Comical or Bland?

 There is something about David Sedaris’ humor in his collection of short stories, The Best of Me that feels more grounded than hilariously laughable. I find his writing mildly amusing but not outrageously comical. If a reader wanted to read something that could match Irby’s hilarity, David Sedaris would not be the writer they are looking for. In a similar manner to Irby, he uses life stories to inform his humor. However, Irby and Sedaris take different routes in the way that they explain their lives. Sedaris, a white man, writes—arguably—blander stories that are focused on how they shape his life.

In his introduction, he uses an Allan Gurganus quote that reads, “Without much accuracy, and strangely little love at all, your family will decide for you exactly who you are, and they’ll keep nudging, coaxing, poking you until you’ve changed into that very simple shape” (Sedaris, 6). His stories follow this sentiment of familial molding which is surprisingly humorous. His humor isn’t extravagant—what makes his writing humor is in its reliability.  

  We have had conversations in class about the role of humor in starting personal conversations about taboos/embarrassing moments. When I was reading the chapter “Let It Snow”, I didn’t laugh once. I was confused because I know David Sedaris as a world-class comedian, but I wasn’t immediately struck by a fit of laughter through his writing. However, on the second reading, I understood that his comedy is rooted in truth. Like Irby, he is aware of his reality and ready to share it with his audience. A chapter like this is comical because it is rooted in the good, bad, and ugly of his childhood.

He wants to share these scenes with his readers so that they have a better understanding of how he has been ‘nudged, coaxed, and poked’ into the man he is today. While he isn’t making his readers keel over in laughter, he is providing a starter for understanding our own lives through his writing.