NOV 21, 2024 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT| By Seth Jahraus
David Sedaris opened his reading at the Pikes Peak Center on Nov. 12 with an essay about Christmas under Kamala Harris.
Sedaris, a famous satirist and essay writer, could now be considered a household name. With hit humorous essay compilations such as “Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “Calypso,” Sedaris has proven his mastery in comedic writing, and after many tours and self-narrations of his work, his mastery in oral storytelling. It’s expected that an author with so much history in the field would open with a downright hilarious essay… which it was.
Despite the emotional toll of the presidential election, which had concluded only five days prior to the event, Sedaris’ essay imagining the potential truth behind the hyperbolized conservative promises in the lead-up to the election struck well with the packed crowd.
He told the Christmas story from the perspective of a liberal mother who didn’t heed her conservative daughter’s admonishments regarding the Harris administration. After a Harris victory, the new president immediately cancels Christmas and uses her control of the nation (and apparently, the weather) to bury the country in a pile of snow. The mother also comes to realize that pet-eating Muslim immigrants can now invade civilian homes with no repercussions. At one point, the mother asks her neighbors where their five-year-old son has gone, to which they answer that they had him aborted following the Harris administration’s new post-birth abortion laws. That scene received the biggest laughs from the crowd.
When the piece ended, Sedaris quickly shifted gears and read a set of vulgar limericks he had written. The stark 180 away from politics was most likely a good call in order to avoid the crash that would have inevitably come from the crowd once they remembered the actual election results — which were potentially far less humorous than the satirical scenario.
Sedaris avoided politics for the rest of the talk. His next few essays were reminiscent of his typical style which focused on everyday life and the comedy found in standard interactions.
He read from a new essay, now published in the New Yorker, which detailed an unexpected drive taken from Maine to New York with his partner, Hugh, and a friendly stranger who needed a ride after a canceled flight. The essay discussed the conflicts that occur between partners during periods of travel and how an intermediary influences those interactions. The essay was sweet, but Sedaris made sure to keep his crude humor present.
Sedaris said the title of the piece was “Love on the Spectrum,” referencing the reality TV show, which sets up adults with autism on dates with one another. The New Yorker retitled the piece “A Long Way Home.” The discrepancy between the reading and the digital copy is indicative of the constant fight between the publisher and Sedaris which he knowingly embraces.
Sedaris’ attempts at crude humor often fell short. The reference to the reality TV show and his appreciation of its content felt underhanded and unnecessary. A similar joke appeared in the essay where the author did a rough impersonation of the young climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has been open about her autism diagnosis. This scene was also cut from the New Yorker’s edition.
The reading overall captured the familiar Sedaris tone that is present in all of his works. While often flustered during his ad-libs or transitions between essays, Sedaris consistently provided a confident and flowing reading of what was written on the page. He is the prime example of why it works so well when authors read their own writing. His timed enunciations and deliveries kill almost more than the writing itself.
Sedaris’ avoidance of politics, while maybe necessary, felt a little hollow given the volatility of the recent election results. However, political commentary has never been a staple of his work. Over his long writing career, Sedaris has received several critiques stating that his work is too crude or low-brow, and while sometimes it doesn’t work (as exampled during this reading), it has built him an audience of readers wanting that sort of over the top honesty and transparency, even when it feels out of place or “too much,” even for him.
Despite these gaps, Sedaris provided a reading one would expect from a seasoned veteran. By this point, he knows what works and what gets the laugh, and that prestige was evident during Tuesday’s performance.