Last night we went to the Opera House to enjoy an evening with David Sedaris. Our seats were up in the Dress Circle balcony, looking down on the large stage that was enveloped in heavy layers of shimmering gold velvet drapery. The Opera House is so beautiful and stately; maybe I’ll even go see an opera there someday.
Sedaris appeared onstage about twenty minutes late, a tiny figure in a pale pink shirt and red tie. Spoken word performances don’t require good seats, just good acoustics, so I just sat and listened and laughed. He seems to have a bottomless reservoir of stories. I was secretly hoping he would speak in French, but he still isn’t fluent, so was understandably shy.
Learning a language comes to the speaker in four phases, which all follow a degree of difficulty (easiest to hardest): understanding the written word; understanding the spoken word; speaking the words yourself; holding a real conversation. He is at the point now where he understands everything that is said to him, but can’t always articulate himself in return. It’s a fine line.
At the end of the performance, he took questions from the house, and, as he always does on his tours, recommended a book. The book this time is An Obedient Father by Akhil Sharma. I think I’ll add it to my wish list…
excellent!
ooh awesome. I saw him when his “me talk pretty someday” came out in paperback at staceys books. did he sing for you? we (the audience) bribed him with money to do his billie holiday impersonation. hes pretty dead-on and has a great voice. what an odd person but the funniest writer I think I’ve ever encountered.
-medha
Re: excellent!
Hey I was actually at that Stacey’s signing, too! In the front row. He was hilarious that day, too. I snuck out of work for two hours to catch it.
Re: excellent!
I snuck out of work too. Did you see him freak out at the smoothie that one of the fans gave him? he pretended to be dying? that was me that gave him the smoothie for a tip. they were giving them out free on market street..some samples. Im sure it didnt taste all that good after sitting for 2 hours while he spoke. blech..super sweet strawberry flavor too.
-medha
Re: excellent!
I don’t remember…. I didn’t stay after the reading for the signing. I was there super early and sat down in the front row — and he just walked right up to me and asked if I’d like him to sign my books! I was all, yeah! We had some chitchat, he was nice. He signed my copy of Barrel Fever and said I was “foxy.” Heheh.