David Sedaris' visit to Wharton provides witty humor, anecdotes

By Beau Hayhoe

Created:
04/04/11 10:16pm

Last updated:
04/04/11 11:11pm

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Unlike one performer’s recent trip to Michigan, David Sedaris’ show at Wharton Center on Monday night actually was a success.

The best-selling writer and humorist — author of notable books such as “Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” — was on-hand to share his unique take on life through the witty humor he is known for and performed much better than Charlie Sheen in the process.

Sedaris walked on stage at Wharton Center’s Cobb Great Hall to warm applause and spent the next hour and 45 minutes taking the audience through a small sampling of his writings.

He read aloud from a collection of both short stories and essays and also offered a book recommendation for Tobias Wolff’s “The Barracks Thief.”

Sedaris’ writings covered everything from his travels around the world and his difficulties with learning foreign languages to his antics as a young child on his local country club’s swim team.

When talking about his travels, Sedaris joked one of the only German words he actually used and understood for a long time was the phrase for “Caesarean section.”

“Isn’t that the joy of travel?” he mused. “There’s always something to scratch your head over.”

Most of the time, his intelligent-yet-subtle humor drew laughter from the audience, which clearly appreciated his skill as a writer. His skill as a storyteller also was on display throughout the night, particularly when talking about his past.

Sedaris found humor in the early trials of his boyhood, which centered around a lack of praise from his father.

While making light of the situation, he also recognized that the absence of support from his dad ultimately was what made him so successful.

“It’s what got me out of bed every morning,” he said. “When I failed, (that drive) is what kept me going.”

Clearly, the night was not all about comedy. He also provided meaningful, serious thoughts on life including its many eccentricities and ups and downs.

His personal diary entries were particularly funny and added a nice conclusion to the show.

The well-traveled writer was overall a great guest to bring to Wharton — funny and lighthearted, yet intelligent and thought-provoking. Bravo, Mr. Sedaris.

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