>Me and David Sedaris
>Hubs and I got to go and see David Sedaris speak here in Nashville on Friday night.
It was all kinds of awesome, since he chose to read several new pieces he’s been working on (including this piece, which debuted in Monday’s New Yorker), rather than essays from his latest book. On this tour, he’s been reading his works-in-progress each night, making notes as he reads and then going back to his hotel to revise them afterward. I loved being part of that process, even if I was only in the audience, listening.
I also loved laughing until I cried. Twice.
Of course, on the way there I had my usual pre-show fantasy about how David Sedaris would see my face in the crowd of thousands who came to see him, and maybe ask me to come up on stage and read something myself. I don’t bother trying to hide my wild dreams of taking the stage at each and every production I attend. I even shared my prediction with Hubs as we parked downtown and walked to the auditorium.
“He’ll say, ‘You know, I read one of your town’s newspapers when I arrived here today, and you have this… extraordinary columnist named Lindsay Ferrier,'” I said dreamily. Hubs flashed me a patient smile. By now, he was used to my pre-show fantasies, whether they involved a last-minute duet with John Prine or a miraculous fill-in for an ailing Rizzo during Grease.
“And then he’ll insist on reading my column out loud. And somebody will shout ‘She’s here!’ And he’ll call me on stage to read it myself, and everyone will stand and applaud.”
“And then he’ll say, ‘You know, Ira Glass actually told me about you,” Hubs continued. We both burst out laughing.
>So jealous that you got to see that! I really wanted to go (just like the last time), but this time around I have a 4 month old to watch. Maybe one of these days I can get out and catch his readings before he stops touring.I love his humor. I also really like Sarah Vowell. Two people in my alternate universe I wish I could have coffee with. Oh and Ira Glass wanting to join in the conversation too, that would be nice. Well, I better get back to talking about potty training and mother’s day out programs with my mom friends!
>David Sederas is a writer who causes me great embarrassment. I mean it’s okay to laugh until you cry when you’re at his show, but when you do it while listening to him read one of his books while on the recumbent bike at the gym, people tend to stare.
>OMG! You know who John Prine is? My childhood was filled with his albums. i can’t help but to hear him and all of a sudden, I’m 10 years old again.
>I was at the same show and wrote about it a couple of days ago. I saw him before the show–we were getting ready to have dinner at the restaurant in The Hermitage–he was checking in. He ran over my foot with his wheelie suitcase and I didn’t care. I had just said to my husband, “Wouldnt’ it be cool if we saw him?” And then we did. Do you think for one minute I asked for his autograph or spoke to him? Nooooooo. I had suddenly forgotten how to do anything but giggle.
>Wait-did you cry when he read about the trip to Costco with his brother-in-law? My husband and I both did.
>Yes, that was one time we cried. 🙂
>Oh I’m so jealous!! I love David Sedaris!! But, I love you, too! You’d be like a celebrity to me, too – like the time you read my blog? SUPER exciting. Ask my husband. I now talk about Lindsay from Suburban Turmoil said this … like we’re on a first name basis.Maybe I need to get out of the house more????
>Awwwww…David Sedaris is so rock-n-roll (literary-ily speaking). I love, love, love him. Thanks for the link to his New Yorker piece. Here’s a quick bit I wrote about trying to read his last book while on a plane:http://amywroteit.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/another-love-letter-this-time-for-david-sedaris/I also am loving your stuff as well (just found your blog recently). Thanks for putting it out there.amyg
>My husband is such a fan of David Sedaris – We caught the Santaland Diaries years ago at the Belcourt. He’s read pretty much everything of his – I personally loved Barrel Fever…Anyway, I’m sorry we missed it!
>I was there too! My favorite was the condoms in the Costo cart story. “After anal sex we like shortcake!!”
>Does anyone remember what the name of the book was that he read from? I want to order it and I’ve blanked on the title.
>I have dreams like that about Martha Stewart:-) Hee, hee, hee:-)
>Love David Sedaris! Love his sister Amy too. His loss for not calling you up on stage.
>Wasn’t it the Braindead Megaphone or something like that? I can’t remember, but my husband thought that was the title.
>I really enjoy reading your blog and am a big fan of DS and Ira Glass too. And I hate to bring politics into this – but I didn’t think anyone, and I mean ANYONE, could like those two AND vote republican! And somehow the universe didn’t implode – which is kind of what I thought would happen (kind of like matter and anti-matter colliding).
>Yeah, well don’t be so sure that I’m voting Republican. The Colin Powell thing really threw me for a loop and Sarah Palin is getting on my nerves…That said, Ira Glass actually said the Democratic Party sucked when he was here in Nashville. This was during the whole Hillary Clinton Super Delegate brouhaha. He was shocked that a party that should have had no problems winning this race was coming so close to fucking it up with the delegate mess.
>Strangely similar…http://dooce.com/
>I stayed an hour and a half late just to meet him, and ended up breaking curfew in the process, but oh well. It was TOTALLY worth it.
>Well, I’m a straight-ticket democrat since my first election in ’92 – and I agree that the dems completely screwed up the nomination process. But all-in-all the democratic party consistently represents my beliefs and values and that’s why I vote that way. The worst are the Hillary “supporters” who claim they are now supporting McCain. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
>The book was The Braindead Megaphone by George Saunders (the library has a couple copies). It was an incredible reading, I agree. I was bummed that the line for meeting Sedaris was a million hours long, though. We went with some friends to the Morton’s bar, and my husband kept walking back to check on the line. Two hours (and too many drinks) later, we gave up. The reading itself was worth it, though.
>Wow. I figured the line would be that way, with so many people in the audience. I just wish I had thought to put in an interview request. I didn’t think about it until later. Maybe next time…
>Hi “anonymous,”I’ve tried to be nice, but I’ll be deleting all of your comments from here on out. Frankly, the number of times you visit my website each day is disturbing and I don’t appreciate the way you constantly try to bait me with your comments. I don’t think your employer will appreciate it either, but I’m more than willing to send them a log of your visits from work.
>Although I was disappointed with the big line, I think it was pretty awesome of David Sedaris to stay until the end. He seemed to give everyone there individual attention. If you put in an interview request next time he comes, I will volunteer to be your assistant. I even have a monkey-touching story at the ready.
>It’s a deal!
>I’ve wanted to see him speak for some time. He’s all kinds of funny.
>I moved to the states from Scotland when I was 5. I’d already been in school for a year (doing Scotland’s version of kindergarten, which starts one year earlier than the US) so they placed me in first grade. After a few months they decided I’d fit in better with kids my own age. I went on to be honors/AP so I’m assuming it wasn’t because I was a moron and more because of socialization issues…I don’t think it matters either way. It would be one thing if she was missing out on the social aspects and was sitting in front of the television all day, but you seem really dedicated… almost seems she’d be better off with you 🙂
>I was also at the David Sedaris show in Nashville on Friday night. I flew in from Florida to see it with my cousin who lives in Tennessee. We are huge fans and actually met him before the show. He was just as funny in person. He said some really unique things to my cousin and I! It was a blast, and yes, we laughed until we cried also.