Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

David Sedaris is without question one of my favorite authors. His books are great on airplanes, in waiting rooms, the bathroom, or anywhere else that short essays are useful. Each chapter is, of course, its own essay so it's not like you have to keep going back and checking on things you've missed or forgotten. He always makes me laugh, so thankfully I was able to finish this book last night before my surgery. (I can't imagine chuckling would go well with the incisions in my belly.)

I'm not sure if I find Sedaris' stories so endearing because they remind me of my own family or because I can hear my father's voice telling similar ones. This book, Me Talk Pretty One Day, is broken down into two parts: one and deux. The first section is filled with stories about New York and North Carolina where Sedaris lived. Then the second section is about his move to Paris with his boyfriend, Hugh. Some of my favorite stories in this book are:

"The City of Light in the Dark" - Sedaris talks about the movie houses in Paris. This does remind me of my father quite a bit because Sedaris talks about the annoying habits of Americans at the movies. As my father goes to the movies several times a week with his fellow retirees, I hear about these things quite often.

"The Youth In Asia" - The author tells a story about his parents' dog, Melina, and the devotion they show to her. It reminds me of the jealousy I feel towards my dads' dog, Delilah. She really is the center of their world and I never imagined that I would be jealous of an animal when it came to the affections of my two dads.

"The Learning Curve" - Tales of a teaching position in a college creative writing class. I could really sympathize with Sedaris on this one. He talks about his love of Soap Operas and how certain things only happen on certain days. This takes me back to high school days when I would watch them with my sister. The ending 'punchline' is really what makes it though.

"Picka Pocketoni" - An amusing story about the Ugly American in Paris. Sedaris is mistaken for a French Pickpocket and the American assumes no one else can speak English. Highly entertaining read.

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoyed Amy Sedaris' Strangers With Candy show, or anyone that has enjoyed David Sedaris on NPR.