BEFORE I GET STARTED: I officially have a Facebook page! Give it a like and spread the word! 🙂
Meet David Sedaris (if only for a minute or two) – check.
Last Friday night, my cousin Alexis and I went to Greensboro to see David Sedaris. He’s been my favorite writer for the last several years, and quite honestly is the reason I really got into creative nonfiction. I bought the tickets for the show back in July, and the night snuck up on me in the best possible way.
I’d called the theater earlier that day to ask when the book signing part would happen. The lady told me after the reading, so I didn’t plan to arrive as early as I’d anticipated. I got there right around 7:00, when the doors opened. I waited right inside the doors and checked my phone every few minutes to see if Alexis needed help finding me or anything.
Past the entrance, in the lobby area, there were a few tables set up: one with books for sale, one from NPR (because of course), and one table with nothing but a white tablecloth and a sign that said, “No Photos, Please.” I assumed that was where David would be signing later.
I’d turned toward the door again and played with my phone for a few more minutes. When I’d grown bored of Instagram and Twitter, I looked back toward the lobby.
And there he was, sitting at the table with the white cloth. A short line had already formed. I handed my ticket to the old man at the entrance and made a beeline for the book-signing queue. I struck up a conversation with the girl behind me, if only to calm myself down so I wouldn’t completely fangirl when I got to the table. When my turn came, I approached the table a little sheepishly and handed David my copy of Me Talk Pretty One Day. He said hello and asked my name. I told him, and then said, “Mr. Sedaris, you are the reason I write creative nonfiction.”
“Well that’s very sweet of you,” he said. “So tell me about what you’re writing now.”
Umm…what AM I writing right now…that isn’t school-related…
“Well, I’m dabbling in fiction, and I’m also working on a memoir about my family’s old beach house. Oh, you were also at my alma mater the other night!”
David paused for a moment. “Oh, Virginia Tech! Yes. Lovely place.” He closed my book, handed it back to me, and thanked me for coming. After I’d moved out of the way, I flipped through and read his autograph. Now I have to get published someday, right?
Alexis arrived shortly after and we made our way to our seats. The show/reading was awesome. David read several longer essays–including one about his “theories” and another about his family’s beach house in Emerald Isle–and then read random selections from his diary. Those were the funniest parts, because they were so raw and uncensored, and filled with one-liners. I wish I could share some of his jokes and stories on here, but some of them are…well, kind of dirty. I guess there’s one little joke I can share:
“I think the Washington Redskins should keep their name, but change their logo…to the Redskin Potatoes. Avoids a whole lot of problems.” (something close to that, dated roughly last fall). He said it better than I ever could, but you get the idea.
Y’all, I laughed throughout almost the entire reading. He was just fantastic. If you ever have the chance, go see him. And read his books. Me Talk Pretty is my favorite, but I also recommend his latest, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls. He’s also on “This American Life” on NPR pretty often. Alexis met him after the show.
So I guess I need to get cracking on my first full-length book, then.
