David Sedaris’s reading last night at the Benedum Theater was as entertaining as one could hope. He read two essays — both from his latest book, Dress Your Family in Courduroy and Denim — and selections from hiw diary, then talked up a book by a lesser-known writer and took question from the audience.
He also talked about
Whether its numbers are right or not, the NYT article (by Warren St. John) takes an unpleasant tone. For example:
[W]hile radio helped propel his early success, friends and colleagues say his efforts to maintain and build on that success have been more calculated. “After his second book, he went through a real crisis of, `What do I write about now? And who am I?’ ” Mr. Glass said. “He got very scientific about the problem.”
…
That ambition, Mr. Sedaris’s friends say, fuels a formidable work ethic. He wakes early and writes daily; before he switched to a word processor, his speaking contracts required that an IBM Selectric be provided in his hotel rooms. When he reads new material to audiences, he pencils a check mark next to jokes that work and X’s for those that fail.“An editor will say, `You don’t need this,’ ” Mr. Sedaris said. “And I’m like, `No