I don't know if American teens read Sedaris, but I believe they should. Sedaris is described as a playwright and NPR commentator. His writing style is hilarious, sarcastic and insightful. The book jacket for Dress Your Family says
David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters.
He goes on vacation with his family.
He gets a job selling drinks.
He attends his brother's wedding.
He mops his sister's floor.
He gives directions to a lost traveler.
He eats a hamburger.
He has his blood sugar tested.
Oh, but there is so much more. When Sedaris "plays in the snow with his sisters", it is because their mother locked them out of the house to protect her own sanity. When he "has his blood sugar tested", it's because a man pricks his finger in a guerrilla-type manner when the man thought he requested an erotic maid instead of the more common variety, which Sedaris was working as at the time.
Each chapter is a story that somehow ties together with the others. They are not chronological, but explore different times in Sedaris's life. The stories are of everyday events, but Sedaris has the gift of peeling back the surface of everyday life to reveal the hilarious and absurd. There is a comparison by The New Yorker between Sedaris and Twain or Nathanael West. I would not be surprised if Sedaris indeed becomes a new American classic author.
Please read this collection of stories. It is hilarious.
Get it from Amazon (where you can get it for your kindle) or Barnes & Noble (where it is also available in digital edition).
