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Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2010 > January > 01 > Entry
Happy New Year from David Sedaris….
“Live For Your Listening Pleasure” by David Sedaris (Hachette Audio, compact disc, $17.98 - LP record, $24.98).
David Sedaris has come a long way since his first visit to Dayton. Ten years ago, the Dayton Metro Library brought Sedaris and Sarah Vowell to town for a reading. At the time they were known mostly for their contributions to the public radio program “This American Life.”
On that wintry evening, Sedaris was poised for his big breakthrough. His book “Me Talk Pretty One Day” became a huge success. Ten years later, Sedaris is a comedic force, selling out performance halls wherever he goes.
He followed up “Me Talk Pretty” with “Dress Your Family in Cordoroy” in 2005 and “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” in 2008. And that whimsical humor keeps flowing.
Sedaris just released an audiobook that was recorded on his most recent tour. As you might expect, this recording is available as an audio download or a compact disc. The quirky comedian also had his publisher produce a version on an LP record. Remember those? The LP has a glamorous retro cover. It looks like it was made in 1966, the heyday of vinyl record albums.
This audiobook is not available in printed form. Sedaris is tossing out this little goodie for his fans. If you have ever attended one of his readings you might recognize some of these bits. The recording begins with what he describes as a “fable.” A cat is having a conversation with a baboon.
The next section is a longer digression about his experiences on book tours. He notes that things have changed over the years. He says during his most recent tour “I started and finished at Costco,” apparently because many independent bookstores are now gone.
He doesn’t enjoy having his picture taken. He posts signs at his signings asking that no photos be taken. His approach backfired at a Costco when nobody approaches him for autographs. Shoppers pass by and gawk at the lonely guy with the sign that reads “no photos.”
A few years ago, I spent a few hours with Sedaris. We had supper. He was preparing to give a speech. He explained that he didn’t like speaking without having prepared notes to read. For that speech he read from his diary.
This new audiobook features some of those diary entries. Here’s one he wrote on June 13, 2005, in Anchorage, Alaska:
“Sometimes things happen and I don’t know what to do with my face. Take my cousin who lives in Australia. A year ago, I met with her and learned over dinner that she and her husband had just taken part in the world’s largest tractor pull. ‘There were over a thousand of us on an unplowed field and you could see the dust from space’ she said.”
“And I sat there with my mouth open wondering how I was supposed to react? Do you say ‘great’ or ‘I was in space and I didn’t see any dust?’ Do you laugh? Or cry? Or pass out on the floor? I simply had no idea.”
Vick Mickunas
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