Comedy Genre

David Sedaris’s Hometown

Life & Career of David Sedaris

David Raymond Sedaris is a humorist and comedian whose satirical wit is acknowledged both on stage and in print. He was born in Binghamton, New York on December 26, 1956, and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina with 5 other siblings in a Greek Orthodox family. His observations during his growing years became a major source of comic material later in life.

Sedaris has a quirky sense of humor that often puzzles people. For instance, he credits his extensive vocabulary on a childhood lisp which led him find all “s-less” words in the dictionary. He is known to suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and has written that he cured it by smoking. Statements like these are what puzzle people, who don’t know whether to get angry at him for promoting smoking or to laugh at his jokes.

Sedaris also had a varied education as he attended Kent State and Duke University but didn’t stay to graduate. He finally graduated years later from the Art Institute of Chicago. While he struggled to support himself through odd jobs in his early career, his comic written materials were already being recognized.

His initial writings were autobiographical pieces revolving around his teenage and college years. But soon he started using his family ties, growing experience and his open homosexuality as material. His short pieces were published in The New Yorker, Esquire magazine, and he also featured them in a radio show called “This American Life”.

He has written several bestsellers, which include Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day and Naked. The audio book version of Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim fetched him a Grammy nomination as did David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall. He is also the third writer to have won the Thurber Prize for American Humor for his book Me Talk Pretty One Day. Time magazine named him Humorist of the Year in 2001.

He has also co-authored plays with his sister Amy Sedaris, using the moniker “The Talent Family”. Some of their well known plays include The Book of Liz, Stump the Host and the Obie Award-winner One Woman Shoe. He has also featured in hit shows like the David Lettermen show.

Currently he resides in France with his partner, but tours America extensively and has several books in the offing.

Awards/Accolades

• 2001 - Awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor
• 2001 - Named "Humorist of the Year" by Time magazine.
• 2004 - Audio book Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album
• 2004 - David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album
• 2008 - Binghamton University presents Sedaris with an honorary doctorate

David Sedaris’s Albums and Comedy Tours

Story, Blogs and Essay collections

• 1994- Barrel Fever
• 1997- Naked
• 1997- Holidays on Ice
• 2000- Me Talk Pretty One Day
• 2004- Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
• 2004- Old Faithful
• 2005- Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (editor)
• 2008- When You Are Engulfed in Flames
• 2010- Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary
• 2010- I Brake for Traditional Marriage
• What I Learned"
• The Poo Corner

David Sedaris’s Books

• 2001 Me Talk Pretty One Day (hit)
• 2004 Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
• 2007 When You Are Engulfed in Flames
• 2010 Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary

As "The Talent Family"

• 1993 - Stump the Host
• 1994 - Stitches
• 1997 - The Little Frieda Mysteries
• 2002 - The Book of Liz
• Incident at Cobbler's Knob (co-author)

David Sedaris’s Audio recordings

• 1994 - Barrel Fever and Other Stories
• 1997 - Naked
• 2001 - Me Talk Pretty One Day
• 2002 - The David Sedaris Box Set
• 2003 - Live At Carnegie Hall
• 2004 - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
• 2008 - Holidays On Ice
• 2008 - When You Are Engulfed in Flames
• 2009 - Live For Your Listening Pleasure
• 2010 - Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: a Modest Bestiary

David Sedaris on Television & Radio

• 1994 till Present - This American Life (Radio).
• 2004 - David Sedaris Live at Carnegie Hall.
• 2010 - BBC Radio 4 aired Meet David Sedaris (Live) a four-part series of essays

Hits

• 2001 - Me Talk Pretty One Day was critically acclaimed and got him the Thurber Prize for American Humor
• 2004 - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim became the #1 on The New York Times Best Seller List (Nonfiction)
• 2004-Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim audio book nominated Grammy Award
• 2004 -Live at Carnegie Hall Album nominated for a Grammy Award