Humorist and author David Sedaris visited Tucson on Sunday night and filled the Tucson Music Hall with his undeniable wit and nonstop laughter.
Promoting his new book, “”Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary,”” set to be released in October, Sedaris read a new set of bestiaries — that is, stories about animals — to the audience. Although the book’s contents were initially intended to be “”fables,”” Sedaris explained that, unlike his essays, fables have morals.
Only Sedaris could get away with having personified animals as the main characters of his comedies. Be it a purebred dog exploring the intricacies of his marriage or a set of storks discussing where babies come from, nothing fell short of the high humor bar for which Sedaris is known.
Sedaris’ fantastic reading and hilarious essays enthralled the crowd of hundreds. Sedaris’ inflection and delivery makes listening to his reading a pleasure. If there is one thing the man knows how to do, it’s how to give a great reading.
After a sneak peak at his new work, Sedaris read a few classic essays from previous works. But it was his diary entries that the crowd seemed to enjoy the most. Marking the time and location, Sedaris found humor in the simplest occurrences. From a question about food products in a London grocery store to an explanation of airport encounters, Sedaris turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. His sharp wit is undeniable, and his use of profanity was quite possibly the one of the most enjoyable bits of the night. There is something about a man so cleanly dressed, standing just over 5-foot-5, exclaiming “”motha focka!”” that is hilarious. Sedaris barely allowed audience members to catch their breath.
The beauty of Sedaris’ humor is that it is human. Only Sedaris could take encounters with closed-minded and rude conservative men at an airport and exploit it for all it’s humorous goodness. He takes the mundane and points out the absurd in it.
Sedaris is one author who truly understands that his readers make him who he is. It is the readers who are buying the book. It is the fans that are buying tickets to his readings. He appreciates his readers just as they appreciate him — it’s a perfect relationship. He met fans and signed books before and after the event, not leaving until every last book was signed. Each fan had his choice of animal drawn above Sedaris’s scribble of a signature, a celebration of his collection of animal-based stories.
Sedaris explained to fans that he really loves his younger fan base. Then, he passed out condoms to his youngest readers. He said during the show that they were lightweight and convenient, although he learned through many letters that parents did not appreciate him suggesting sexual encounters to their children — even if jokingly so. Only Sedaris could pass out condoms to teens and get away with it.
It’s odd to think a petite man with an interesting, almost elf-like voice can pack such a punch. The juxtaposition of David Sedaris’ short stature with his loud humor and satire is a beautiful thing.
