Me Talk Pretty One Day, written by David Sedaris, is a delightful, outrageously funny, and enjoyable memoir about the everyday stories that make up Sedaris’ life. While this is a work of non-fiction, it reads much more like a novel; something in which I greatly appreciated, not being a huge non-fiction fan myself. Sedaris’ memoir is a semi-chronological, disjointed story of his life, broken up into separate vignettes depicting specific instances, events, or periods within his life. There are several “over-arching” themes that one could pick out and justify, however, for the most part, each vignette should be taken independently, as its own story, with its own mini-message.
Sedaris tells stories ranging from tales of his childhood speech therapist, his quest to become an artist, his family’s bad luck with pets, to large turds he’s encountered in random toilets and his run-in with a couple of ignorant and clueless tourists. Each story he tells, no matter the subject matter, whether already funny in nature, or of a more serious subject matter, is absolutely uproariously funny. Sedaris could document the day in the life of an ant, and I would die of laughter; side-splitting, laugh-out-loud laughter. He has a true gift for not just storytelling, but telling a story in a really clever and unique way, a way you may never have thought to tell a story. He uses plays on words and rearranges meanings to turn things on their head and explore them in a very cool and entertaining way. One passage in the book discusses his amusing antics with his grade-school speech therapist, Sedaris writes, the sign on the door read, “Speech Therapy Lab, though a more appropriate marker would have read Future Homosexuals of America. We knocked ourselves out trying to fit in but were ultimately betrayed by our tongues…were they also able to spot the future drunks and depressives.” As depicted in the former passage, David Sedaris is homosexual, and that topic is one that often comes up within his “story” in many interesting, subtle, and again, very humorous ways. “’You need to believe you’re playing an actual woman,’ he’d say. ‘Just grab her, [guitar] by the neck and make her holler.’ Mr. Mancini had a singular talent for making me uncomfortable. He forced me to consider things I’d rather not think about—the sex of my guitar, for instance. If I actually wanted to put my hands on a woman, would that automatically mean I could play? On the off chance that sexual desire was all it took, I steered clear of Lisa’s instrument [flute], fearing I might be labeled a prodigy.” Above are just a couple of the endless passages that have left me reeling on the floor with glee.
I most definitely, without a doubt would recommend this book. David Sedaris not only wrote a fabulous work or art, but the fact that it is all true, makes it that much more impressive. I normally think of the non-fiction genre as somewhat dry and non-engaging. However, this book combated that opinion of mine on every level. He truly put everything out there and on the line for this book, revealing every little detail of his life and thought within his psyche. Sedaris has lived a clearly very entertaining and roller-coaster-like life providing him with much subject matter on which to dish. His attitude is so refreshing, a kind of hit-and-miss approach to life and to his work. We all need his attitude, along with a, “Fuck-It Bucket—a plastic pail filled with jawbreakers and bite-sized candy bars (‘when shit brings you down, just say ‘fuck it,’ and eat yourself some motherfucking candy’).” Ah, David Sedaris, you simply kill me.
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