Please post a comment about a David Sedaris story that you find funny. Discuss what elements of writing humorously Sedaris uses in the story. Post your comment on here for credit!
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Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for Me Talk Pretty One Day:
1. What better place to start a discussion of a Sedaris book than
with the parts you find the funniest? Which parts make you LOL (laugh
out loud)? Go around the room and share your belly laughs with others.
2. Are there sections of the book you feel are snide or
mean-spirited? Perhaps his criticism of Americans who visit Europe
dressed "as if you've come to mow its lawns." Or perhaps the piece about
his stint as a writing teacher. Is petulance a part of Sedaris's
schtick...his charm?
3. Talk about the Sedaris family, in particular his parents. How do
they come across? Whom does he feel closest to? Sedaris makes an
interesting statement about his father: it was a mystery that "a man
could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests."
Is that unusual?
4. David Sedaris is a descendant of Woody Allen's brand of
humor—personal idiosyncrasies or neuroses raised to an art form. What
does Sedaris reveal about himself, his insecurities, angst, secret
hostilities, and do you find those parts funny or somewhat touching,
even sad? Actually, do you like Sedaris as he reveals himself in his
book?
5. Are there parts of Me Talk Pretty that you disliked, didn't find funny, found overworked or contrived?
6. For a book club meeting: it would be fun to get the audio version
and listen to selected segments. I especially recommend the French
lessons in Paris.
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
I enjoyed reading "Twelve moments in the life of an artist". I've read David Sedaris' "Naked" and this story reminds me of the crazy, youth driven adventures that took place in that book. I like to learn the creative origins of writers and other artists and reading about Sedaris' origin as a drug fueled, talentless hipster makes for an amusing story and a critique of 'modern' art. There's a little irony in that Sedaris' real artistic talent that he was struggling with in his early years eventually develops in his writing, only when he can look back and laugh at that dark time.
ReplyDeleteI liked the essay "Jesus Shaves" in Sedaris's book. I took French last year, and like hearing how silly people sound when they try to speak other languages. It's a lot like when you run into somebody who doesn't speak english natively and they say things like "I upon of the entrance to the duck," "am not understand," or "am win." I think goofy errors like that are pretty funny.
ReplyDeleteReading the essay "Big Boy" was just as hilarious as it was uncomfortable. It reminded my of one of his stories about his father urging him to get a colonoscopy. Bathroom humor is funny, because everyone understands it and can relate to it, since it happens to everyone. I think it also brings most people back to second grade when 'toot' and 'fart' were the funniest things in the world.
ReplyDelete"Jesus Shaves" is so far my favorite essay. I've never taken a French class, but my experiences in SPanish class aren't far off. I can barely put a sentence unless it's to say my name or the date. I forget that water is masculine and that words that end in certain letters don't follow the rules that they're supposed to. I can't even say "Gabbi will clean my house" without Google Translate helping out. "Jesus Shaves" was the one I laughed the most at because I could relate to it.
ReplyDelete