English-major hearthrob™ David Sedaris is known for his witty memoirs and essays. Just take a glance at the titles of his previous bestsellers: Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.
Come Oct. 21, WVXU will present An Evening with David Sedaris for a one-night special event at Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall.
It comes on the heels of his latest book release, Calypso, a collection of 21 semi-autobiographical essays. Published last May by Little, Brown and Company, 14 of the 21 essays were previously published elsewhere, some under different titles or in different forms.
As the collection’s bio explains, “When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it’s impossible to take a vacation from yourself.”
Essentially, Calypso hones in on the creeping realization of mortality as middle age hits.
“Sedaris’s powers of observation have never been sharper, and his ability to shock readers into laughter unparalleled,” the summary continues. “But much of the comedy here is 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.”
Per usual, there will also be a Q&A session and book signing when Sedaris returns to Cincinnati.
The event will feature Sedaris reading from his book. In March, the author told Connecticut Magazine what to expect from his live show.
“Oh gosh, I’m not the best person at selling myself,” he said in the interview. “I just read out loud. It sounds so dull. I just stand in front of people and read out loud. But one thing I’ve added to just standing in front of people and reading out loud is I’ve really put a lot of effort into my wardrobe now.”
Ticket prices range from $48.75-$58.75 (not including taxes/fees). For more info visit CincinnatiArts.org, call (513) 621-2787 or visit the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.
This article appears in Apr 10-17, 2019.
