You can make an audience see nearly anything, if you yourself believe in it. MY BOOK WORLD |  M. Renault |
Sedaris, David. The Land and Its People. New York: Little, 2026.
I’ve always enjoyed reading Sedaris, particularly his journals: Theft by Finding: Diaries 1997-2002 and A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries 2003-2020. If I were to teach creative writing again, I would include excerpts of these two tomes in my syllabus, because Sedaris writes down everything that happens to him (or observes) and he is so brutally honest about it. New writers could learn from him, that some of their jottings could become fodder for their creative work. This book reads almost like another diary.
For me the most interesting essays seem to be about his growing older (like me). All the essays have been written since the COVID-19 pandemic, and like much writing taking place following that tragic debacle, they reflect changes in our society. When his partner Hugh must undergo hip replacement, Sedaris realizes that this level of caregiving is too much for him and he enlists the help of Hugh’s brother who flies from the West Coast to help out; he’s a person who actually enjoys and excels at caregiving, and the fraternal relationship sometimes excludes Sedaris. I can’t say that I blame the author for curbing his role. When my late partner sustained a bad fall over two years ago and landed in rehab for the twelve days Medicare would pay for, I delved into our savings to extend my loved one’s stay for two weeks because not only did I not think he could look after himself at home but neither did I feel I was equipped physically or emotionally to care for him myself. I love how Sedaris in one broad sweep expresses some regret but at the same time (like me) defends his choice. I get it!
The entire collection, while not providing me with the side-splitting laughs I find in his diaries, does cause me to smile a time or two with generous agreement. So nice to read someone who reinforces my own points of view and feelings! He gets me!
I’ve always enjoyed reading Sedaris, particularly his journals: Theft by Finding: Diaries 1997-2002 and A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries 2003-2020. If I were to teach creative writing again, I would include excerpts of these two tomes in my syllabus, because Sedaris writes down everything that happens to him (or observes) and he is so brutally honest about it. New writers could learn from him, that some of their jottings could become fodder for their creative work. This book reads almost like another diary.
For me the most interesting essays seem to be about his growing older (like me). All the essays have been written since the COVID-19 pandemic, and like much writing taking place following that tragic debacle, they reflect changes in our society. When his partner Hugh must undergo hip replacement, Sedaris realizes that this level of caregiving is too much for him and he enlists the help of Hugh’s brother who flies from the West Coast to help out; he’s a person who actually enjoys and excels at caregiving, and the fraternal relationship sometimes excludes Sedaris. I can’t say that I blame the author for curbing his role. When my late partner sustained a bad fall over two years ago and landed in rehab for the twelve days Medicare would pay for, I delved into our savings to extend my loved one’s stay for two weeks because not only did I not think he could look after himself at home but neither did I feel I was equipped physically or emotionally to care for him myself. I love how Sedaris in one broad sweep expresses some regret but at the same time (like me) defends his choice. I get it!
The entire collection, while not providing me with the side-splitting laughs I find in his diaries, does cause me to smile a time or two with generous agreement. So nice to read someone who reinforces my own points of view and feelings! He gets me!
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TUES: A Writer's Wit | Ludovico Ariosto
WEDS: A Writer's Wit | Mary Hunter
THURS: A Writer's Wit | Victoria Strauss
FRI: A Writer's Wit | O. Henry
My Book World | Fausta Cialente, A Very Cold Winter
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