Author: David Sedaris
Enjoyment Rating: ****
Source: Personal Copy
This book would be rated: R
A few months ago, Ed and I sneaked away one Sunday night to go to a David Sedaris reading. It was the week that Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls came out, and I hadn't read any of the essays yet-- I knew that just reading them on their own wouldn't compare with hearing Sedaris reading them to me (Yes, just me. If you were there, you must have been eavesdropping). He totally did the book justice-- his dog poems were hilarious, the story about the colonoscopy had me crying, and his political rants on health care even seemed sweet. I figured that there wouldn't be anything worth reading when I sat down and finished the rest of the essays.
But I was wrong. The other night, Ed came into the bedroom, and I was convulsing. I think he thought there was something wrong, but I just couldn't catch my breath, I was laughing so hard. I tried to read the section to him, and it took three tries before I could actually read him the story. And while funny is good, the biggest lasting impression I have of the book is how Sedaris has a fantastic work ethic when it comes to writing. I like to fancy myself a writer, but I don't write every day (unless you count Facebook status updates). And while I'd love to write every day, I'm really good at making excuses for why I don't do it, when I manage to do things like run and read my scriptures every day. And do the laundry. You know, the important things. So while I was expecting just a fun read, I also got a lesson on what it would take for me to be a better writer. Have I started writing every day? Not yet-- but there's always tomorrow.
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