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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 28, 2005)
Confessionsofa comedian David Sedans' show kept audience in continuous laughter with embellished non-fiction and sardonic jabs BY JOSH LINTEREUR PULSE REPORTER Toward the end of his appearance Friday night at the Hult Center, David Sedaris made a confession. Live performances, he explained, are his testing ground for new materi al, most of which he rewrites on a nightly basis. And though he some times feels compelled to come clean regarding his use of unpolished mate rial with a paying audience, it's a de tail he saves forthe end. "I never get up beforehand and say, this next story I'm just not sure about at all, it meanders and doesn't really come to any conclusion, but you paid handsomely to be here, so let's all just try to have a good time," he said to the audience. "I try to save that information to the very end, and then I apologize if I need to." Judging by the near continuous rumble of laughter during his more than 90-minute performance, the best-selling author, playwright and National Public Radio contributor did n't owe any apologies. Standing behind a lectern, the nasally voiced author elevated his al ready hilarious prose by speaking with a masterful sense of comedic r rhythm, pausing at just the right mo ments and using the subtlest inflec tions for effect. Sedaris opened by reading a new ly penned fable about a cat and ba boon. Filled with sardonic jabs at class tension, the story tread new ground forthe writer, whose work can be typically classified as embel lished non-fiction. He followed the fable with two essays that occasionally delved into bawdy territory with references to a bestiality magazine and a particularly nasty boil Sedaris re cently developed. Throughout the evening, Seda ris showed his uncanny ability to find an awkward sort of tenderness in the most bizarre situations. While read ing, "Old Faithful," a story about rela tionships thatappeared in The New Yorker, he recalled the time his father randomly blurted out that he'd always remained faithful to Sedaris' mother. Looking back, Sedaris put into per spective what he believes was not a matter of a guilty conscience, but a search for self-worth. "Sometimes the sins you haven't committed are all that you have to hold onto," he said. "If you're really desperate, you might need to grope. For example, I've never killed any one— with a hammer. Or, I've never stolen from anyone, who didn't deserve it." Even when not reading from one of his masterfully composed essays, Sedaris' darkly irreverent wit ap peared effortless. During a brief ques tion and answer session nearthe end of the show, an audience member in quired about Sedaris' brother, who appears frequently in the author's sto ries. Sedaris invoked laughter and cringing as he talked about how his brother had recently become a father. "She adores him," he said of his brother’s daughter. "If you gave that baby a gun and said, ok, you have to shoot one of your parents, she would n't even think, she would shoot her mother like that. And that must be the greatestfeeling." Sedaris also plugged a new book he edited, "Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules." Sales of the book are donated to 826NYC, a nonprofit tu toring center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The book contains short stories by contemporary literary giants such as Alice Munro, Joyce Carol Oates and Tobias Wolff, who Sedaris cited as a major influence. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Tobias Wolff. Every time I think of killing myself, I think, well, he has a ALLERGY SEASON IS JUST Mini THE CORKER Helpful hints to reduce "hay fewer" symptoms •Exercise early on windy and dry days • Limit outdoor actiuity on windy and dry days • Ruoid rubbing your eyes • Keep windows closed at night • Shower and shampoo hair before bed • UJash bed linens often • Use pollen mask • Keep your pet off your bed • If usiny allergy meds. take them early • fluoid lying in the grass • liiear sun glasses to help keep pollen out of your eyes Ouer fhe Counter products from the Uniuersity Health Center Pharmacy: Produci Size Price flctifed 100 $2.00 Benadryl 25 my caps (generic) 100 $3.00 Chlor-Irimeton 4 my tab (generic) 24 $2.00 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON Product Size Price Chlor-Trimeton 4 mg tab (generic) 100 $3.00 Claritin 10 mg (generic) 30 $3.50 Mauert-D 12 hr. 12 $0.00 Sudafed 30 mg (generic) 24 $2.00 346-2770 for medical appts. 356-4454 for pharmacy http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu Courtesy Best-sellling author David Sedaris showed his ability to find tenderness in bizarre situations during his show at the Hult Center. new book coming out," he said. After the show, the man labeled a "literary rock star" by The New York Times, showed the dedication and hu mility that have helped him establish an enormous following. Though he is currently touring 31 cities in 31 days, the author was in no rush to leave. In stead Sedaris sat at a table graciously signing autographs and politely en gaging each person that approached the table. joshlintereur@dailyemerald.com Feed Your Mind $ Fill Your Belly ...without emptying your wallet! "Bowls, Burritos, S Beyond” Fresh, home-made whole foods with lots of veggie S vegan options ...mixed with goofy artwork, snappy tunes & an oxygen-based atmosphere Organic Juice & Smoothie Bar Scrumptious Home-made Vegan Baked (roods Micro-brews on tap 760 Blair Blvd (e> 8th Ave 8 Monroe Just west of downtown) Open Mon-Sat 1 H Opm; Sun 11-9pm 868*0668
