Monday, July 26, 2010

When You Are Engulfed In Flames

Is David Sedaris' life more interesting than mine? Or does he just have better powers of observation and the ability to communicate stories in a witty and compelling way? I'm leaning towards the latter. At least I hope so...

I enjoyed Me Talk Pretty One Day and Naked. I didn't think they were either boring or remarkable; they were just plain enjoyable. I got into David Sedaris more after I subscribed to The New Yorker. David Sedaris is a regular contributor and many of his essays (including those in When You Are Engulfed In Flames) are featured within the magazine. One of my residents burned me a CD of him reading his stories at Carnegie Hall. His unique voice and wry emphasis added so much to the work and I got really into him.

I was a little disappointed that I had already read a few of the essays in this book (thanks to The New Yorker). However, I am a sucker for any kind of travel writing and I gobbled up the essays on his life in France and his short move to Japan (to quit smoking). I marvel at his ability to complete capture a moment - hilarious and awkward in its entirety. It makes me want to carry a notebook around in my pocket and start talking to the strangest looking people around in hopes of experiencing half the stuff that Sedaris writes about.

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