David Sedaris Books In Order

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Standalone Plays

Publication Order of Diaries Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

A prolific storyteller as he is writer, David Sedaris is an American author who has been writing for a number of years now, with his unique and insightful combination of both wit and pathos, which he uses to convey his stories that are both biographical and fictional. Being as great a speaker as he is, he is often found at various events giving readings of his works that manage to attract a whole host of people from far and wide. Not only that, but he has also been able to inject his work with a sense of realism and warmth using his own wit and insight, something which continues to resonate with a great many people worldwide.

Early and Personal Life

Whilst David Sedaris may put a lot of himself and his own life into his work, there’s always another story or anecdote he’s able to draw upon, providing him with the material he needs to make his novels work, giving them a degree of authenticity in the process. Born on the 26th of December, 1956, he has made a living as a humorist and comedian, with his various writings and essays that have typically been inspired by his own life. With a self-deprecating tone, he is both witty and funny, whilst also able to deliver his work with a level of pathos as well.

Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, he was initially born in Johnson City, New York, before moving, as he was the second child of six, one of whom was Amy Sedaris, a famous comedian and actress in her own right. Graduating from Jesse O. Sanderson High School in Raleigh, he went on to attend both Western Carolina University and Kent State University before dropping out in 1977. It was in 1987 that he would graduate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago after moving to the city in the year of 1983, before giving a speech at Princeton in June 2006.

Initially working with the visual and performance arts throughout his adolescence and his twenties, he didn’t find so much success, something which he has attested to in many of his essays, but it was to assist him in his public speaking that was to follow. Reading his diaries in a club in Chicago, he was soon discovered by Ira Glass, the National Public Radio host and producer who was to give him a platform on the radio. This, says Sedaris himself, is what made his career giving him the recognition he needed to get his novels off the ground, becoming a household name in relatively short time after that.

Now giving talks regularly, he’s become a regular fixture on the radio, providing stories and essays largely inspired by his own life. Currently living in the United Kingdom with his partner Hugh Hamrick, he resides in the Horsham District of East Sussex. Still writing to this day, he mentions his life as it is in his work, with plenty more stories and articles awaiting release just on the horizon.

Writing Career

Largely focusing on his middle-class upbringing and his life since then, David Sedaris is mostly known for his autobiographical stories and essays. Taking both a humorous and often poignant look as subjects such as his family and his travels, he manages to cast an intimate portrayal of his life. Over the years many have found themselves relating to his work and observations on life in general, often seeing themselves in his material.

This then helped to secure his status as one of the foremost speakers and storytellers of our time, travelling worldwide to address audiences on an international scale. His debut speaking came when he went on National Public Radio in 1992 on the 23rd of December to read aloud his Santaland Diaries essay. Telling of his time working as a Christmas elf in Macy’s department store, the rest is history, as he had finally achieved the success he deserved.

Naked

Originally published in the March of 1997 through the Black Bay Books publishing label, this was to be a collection of stories and essays from David Sedaris. Following a lot of the typical themes and narratives familiar to his readers, it manages to capture the essence of what Sedaris is about with his now trademarked warmth and wit. With it being an early entry into his oeuvre of work as well, it provides his fans with a great example of where he’s come from and how he’s developed as a writer over the years.

Containing a number of different stories, they all aim to provide an intimate portrayal of the life of David Sedaris, hence the title. Providing stories of the often strange and hilarious, they manage to draw the reader in, keeping them there with their engaging and witty style. Whilst they are undoubtedly American given their location and period, their subject matter manages to transcend the confines of their pages, offering something universal in the process, as the readers delve into the consistently illuminating stories of Naked.

Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls

First published on the 23rd of May, 2013, this presents another collection of short stories and essays from the humorist David Sedaris. Brought out this time through the Little, Brown and Company publishing label, it manages to draw upon the success of his previous work following in much the same vein as before. Providing his readers with more of what they’ve now come to expect from Sedaris as an author, it shows an exemplary writer who is clearly at the peak of his game.

Featuring stories of his father and his dinnertime attire, his first colonoscopy, which came off better than expected, and how he almost brought the antique skeleton of a once murdered pygmy, he never fails to delight. Drawing readers into his world, he provides a sense of nostalgia at times, whilst also managing to emotionally moving as well. Debuting as the number one The New York Times Bestseller upon its initial release, it has caught the eye of countless readers as Sedaris says ‘let’s explore Diabetes with Owls’.