David Sedaris: One of the Greatest Comedy Writers of this Generation

A Raleigh native, David Sedaris is recognized as one of the greatest humor writers of our generation. His books and essay collections feature a winning combination of witty humor and self-revealing anecdotes. Many have become New York Times best sellers, including When You Are Engulfed in Flames, which also won him the Thurber Prize for American Humor. His most recent book, Calypso, came out in May of last year to overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Sedaris struggled greatly with drug addiction and OCD in early adulthood, both of which figure as frequent topics in his writing. After graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he was largely a failure as a visual artist and supported himself with various menial jobs around the city. He often read his diaries for audiences at Chicago clubs, and was fortunate enough to have NPR’s Ira Glass in attendance one evening. Glass found Sedaris so funny that he invited him to read his diaries on the air. After his first NPR appearance, in which Sedaris discussed his experiences as a Christmas elf at Macy’s, Glass knew he had something special on his hands. Sedaris would go on to become a regular on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and compile his diaries into the books and essay collections for which he has become so acclaimed.

David Sedaris’ success is a testament to the role that good publicity plays in broadcasting the ideas of humanity’s greatest minds. At Brick Branding, we’re committed to bringing brilliant ideas out of the shadows and into the public view.