At the risk of gushing, I have to say that David Sedaris really is one of the funniest men on the planet. He's also incredibly charming, pocket-sized and quirky, and he seems to genuinely enjoy interacting with his readers. While signing my copy of "Always Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," we chatted about Valdosta (my hometown) and the sad quality of outlet malls. He gave the young lady in front of my one of his travel-sized bottles of hand lotion.
I can't believe I missed this, but a friend who was with him in the elevator said that after some heavily primped, busty sorority girls exited, Sedaris quipped: "Are they prostitutes?"
As far as his reading went, the guy killed. One of the more memorable moments was Sedaris' description of American air travelers who don't seem to give a damn: "It's as if someone had been scrubbing shoe polish off a pig, then said, 'Fuck this. I'm going to Los Angeles.' " He discussed a news story about owls that had been trained to fly across the room at weddings, land on the groom's gloved arm and deliver the rings: "For the first time, I wanted to get married for all the right reasons." I'm still giggling at his rebuke of his partner, Hugh, for referring to some food-poaching pigeons as "assholes."
Unlike Junot Diaz, Sedaris seemed happy to be at FSU and answered a LOT of questions. Afterward, he signed more books and encouraged the audience to stick around and ask some more questions. "I've heard people say, 'I was afraid to ask you a question because I thought you might be mean to me.' Why would I be mean to you? I mean, I could see if Dick Cheney was doing a book reading."
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