Not David Sedaris

David Sedaris makes me smile. A lot. Broad grins, wry grins, goofy grins, smirks. And he makes me laugh a lot too. Sniggers, chortles, hoots, giggles, splutters, roars and guffaws. His essays, books and radio broadcasts have cheered and entertained me for many years and long may they continue to do so.

He seems quintessentially American yet has lived in West Sussex (the county of my childhood) for over a decade, and I think of him every time I check my Fitbit (i.e. many, many times a day!) or pick up some litter. Fellow fans will know why!

Tonight he was in town to read from ‘Theft by Finding’, the first volume of his diaries. And I was enchanted from the get-go. His ability to find and expose the absurd in himself, his family, his relationship with the long-suffering Hugh and every possible situation in which he finds himself is a constant joy. If you haven't read his books or listened to his BBC Radio 4 radio programmes then I can't recommend them highly enough.

He signed my copy of the diaries and we had a nice chat about both feeling we’d met before, the mystery of the ‘Scouse Brow’ (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/scouse-brow-danger-extinction-liverpools-12720590 ) and more besides… I'll leave you to ponder the karate and shea butter references (see Extra Photo!). But, to my great disappointment, he told me that he hates having his picture taken and, although I'd have dearly loved to have taken his portrait, I wasn't about to push the matter and fall out with him just as we were getting on so well!

Instead, I've tried to recreate the picture of him in 1980 which appears on the book jacket of the diaries - with apologies to him and to Jeffrey Jenkins who took the original portrait (I can't find it online but it comes from this series… www.saic.edu/news/david-sedaris-chronicles-his-time-saic )

Here's a clip of the delightful David being interviewed by the equally superb Sue Perkins www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3jXI5usRs4

And, since one of my favourite collections of his work is entitled ‘Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim’, here are a couple of appropriate songs…

“So here I am in corduroy, catch it in your Polaroid…” www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO7PKSGLhtQ

and…

“She wears denim wherever she goes, says she's gonna get some records by The Status Quo…” www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhXl-Glv1dg