Best In Books March 2010

Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris

April is a busy month for celebrations, so I am choosing a book for March that will get you in the mood for National Humor Month in April. David Sedaris had anything but a conventional childhood which probably explains a lot about his writing and sense of humor. Me Talk Pretty One Day was the 2001 winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Use the following link to find more information about this award and humorist James Thurber. The title is a good introduction to Sedaris’s work. If you enjoy this title, you will find many other Sedaris works in the Maricopa County Library District collection.

Review
Sedaris, noted essayist and NPR radio commentator, is a master at turning his life experiences into witty vignettes that both entertain and comment on the human condition. This latest collection draws on his quirky childhood in North Carolina, where he was subjected to speech therapy sessions to correct his lisp; he countered by conveniently avoiding words that contained "s" sounds. Additional family recollections include his father's desire to create a jazz combo from his offspring, unfortunately, none of them exhibited any talent or desire to follow this career path, but Sedaris uses this opportunity to deliver a stellar Billie Holiday rendition. From there he moves onto a brief stint as a "clearly unqualified" writing teacher in Chicago, where his unorthodox lesson plans included watching soap operas and having the students write "guessays" on what would happen in the next episode. Then it's on to New York and ultimately to France. Sedaris chronicles his attempts to learn French and the confusion experienced by people who don't share the same culture or language. A little sadder at times and overall a little less uproariously funny than in previous works, Sedaris remains the champion of the underdog. Once you listen to him read his own words, it's hard to imagine settling for just the book. Very highly recommended for all libraries. Gloria Maxwell, Penn Valley Community Coll., Kansas City, MO Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

More information about David Sedaris