David Sedaris Continues To Elude Me...

No picture today - we were informed at David Sedaris' Calgary reading and book signing last night that photos were NOT allowed. I'll take that to presume that a downloaded cover of one of his books wouldn't be appreciated either...

So, here's the thing, which will probably sound like heresy to most anyone reading this. I just don't get David Sedaris. Maybe I'm reading the wrong books from his canon, but I have yet to see anything that measures up to his wild popularity.

I know he's funny - I've seen him on Letterman, and listened to downloads of his reading excerpts from his books. But I've started two books now, and walked away from both. Both "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk" and his newest release "Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls" - neither one gripped me in any way that compelled me to read further than a few chapters in.

Attending his live reading last night was more of a last-ditch effort to see if I am missing something that other readers (hundreds of thousands, I might add - maybe even more) see in his books. Granted, I haven't read his earlier best-sellers, so maybe I should make one last effort to see if I can find anything that endears his work to my attention. Not that he needs MY attention. His reading last night was peppered with stories of touring the world reading his work live, and the venue was packed to overflowing, standing room only.

I will admit, there were funny moments last night, even a few laugh-out-loud moments. But from a fellow that tops best-sellers lists with each new release, I just don't personally see that in the books I've started.

I've had the pleasure of hearing or even meeting some of the funniest authors in Canada and the U.S., and I have a really broad sense of humour, so it's not that I don't give his writing a chance. For all the hoopla, I just expect much more in the way of laughing from someone who is clearly such an accomplished writer and humorist.

Could be just me - and as I say, there were funny moments last night, just not what you would expect from such a huge name.

On the plus side, we got to hear brand-new pieces, that will likely end up in another book I'll probably start, then abandon...

What do I know??

Later!!