about torturing animals, you might take a dim view of people who profess to love the work, but that's a pretty narrow corner of the world of art and literature.

My favorite color is blue. If yours is red, are you wrong, or am I wrong? Let's suppose you like John Grisham. I think he's a terrible, unimaginative, one-trick-pony writer. Are you "wrong" to read something you enjoy? You and I may not have much in common (and I strongly suspect we do not), but how can either of us be "wrong" about something like that?

I don't think my thoughts warrent a firing squad.

What firing squad?

But seriously, Veronica Mars sucks!!

I ordered a bright orange t-shirt from Sedaris Floors with crosshairs over a rooster silhouette and "You Can't Kill The Rooster" encircling it.

Exactly one person has ever understood what it meant, and I was working in a bookstore!! Man was I let down by my companions.

I ordered a bright orange t-shirt from Sedaris Floors with crosshairs over a rooster silhouette and "You Can't Kill The Rooster" encircling it.

See my green-toned skin? That's called envy.

Don't worry, Julie, he's still got em!

Don't see any bottles of Colon Blow though. Pity.

http://sedarishardwoodfloors.com/store.php

I don't think my thoughts warrent a firing squad.

No, I wouldn't say they warrant a firing squad, but they do warrant a rebuttal, and that is what you're getting.

Ha! I just might have to buy one, that is awesome.

Speaking too fast!

He gave the title back to Phil Hartman but the sauce still lives!

That is one entrepreneurial motherfucker.

http://www.youcantkilltherooster.com/bbq.php

I live in Raleigh, and actually met Paul (you can't kill the rooster) Sedaris at his 40th birthday party. We have a few mutual friends, and I can confirm that what people have read about Paul is pretty much how he is. He got powerfully drunk and did "the worm" on the floor of the bar as a live band played classic rock.

Don,
I have never been more jealous in my life.

Helcat, it kind of makes sense, particularly if you are a book snob. Because, people hype Sedaris so much, you go in with mammoth expectations. Dress Your Family is a slightly lesser Sedaris, and much of it banks on you being familiar with his earlier work. You don't know the Rooster, so you can't appreciate the toned down Rooster in the later book. It's kind of like trying to explain to someone why Stephen King is an amazing author if they've only ever been exposed to Cell and Lisey's Story.

Do yourself a favor, and pick up Me Talk Pretty One Day. Or, if you've ever worked retail, I would suggest Holidays on Ice. It's a nice sampler dish, and "The Santaland Diaries" should be required reading for anyone working during the holidays. If you still dislike the writing style, there's nothing I can do for you but pray for your tortured soul.

I agree with Insert Helcat, "The Santaland Diaries" is extremely clever and laugh out loud funny. You're probably already disillusioned with him after disliking Dress Your Family so much (god knows I won't ever pick up another Burroughs book), but if you were to give him another try that would be your best bet.

Julie and Jay, I'm a Raleigh native and once worked as a receptionist at a flooring company, so I had a few encounters with the Rooster himself. I mentioned to him that I was a fan of his brother's books, and it was with no small amount of pride that he said he'd never read so much as a word of his brother's books. He is all that he is described as, and more. I thought he was awesome.

I am now seriously considering moving to Raleigh if only to ty and evoke a "chance" encounter with the Rooster

anybody got a sofa I can crash on?

"I consider myself somewhat of a book snob and this guy is the pits as an author."

Ugh. Is there anybody more tiresome than a self-proclaimed "book snob"? Oh, and I thought "Peace Like a River" was boring as hell.

Wow, are people ready to rip the flesh from my bones. Whoaaaaaa little ponies! When I said "I was shocked at how wrong so many people could be," I was referring to what I was thinking at the time. And no, there is nothing wrong with thinking you're wrong. It's a thought, which last I checked, we were each allowed to have.

So, I guess I'm getting the sarcasm from some people like Socalled who feel the need to attack anyone not going along with the masses. Socalled, take a page from Julie's book. Julie, I'm sorry I misinterpreted your comment, but thank you for being a bit more calm w/ your rebuttals. I just felt the need in my first post to blab out how differently I felt after reading all those positive posts before mine.

And Samantha, I truly am sorry that you were bored with "Peace." I just think it takes immense talent to write like an 11 year old thinks and describe the landscapes the way he did in such vivid detail. To me, Sedaris' writing is like remedial English clash in comparison. In my opinion, this is the difference between you and me, who considers myself a tiresome old book snob.

