By: Brianna Arnold

David. Sedaris. When you hear the name, what do you think of? You probably think, “I have no idea who that is.” Well, if you’re interested, ask you English teacher and they’ll tell you he’s an author. But he’s not JUST an author. He’s like one of my favorite humorists ever!

David Sedaris is an author who was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and became famous for his witty tales on his life experiences and his family. I fell in love when I read one of his books in English class, Naked. It was hilarious!  Like a TV show, it made you wonder, how did you ever get into that situation? David Sedaris connects with you, affirming all your weird quirks with his actions, in his writing.

Recently, Sedaris visted the area; he had a show at Proctor’s. Excited, I begged for tickets, and was told we’d be going to see him live. YESSS! I was pumped.

The day of the book signing, I showed up an hour early, to get good parking. I mean, it’s Schenectady. Anyway, he was doing a book signing before the show. OHHHH MYYYY GODDDD! I got to meet David Sedaris! I shook his hand! We talked, and laughed. It was awesome! Something that sticks out in my mind that he told me was: “You can pay someone to listen to you complain, or someone can pay you to listen to you complain, I just prefer to get paid.” I remember thinking, “How did you come up with that Mr. Sedaris?” I was awestruck. I couldn’t believe this man, famous in all parts of the world, cared about our conversation. He even offered me a gift, but said he left it at his hotel room in Albany. (He gives gifts to teenagers because they care enough to read his books, and come visit him.)

After I had my book signed, I went to see him perform. He was absolutely hilarious. My mom had never heard of him, but she was there and laughing to the point of tears. Let me just say for all you critics out there who may think, “seriously you paid to see an author??” Yes, I did, and it was awesome. Because like I said, this isn’t just for the type who sit in Starbucks and read all day. His novels aren’t for the faint of heart. They’re for those who appreciate the humor in life, and respect laughter for what it is.

If he is ever in the capital district again, I highly recommend you see his show. You won’t regret it. Maybe you’ll even grow to love him as much as I do! I’ll see you at his next show!