Just after the white tents are taken down and vendors and
artists pack up from this weekend’s annual L.A. Times
Festival of Books, another unofficially annual literary event is
scheduled on campus ““ an appearance by author and humorist
David Sedaris.
Author of best-selling compilations of non-fictional essays such
as “Naked,” “Me Talk Pretty One Day” and
“Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim,” Sedaris has
been a staple of UCLA Live’s spoken word series, filling
Royce Hall with both people and laughter for a number of years.
In fact, Sedaris has a longer history with UCLA Live than David
Sefton, the program’s director, as the writer has made
appearances on campus for six of the past seven years.
“There is a history of David here. He’s been coming
long before he was a household name,” Sefton said.
“He’s become the fast-selling event on UCLA
Live’s season.”
This year, Sedaris isn’t the only draw to the event, as
author Sarah Vowell will be sharing the podium. Both writers are
contributors to the National Public Radio-syndicated show,
“This American Life,” and they often meet up on book
tours for double bills.
In what will be their second time together at Royce, Vowell will
read from her newly published book, “Assassination
Vacation,” and Sedaris will share new and unpublished
work.
In “Assassination Vacation,” Vowell examines
landmarks relating to the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln,
McKinley and Garfield, and comments on how American political
violence has become a strong fabric of popular culture, creating an
entire industry that weaves death into the diversion of
vacationers’ itineraries. She considers the work a
continuation of stories she’s done on historical tourism for
“This American Life.”
As Vowell’s work uses history as its backdrop and
Sedaris’ is intensely personal, Vowell attributes their ease
in working together to this contrast, and regards Sedaris as an
inspirational presence.
“Offstage, we are incredibly congenial and almost
familial. Onstage, he just loves the podium, he loves it. I like
it, but I’m just as happy to sit by myself in a room,”
Vowell said. “When we do these (speaking engagements)
together, we take turns. His love for the podium is a physical
force. … Physicists could measure it. (When I’m speaking) I
can feel him wanting to be back up there.”
The stage certainly isn’t the only place where
Sedaris’ energy can be felt. Fans flock to his readings, even
if they’ve seen him previously, and many devote intense
attention to securing a ticket.
“What makes his show so funny is that hearing Sedaris read
his work is a different perspective than what you get from reading
it yourself ““ you hear what he was thinking when he wrote
it,” said Will Osburn, a fourth-year political science
student.
Osburn has read all of Sedaris’ books, saw him at UCLA
last June and said this year he made sure to buy tickets online at
9 a.m. the day they went on sale to ensure he wouldn’t miss
the event.
“I can’t think of any band that I want to see as
much as I want to see David Sedaris. I’m sure the majority of
students would like to see Franz Ferdinand, but for me, I’d
rather go see Sedaris,” Osburn said.