Writer David Sedaris was in San Francisco, so my wife and I went to hear him speak.

I’ve gotten many a laugh from his segments on This American Life. I sheepishly must admit, I haven’t read any of his books (although my wife has, namely, Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Cordoroy and Denim). Now of course, I want to read them.

At the event, Sedaris read several of his writings:

1. His experience as an assistant to a medical examiner, witnessing gruesome autopsies and horrible deaths.
2. Two Kate Bush loving birds try to break into his house, leading him to plaster windows with terrorist pictures and 70s album art featuring faces on it.
3. Rude taxi driver who asks him “Do you like the dick?” resulting in an evening at his sister’s looking at seventies animal porn.
4. The cut-off of water in France mashed with two drug dealers in a trailer, leading to the question: who is the woman and who is the man?

Sedaris recommended two books written by other authors:

Is There No Place On Earth For Me? by Susan Shehan, about the schizophrenic Silvia Frumkin. Sedaris called it funny and interesting, as the author smartly stays out of the powerful personality, and you don’t have to feel too sorry for Frumkin because she’s dead.

World War Z by Max Brooks. According to Sedaris, this is a realistic zombie book. The zombies don’t run.

I was very impressed with Sedaris’ writing, which is concise yet imaginitive. His subject matter is alternately mundane, surreal, sarcastic, and hilarious.

In all of his stories he presented, he made leaps from one plot thread to another, with faith that the reader is smart enough to follow him. This leads to a multilayered feeling where themes from each anecdote overlap, causing exquisite connections, such as a drug dealer’s wife’s crass views on homosexuality, a vase of flowers used to make coffee, and Sedaris’ relationship with his significant other. His ability connect the dots is amazing.

I’m thinking one mark of a truly great writer is someone who can make casual observations fascinating. I get the feeling Sedaris could write about waiting in line at the post office and make it simultaneously hilarious and profound.

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