If you've ever read one of his books or listened to him on NPR (where he first rose to fame in 1992 with Santaland Diaries, his account of playing an elf at Macy's), this isn't new news. But according to Michelle Witcher, program director of Arts and Letters Live at the Dallas Museum of Art, there's just something about Sedaris live and in person that is guaranteed to tickle the funny bone.
"At first, I thought, 'What could be so funny about these pieces,' but there's something about being in a room with him that's just hilarious and captivating," she says of her first exposure to the author.
Sedaris has a long history with Arts and Letters Live — since 2009, the pandemic year of 2020 was the only time he missed an annual engagement. Over that period, he has built up a rabid local fan base who love to hear him read from his latest work, so much so that he outgrew the museum's 300-seat theater years ago. Sedaris will draw over 2,000 literary lovers to Southern Methodist University's McFarlin Auditorium on April 25.
"He absolutely loves signing books and talking to people in the book signing line," says Witcher. "Many authors we have had the pleasure of presenting enjoy connecting with his fan base, but David likes to interact on a meaningful level with every single person. He doesn't just say thank you for coming, sign the book, and push you out; he wants to know who these people are, what they're up to, and what makes them different from the other person. He's a curator of the human experience."
Sedaris can regularly linger until 1 a.m. signing away, and the DMA team has the process down to a science. The organizers ask everyone interested in getting something signed to stick around and sit in their assigned seat, then — row by row — they'll be led up as he pens and chats until the wee hours. Forgot that last-minute Amazon order? Copies of his books will be available for purchase.
The Sedaris Universe
Judging from most of his output, Sedaris has a copacetic relationship with his audience. If his stories aren't focusing on his colorful Greek family (comedienne Amy is his sister) or long-suffering partner, Hugh, he's recalling a strange encounter he had with someone on the road or at home in New York or England — be it a fan, a driver or an aggressive lady of the evening. Sedaris is so adept at uncovering the absurdity in daily life that he has published two volumes of his diaries (2017's Theft By Finding and 2021's A Carnival of Snackery) that rival his essay collections for laugh-out-loud hilarity. But he won't necessarily read from the latter or his most recent books, 2022's Happy-Go-Lucky or this year's Pretty Ugly, a collaboration with Olivia creator Ian Falconer aimed at children.
"He's the rare author we present consistently who doesn't always have a new book," says Witcher. "There are times he'll get up there and have a stack of papers because he's written something new. He'll keep a pencil and eraser on his podium; if he gets an audible response, he'll note it. He's really kind of working on material with a live audience, which makes it a unique experience. He'll start reading something he wrote when he got to the hotel room last night."
The immediacy of Sedaris' wit is his most consistent quality. Still, Witcher says that over the years, especially since the recent loss of his beloved father Lou at age 98, there's been a different tone underlying the quips and sarcasm.
"I have observed through the years that the older he has become, while he is still one of the most hilarious people, there's a poignant element to a lot of his writing that can almost induce tears while you're clutching your sides, dying of laughing," says Witcher. "There's a profound insight about relationships and what being human entails."
Arts and Letters Live at the Dallas Museum of Art presents An Evening with David Sedaris, April 25, at McFarlin Auditorium, SMU, 6405 Boaz Lane. Tickets start at $35.
The acclaimed humorist will sign books and chat with fans at his almost annual Dallas appearance.
Anne Fishbein
