Writer/Humorist
b. December 26, 1956
"A good short story would take me out of myself and then stuff me back in, outsized, now, and uneasy with the fit."
David Sedaris is an award-winning best-selling author whose short stories depict, variously, the life of a young gay man in 20th century America, the experience of an American living abroad and the comedy of family life.
Sedaris, who was one of six children, was born in Binghamton, New York, and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1983, he graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He began writing and supported himself with odd jobs in Raleigh, in Chicago and eventually in New York. His big break came on National Public Radio, where he read his short stories.
Called the "preeminent humorist of his generation" by Entertainment Weekly, Sedaris is the author of numerous collections: "Barrel Fever" (1994), "Naked" (1997), "Holidays on Ice" (1997), "Me Talk Pretty One Day" (2000), "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" (2004) and "When You are Engulfed in Flames" (2008), which was number one on the New York Times best-seller list. He edited a 2005 collection of stories called "Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules," the proceeds from which benefit a nonprofit writing and tutorial center.
Sedaris is known for his distinctive style, combining elements of memoir, humor and the traditional short story. He is clear that his stories are embellished. "I’m a humorist," he says. "I’m not a reporter."
Sedaris is a frequent contributor to the award-winning "This American Life" public radio show. Along with his sister Amy, he is the author of numerous plays written under the name "The Talent Family." He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and was named Time magazine's Humorist of the Year in 2001. In 2008, he delivered the commencement speech at Binghamton University and was awarded an honorary doctorate.
Sedaris lives in London, Paris and Normandy with his longtime partner, Hugh Hamrick.
