Themes and Variations - David Sedaris - ★★★.¾

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AUTHOR: David Sedaris
GENRE: Essay, Humour.
RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: An essay by an acclaimed humour writer, detailing some memorable experiences, “themes and variations” while interacting with readers during book tours. A quick, fun read.


As a reader, you might have attended book-signing events, and while in queue, you might have wondered what to say to the author. Now here’s an essay that shows you the same event from an author’s point of view.

When David Sedaris was a boy, he had a bad experience at a book signing event, where the visiting author didn’t acknowledge him or even glance at him while signing the book. He was so affected by this that many years later, when it was his turn to be on the other side of the signing table, he decided that he would make every reader feel special.

What resulted from this decision was some intriguing reader interactions, amusing anecdotes, and unbelievable revelations, ranging from hilarious to outright bizarre. This little 19-page essay explores some of David’s more memorable experiences while on his book tours.

The word ‘essay’ is, of course, very loosely applicable to this write-up. ‘Essay’ somehow conjures up the image of something tedious. But this is a light-hearted read, with David’s self-deprecating humour balanced by his friendly approachability. It offers an unseen glimpse at modern authorial life while also showing how crazy some people are.

Many anecdotes in this piece are funny, some are heartwarming, and some left me befuddled at the lack of common sense in human beings. The jokes are quite good, though some seem too exaggerated.

Even if contemporary authors are reclusive introverts who prefer to sit at their writing stations than interacting with their readers, they cannot escape public events in today’s world. Be it social media or live interactions or interviews, authors are reliant on such exchanges to establish a connect with their readers. If all authors took a page out of David Sedaris’ books [Not literally!] and ensured that the readers at their events get their complete attention when their turn comes, trust me, they will have earned a fan for life.

A recommended write-up for all readers who dream of author interactions and for all authors who dread forced socialization.

This essay is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.

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