DAVID SEDARIS AUTHOR AND CULTURAL ICON: LIVE AT THE LINCOLN CENTER

by DAWN DUNCAN

Though a long-time respected, best-selling NY Times author, David Sedaris is fast gaining a reputation as a stand-up comic.  His appearances have gained a cult-like following for his quirky readings that are at once poignant, smart—and hilarious. Colorado is in for a treat this month, first with Sedaris’ stop in Breckenridge on November 8 at the Riverwalk Center (4 pm; tickets at breckcreate.org) and then in Fort Collins at The Lincoln Center on November 9 (7:30 pm; tickets at lct.org).

This will inevitably be a night filled with laughter, as Sedaris delivers a presentation, conducts audience Q&A, then participates in a book signing meet and greet, where all attendees will have the opportunity to chat with the author. Old Firehouse Books will be on site selling Sedaris’ works.

It was NPR’s Ira Glass who discovered Sedaris and brought him into the spotlight in 1992. Glass first heard and met Sedaris in a Chicago club where Sedaris was doing a reading of a diary he had kept since 1977. From there, Glass asked Sedaris to appear on his weekly program, The Wild Room. Sedaris has commented on this chance meeting by saying, “I owe everything to Ira. My life just changed completely, like someone waved a magic wand.” Sedaris’ success on The Wild Room eventually led to his official NPR debut on December 23, 1992, when he read a radio essay on Morning Edition titled “SantaLand Diaries.” In this particular essay, Sedaris described his purported experiences as an elf at Macy’s department store during Christmas in New York City. This reading led to success and fandom with listeners, spurring the New York Times to call Sedaris “a minor phenomenon.”

In 1994, Sedaris published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, followed by Naked (1997), Holidays on Ice (1997), Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000), Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim (2004), and When You Are Engulfed In Flames (2010), which all became New York Times Best Sellers. In 2010, he released a collection of stories, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, and in 2013, the latest collection of essays, Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, was released.

Sedaris’ books have sold more than ten million copies.  In his work, he travels through multiple subjects and situations, spanning from family life, self-deprecating commentary, his upbringing in suburban Raleigh, North Carolina, his Greek heritage, homosexuality, jobs, education, drugs, obsessive behaviors, and also his life in France, London, and the English South Downs. Sedaris’ writing is rich with commentary and heartfelt emotion, humorous and sprinkled with a healthy combination of wit, sarcasm, objective observations, and the ongoing reflection of a man who is in tune with his surroundings and sentimental in a way that is engaging and infectious.

TICKETS for November 9, 7:30 pm at The Lincoln Center, Fort Collins: Purchase online at www.lct.org or by calling 970-221-6730 between 12 pm and 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday. To purchase in person, visit The Lincoln Center Box Office, 417 W. Magnolia, Fort Collins, between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.