No problem Helcat!

Just bought this yesterday! I love love love Sedaris. I still think his best, however, is Me Talk Pretty One Day, although the story about the Rooster was one of the funniest things I've ever read. Thanks, David, for making living with my overbearing mother this summer that much easier.

Helcat - I guess my issue is that Sedaris is not maintaining that he's the next Faulkner. He's just a very, very funny, insightful guy who has a way with words and manages to give you a glimpse into his world. He has a wonderful way of mixing the hilarious with the poignant (i.e. his piece that opens with him and his mother overhearing a woman saying something about "my other house" that turns into a meditation on his father's ability to disappoint his wife and children). Sedaris himself would be mortified to be compared with "great" literature. He has a very specific talent that many, many people enjoy...just not you.

As to "Peace Like a River", it wasn't a matter of not getting it or not appreciating talent, it was a matter of thinking that it dragged and thinking that other authors have written children far better, i.e. Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clarke, Ha, Ha, Ha."

Not a single mention of how over 90% of his "stories" are utter bullshit lies, in other words, fiction.

But why should I expect anything like that from the Pajiba crowd. If someone's a hipster douche celebrity they get a fucking pass on everything.

I bought the audio book the day it came out, so I'm waiting for a long car trip to listen to it. My parents refuse to let me listen to it alone. Plus, I've met him and I can only say he's a sweet man!

Say what you like about Sedaris's writing. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I happen to love it ,and I can't wait to read this collection. I also have never been more delighted with an author as I was with Sedaris when I heard him read a few years back in Edinburgh. He was so funny, and so genuninely nice. During the book signing he really took the time to speak to everyone and make the notes in their books personal. I worked in publishing for awhile and met quite a few authors...in terms of sheer personability, none have impressed me even half as much as he did.

Trevor,

It's called READING. You should try it sometime.

From the REVIEW:

Later, he learns to his chagrin he has mistakenly inflated the story; nevertheless, he maintains, the core of the story was the same: "Despite my embroidery, the most important facts hold true." Those critics who accuse Sedaris of exaggerating for effect would do well to remember this idea. (To further clarify matters, Sedaris begins the collection with an author's note that describes the collection's events as "realish.")

Pretty directly addresses the veracity question, doesn't it?

If you hate Pajiba so much, why do you come here? Is Perez Hilton offline or something?

Samantha-
I consider myself someone who appreciates different types of humor and honestly, I just don't find any of Sedaris' stories (in Dress Your Family, mind you) to be that amusing or insightful at all. I sat there while reading it thinking, "Geez, with little effort, I could write about a few of my family's funny stories too, and they'd be 10 times more interesting that what this guy is telling me." And I'm a reader, not a writer, so that's not saying much about his writing.

Anyway, many posts later, I respect that you have a different opinion than mine, but this is something we will have to agree to disagree on (including the Leif Enger/Roddy Doyle comparison-in my book, not even a close comparison). To each his/her own.

[i]Not a single mention of how over 90% of his "stories" are utter bullshit lies, in other words, fiction.

But why should I expect anything like that from the Pajiba crowd. If someone's a hipster douche celebrity they get a fucking pass on everything.
[/i]

Jeezums, [b]trevor[/b]. Over 90%? You, sir, are speaking untruth. From what I hear, the events are 97% true.

On another note, I saw him in Baton Rouge last night. Barnes and Noble was so damn unorganized. I called ahead to see how the event would be handled and what I needed to do. No mention of wristbands then. But I'll be damned if I didn't show up two and a half hours ahead of time only to get stuck in the fourth wristband group and have to wait in line for five hours to get my book signed.
The reading was hysterical, though. He read "Of Mice and Men," a couple of sections from "The Smoking Section," and some entries from his diary. He then spent a couple of minutes talking to each person whose book he signed, though I wish people would remember how long they themselves had waited and not spend ten minutes yukking it up with the guy when my feet are about to explode. Cheezus crust.

Audience member: Do you ever piss off or offend people by writing about them?
Sedaris: Well, I try to write about people who aren't big readers.

My opinion: Helcat is a pinched-up old twat.

My other, relevant opinion: I like David Sedaris (but I love Amy)