Lets Explore Diabetes With Owls

By David Sedaris

As soon as I start, Sedaris doesn't disappoint with his descriptive and hilarious deadpan, humorous style. Playing into the typical American outlook of wanting to have "serious" Doctors and should be treated with a certain gravity that we've become accustomed to. He accompanies the humour with odd tales from his personal life, which can be unsettling, but quite entertaining.

Sedaris does make a very valid point about today's parenting, however in his second story. Parent's treat their children extremely on the verge of being slaves to the child. "They did not live in a child's house, we lived in theirs." Although this second story proved funnier than the first.

The third proves to be Sedaris showing what seems to be his disenchantment when having to hear of people's possible over emotion about a loved one's death and they died too young. Sedaris proves that when you're young and from a large family and possibly only from his era, there's a better chance of one being able to prey on people's weaknesses and avoiding attention if you're clever and don't get overcome by self-loathing and being a praise-stalker. Wistful ending, quite introspective. Oh, my gosh, the next story tripped me out; it was so funny how stereotypical Sedaris made me believe "his" Black girl's were. He brought me right into his classroom with Delicia, so hilarious! Also he and his siblings relationship with their Grandmother is so unique and again made me laugh out loud. He also has such dramatic outbursts at the age of fourteen with his mother I wondered whether they actually happened the way he describes them sometimes, they are certainly funny to imagine, at least.

A description of his best friend's mother: "In a neighborhood of stay-at-home moms, Shaun’s mother worked. A public-health nurse, she was the one you went to if you woke up with yellow eyes or jammed a piece of caramel corn too far into your ear. 'Oh, you’re fine,' Jean would say, for that was what she wanted us to call her, not Mrs. Taylor. With her high cheekbones and ever so slightly turned-down mouth, she brought to mind a young Katharine Hepburn. Other mothers might be pretty, might, in their twenties or early thirties, pause at beauty, but Jean was clearly parked there for a lifetime." D.S. has a way of making these very stately declarations. They're funnier because they are so wildly recited.

Another essay is out-rightly sad if you love animals and especially endangered species and feel bad about a child losing their father at an early age. Still entertaining, it's just the unfortunate situation of having the "information at your fingertips" situation again. Then there's a very short "rant", I suppose that deals squarely with the Lord-ah. It's realistic enough anyways so in that way was entertaining. I do look forward to saying whatever lie is taught me on Pimsleur as David experienced. That made me laugh again. Also if one of comes across the chance to ask a German if they are from Minnesota never sounded so enticing.

While Sedaris does sound more wistful compared to his other books, I think he may be trying to work through the memories that are surfacing that aren't as hilariously upfront as others, and perhaps trying to remind himself to live in the now, because his life sounds pretty good to me, and I think he's trying to convey that he realizes that too. Then David tells a story about his father when his sister Gretchen moves in nearby him to await a college admission acceptance letter. The story proves to be on the darker side of female's and dealing with night assault. His father brings him on "rape" runs to find the guys who keep going after Gretchen, nothing comes of it, but David's outlook proves to be bleak in regards to his current situation, which was working as a clothed model for a college on a very minimum basis and feeling like he's stuck (I can relate). He stayed "stuck" for 3 years, (I can only hope it won't be that long for my situation), but obviously it was just temporary.

Just a Quick Email is a short and very funny scenario characterization. It reminded me of two morons who are continually trying to make themselves my personal pair, who may even be able to relate to parts of it (they do love a good "shout-out"), at least in the case of the drunk-driving wink wink. 

Another story had to do with David's lack of ability at fighting, when relating a story to a straight man who he incidentally had interest in, he relates the story of his failed fist-fight attempt. Now I can also appreciate Sedaris' reasons for all the wacky and odd question: He's a note-taker. So, that's nice. He also gets extreme discomfort from having his picture taken, probably an insecurity that he feels unnecessary to "work" through, which I can understand. Why be more uncomfortable on the job?

The stories still get better when we learn more about David's first boyfriend and how racist Americans still seem to other countries. That's hilarious unto itself. Sedaris' perception on how French people have a self-satisfactory tone in their voice when they show how they approve of America choosing Obama for President, I have to wonder if it's only because it's been so long since we've had a positive, intelligent seeming leader. He also reveals that he thinks the French, or whichever European people are jealous we got the half-Black President first. The whole theory is entertaining. 

Sedaris also has a strange situational essay about a character dealing with gay marriage in a very extreme way. Mostly weird, a bit funny.

If anyone knows the show Oddities, you'll understand perfectly one of David's later stories in this series where he's in a taxidermy shop and is presented with definite oddities, one including the head of an approximately 14-year-old girl from Peru that was around 400 years old.

I suppose the main downside of traveling to China would be all the phlegm and piss/poo makers in the street/bathrooms. It sounds nasty and coupled with the theme of food, begins to sound less than inviting. The essay after that makes fun of people just outside the periphery of intelligence and so begrudge Obama for seeming to talk down to them. It was a pretty entertaining short essay. Also while Sedaris harbors righteous anger towards slow-pokes it seems he hasn't mastered the ability to verbalize to said slow-poke what their dumb problem is. I could be of so much use in that department by now, I could make so much money.

Sedaris, who is a diary-addict, can't seem to stop himself, nor would we want him to, I believe it would mean less, to no more books from him. Where else would we get strange anecdotal stories about whichever strange family or close friend he has? 

I'd end up missing them. His take on the "women" way of fighting puts an O.C.D. twist on it. Since he writes everything down, he can go back to an argument that started years before and tell his boyfriend his stance on it, which of course must be even harder to make a fight end if it's with someone with "passion", but seems so ridiculously over-the-top I can only imagine someone bursting out laughing at such a reaction.

Unfortunately, possibly due to age, he has the "age-old" view of pot-smokers who, whilst can be a good source for a joke, not when it's necessarily about remembering a trip to Greece as a concern. Too bad he hasn't run into some with intelligence, but when regular intelligence is so hard to find, how to expect someone to wait for a specific variety. Sighs Life. 

I guess he hasn't delved into stand-up comedy much. Not necessarily the best source for just intelligent comedians, but for some which is all I can hope for. That, and to find a 7-year-old kid who would look at a guinea pig and marvel at it's size by repeatedly and incredulously saying, "Jesus, will you look at those? Christ Almighty. Someone should take a picture." I mean, come on, I'd appreciate that candor over the dull diatribes I hear people spout behind me in lines.

Now it's my turn to take the Lord's name in vain though, because Oh my God the next essay is funny to any who has either watched the BBC or knows Britain on a more personal level. David tells another personal experience involving his father and at that point his extreme fascination with British terminology. Oh, and when Sedaris' laptop and bag are stolen and his passport was in the pocket of the bag, one of the funniest stories. 

Plus, David doped up on anesthesia just makes me want to laugh and laugh. Also, if you don't want to end up like Michael Jackson, take Propofol with care. I can't say I'm very disappointed with this addition to David's books. The fact that he ends with a dog version of "There once was a man in Nantucket..." and make it sound more dirty and clever and make me think it could sound like Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died is a fete in itself. Gold-star, Sedaris!