Expansion on David Sedaris, as requested by Dad

He started off by reading an essay from his new book, which you can read an excerpt of here and the full thing if you have a nytimes.com subscription. Interestingly enough, it's not in his French translation of the same book. I think that his stories are definitely funnier when he reads them aloud, though I went with 2 French friends and even though I would qualify them as fluent in English, they definitely didn't catch all the jokes (especially when he talked about Costco). In fact, during the Q&A session, someone asked about differences in translations. Lucky for us, the guy who is currently translating his new book was in the audience and had just sent David a list of questions regarding the translation. Also, David had just been in some Asian country where he had an interpretor reading along with him and he said that he never realized how difficult it was, just because a lot of times people in different cultures don't even understand things, like what a typical house in a typical American suburb would look like, or something along those lines.

After the book excerpt, he made another NYU girl who was in the audience come up to the front and sit in an unoccupied chair that was directly next to him (and presumably for anything that he would like to put there, or if he needed to sit down), since he said that if he was in the audience and was standing, he would just be staring at that one empty chair, wishing he could take it. Following the chair interruption, he read the New Yorker article that I mentioned in the last post. Guess you'll just have to wait for it to be printed to read it, but it was about going on a book tour and about the little gifts that he gives to fans, as well as some of the weirdest stories that he has heard from them. I also mentioned that it was currently in its 14th draft and even while he was reading it, he had his pencil out, making occasional notations. Looks like there'll be at least one more...

Lastly, he read us some excerpts from his diary, which he has read before on NPR. I can't really remember what he read, but they were funny and to me, sounded just like the way he writes his essays and articles. Then there was a short Q&A, where aside from the translation question, I didn't really think any of the questions were too interesting (some people just asked annoying questions, trying to be funny, and failing miserably). When the reading was done, everyone lined up to get their books signed. I wanted to buy one but of course by the time I got to the front of the line, they said that they were all sold out :( I had him sign one of my friend's books (she had to leave early), so at least I got to meet him.

The audience was filled mainly with Americans who were familiar with his work already and I think that because of this, he was funnier. Had it been a more French audience, even if they were fluent in English, I think a lot of the jokes would have not made quite the same impact. The thing that boggles my mind about his books though is that they're all events that have happened to him. I'd say that I lead a fairly interesting life, yet why is it that I never meet French sex offenders with metal plates in their head who keep inviting you into their cottage for coffee to show you his disability train card that gets him 75% off because you're the only person in your small village who will even look at him?

Also, while googling him for more info, I found a list of books that he recommends. And now I want to read all of them. Looks like I now what I'm going to be doing this winter break...