by No Single Name

Created on: April 14, 2009   Last Updated: April 15, 2009

There is nothing more awkward than sitting in a room full of people, minding your business and quietly reading until you come upon a passage so funny, so embarrassingly relatable that you explode in a sudden burst of laughter; usually so unexpected that heads will turn. Such an embarrassment, though, will seem trivial in the face of the plight David Sedaris faces in his latest collection of essays, When You Are Engulfed in Flames.

Although not all essays in the book are new, most of them having been previously published in various literary and news journals, Sedaris proves that he has lost neither his wit nor pitiful charm in between volumes. As is his wont with such works, Sedaris draws on an eclectic collection of memories, ranging from his amusingly dysfunctional childhood, to the only new essay the volume has to offer, "The Smoking Section." It is this essay from which the book draws its seemingly strange title, and most of its acclaim: reading about the lengths to which he goes to quit smoking is more entertaining than gallant, allowing current smokers to read it without feeling preached to.

Nearly all the stories, even the old ones, have at least a few moments which prompt the reader to smother laughter at either his situation, or his thought process. In the essay, "It's Catching," Sedaris opens by describing a conversation with a friend, Patsy; when she mentions placing her coat against the seat of her chair in a movie theatre, he stops her.

"I've always wondered about this coat business. When I'm in a theater, I either fold mine in my lap or throw it over my armrest, but Patsy always spreads hers out, acting as if the seat back were cold, and she couldn't possibly enjoy herself while it was suffering."

His odd, yet astute observations on personal quirks and unspoken etiquette may be a joy to read, but When You Are Engulfed in Flames offers moments both touching and introspective: Sedaris teaching his sister's parrot to speak two heartfelt words long into the night might seem like a sudden flip from the previous content, but it offers an interesting juxtaposition, and the gentle reminder that every story Sedaris tells, no matter how funny or seemingly pointless, has real meaning. Alienation, determination, the mystery of death and moving on: Sedaris has written a book as heartfelt as it is humorous.

Despite some literary controversy and a busy touring schedule, David Sedaris has delivered yet another masterpiece of (97%, he says) non-fiction. His writing raises essays to an art form, beautiful, fluid and insightful.

And don't forget, hilarious.

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