"If animals were more like us, if mice kept pets and toads could cuss, if dogs had wives and chipmunks dated, sheep sat still and meditated, then in the forest, field, and dairy, you might find this bestiary, read by storks, by rats and kitties, skimmed by cows with milk-stained titties. 'I found this book to be most droll,' might quip the bear, the owl, the mole. Others, though, would be more coarse. 'Bull,' could say the pig and horse. As to the scribe, they'd quote the hen: 'Trust me, he's no La Fontaine.'"
This sarcastic poem welcomes all readers to David Sedaris's latest collection of essays Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. It's no secret that David Sedaris is one of my all-time favorite authors. Despite hundreds of re-readings, I still laugh until I cry whenever I read When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Every holiday season I find myself recounting the tale of "Six to Eight Black Men" or that career-making essay about Sedaris's time working as a Santaland elf. As someone who's literary voice tends to verge on snarky, I am forever indebted to Sedaris. He is my hero.
That said, I was not particularly astounded by Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. The stories were chuckle-worthy, sure, but not what I was used to from Sedaris. The idea of personifying animals was funny but grew tired as the book went on. Sometimes it felt like Sedaris was unsure of which human characteristics and how many to assign to each animal. I had a lot of questions, which detracted from my reading experience.
If one has the time, I would instead recommend reading a short essay from Sedaris's collection Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim about how Sedaris and his longtime boyfriend Hugh, amid an intense apartment search, visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. This daring essay finds humor in a dark situation that most writers are too afraid to touch.
I like that you're analyzing poems! I've only been writing about and reading different books. You have that informal feel that Mr. Hill was talking about and do a great job making it personal.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Creative Pursuits. I love the poetry and the informality of your writing about the poetry. I like the choice and that you are honest about not necessarily loving all of Sedaris's work. It's not about loving all of it, it's about loving some of it. I personally think the poem was funny, but crude and strange. I can't say it wasn't interesting, though.
ReplyDelete