Sedaris in Berkeley

Reviewed the fall schedule for Cal Performances (link here) and was surprised to find David Sedaris on the lineup. I have been slowly chipping away at his latest work, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (link here), during my trips to the loo, and some of his latest pieces are pure comic genius. There is one that had me in tears - "Six to Eight Black Men", about how different cultures celebrate Christmas, in particular, the Dutch, where Santa is accompanied not by reindeer or elves but rather, "by six to eight angry black men". Apparently a holdover from the Netherlands' days as a colonial power. In an age of globalism and cultural homogeneity, Sedaris finds comfort in these peculiar vestiges of regionalism. He also notes the gun laws in Michigan which permit the blind to hunt unaccompanied by a sighted person. Scary. I enjoyed his prior Me Talk Pretty One Day and Holidays on Ice, but this collection may top them all.