David Sedaris is one of my favorite writers and his latest
book, Calypso, does not disappoint. He’s hilarious. His
observations on people and life can be a tad rude, and yet spot on. From
the cover blurb – This is beach reading for people who detest beaches,
required reading for those who loathe small talk, and love a good tumor joke.
Calypso is simultaneously Sedaris’ darkest and warmest book yet – it is comedy
born out of that vertiginous moment when your own body betrays you and you
realize that the story of your life is made up of more past than future.
His twist of phrase, his timing, and his family dynamics
will keep you turning the pages. In each essay, you feel like he’s just hanging
out telling stories. I’ve been to one of his author talks and that’s worth the
price of admission in itself. He’s quirky and knows it and can laugh at
himself.
He’s bought a beach house and family can gather. Oh, the
stories there…and his thoughts too -
p.13 When visitors leave, I feel like an actor
watching the audience file out of the theater, and it was no different with my
sisters. The show over, Hugh and I returned to lesser versions of
ourselves.
p.67 I’m not sure how it is in small families, but in
large ones relationships tend to shift over time. You might be best friends
with one brother or sister, then two years later, it might be someone else. It
doesn’t mean you’ve fallen out….just that you’ve merged into someone else’s
lane. The beauty of it is that it’s always changing.
p.91 Memory aside, the negative just makes for a
better story: the plane was delayed, an infection set in, outlaws
arrived. Happiness is harder to put into words.
Well I can state that David Sedaris makes me happy. His
writing is just different in a good way. He’s funny and also can be poignant,
then hit a snarky note that’s perfect.
Catch that Calypso beat.
