Part of Diaries
First published 2021
David Sedaris turns his sharp eye outward in this collection of diary entries spanning years of cultural and political change. From his desk at home to airplane seats and hotel dining rooms, Sedaris captures the absurd moments that fill ordinary days. He watches fights break out on buses and streets, observes pedestrians getting struck or gathering around potential jumpers, and collects dirty jokes from book signings and dinner parties. The entries trace shifting times when George W. Bush dominated headlines, when Donald Trump appeared as mere comedy fodder on French television, and when new administrations brought fresh restrictions on speech and behavior. What seemed acceptable to say at the book's opening becomes unthinkable by its close. Sedaris avoids navel gazing and treacly self examination, instead finding humor in the world's daily carnival of human behavior. The result mixes bitter observations with sweet moments, creating entries that sometimes satisfy completely and others that readers might want to forget.
Genres: essays, humor, autobiography, contemporary, memoir, non-fiction
Vibes: darkly-humorous, introspective, observational, sardonic, witty
Tropes: slice-of-life, social-commentary, unreliable-narrator
Setting: France
Period: 21st century, George W. Bush administration, Trump era
576 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company