Humorist And Bestselling Author David Sedaris Returns To The Soraya For AN AFTERNOON WITH DAVID SEDARIS

Humorist and best-selling author David Sedaris returns to The Soraya on Sun, Nov 19 at 3pm for his sixth visit, this time with a collection of new revelations — tackling subjects ranging from adult braces to America's post-pandemic attempt at normalcy.  

Whether it is his sardonic wit, incisive social critiques or famously reedy voice, Sedaris is one of the most observant writers of the human condition. With essays in The New Yorker, bestselling books such as Calypso and Holidays on Ice, tours and readings on NPR, Sedaris is one of the most recognizable humorists in America today. 

Sedaris will read from previous books, his diaries, and his most recent #1 National Bestseller Happy-Go-Lucky, featuring short chapters titled “Father Time,” “A Speech to the Graduates,” and “The Vacuum” — an aptly titled chapter based on experiences from February 2020.

The afternoon will also include a book-signing before (1:45pm) and after the show.

Tickets for An Afternoon with David Sedaris on Sunday, Nov 19 at 3pm start at $41 and are available at TheSoraya.org and by calling 818-677-3000. 

“Sedaris touches on some of the more tumultuous moments of our past two years, sometimes pretty irreverently,” writes The Atlantic's Gal Beckerman in a review. “Reading Sedaris on, say, his pathetic efforts to stockpile food in the early days of the pandemic is sublimely funny...He is unflinching in as he tried to understand who his enigmatic father was and how living with him altered the shape of his own existence.”

Happy-Go-Lucky covers the pandemic, his father's death, and a battle-scarred America. It is Sedaris' first new collection of essays since Calypso in 2018. The book, and Sedaris' Nov. 19 event at The Soraya precede his very first children's book Pretty Ugly which will be published this coming February. The idea behind the book was conceived decades ago with renowned children's book author Ian Falconer and was finished shortly before his death in March 2023.

For questions or ticket information, visit www.TheSoraya.org or call the Ticket Office at (818) 677-3000. Office hours are 11a-4p, Tuesday through Saturday.

  

David Sedaris is one of America's pre-eminent humor writers. He is a master of satire and one of today's most observant writers.

Beloved for his personal essays and short stories, David Sedaris is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, and Calypso. His book The Best of Me, collects 42 previously published stories and essays. Sedaris also wrote Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, a collection of fables with illustrations by Ian Falconer. He is the editor of Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. His pieces regularly appear in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” The two volumes of his diaries, Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002) and A Carnival of Snackery, Diaries (2003-2020) were New York Times bestsellers. An art book of Sedaris's diary covers, David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium, was edited by Jeffrey Jenkins. His most recent book, Happy-Go-Lucky, debuted at number one on the New York Times best-seller list. The audio version of Happy-Go-Lucky, written and narrated by Sedaris, won the 2023 Audie Award. His next book will be a short graphic novel for children with illustrations by Ian Falconer titled Pretty Ugly (TOON Books, February 27, 2024).

Sedaris and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have collaborated under the name “The Talent Family” and have written half-a-dozen plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City. These plays include Stump the Host, Stitches, One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award, Incident at Cobbler's Knob, and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatists Play Service. 

Sedaris has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. His audio recordings include “David Sedaris: Live for Your Listening Pleasure” and “David Sedaris Live at Carnegie Hall.” A feature film adaptation of his story C.O.G. was released after a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (2013). Since 2011, he can be heard annually on a series of live recordings on BBC Radio 4 entitled “Meet David Sedaris.”  In 2019 David Sedaris became a regular contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, and his Masterclass, David Sedaris Teaches Storytelling and Humor, was released.

There are over 16 million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 32 languages. He has been awarded the Terry Southern Prize for Humor, Thurber Prize for American Humor, Jonathan Swift International Literature Prize for Satire and Humor, Time 2001 Humorist of the Year Award, as well as the Medal for Spoken Language from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In March 2019 he was elected as a member into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2020 the New York Public Library voted Me Talk Pretty One Day one of the 125 most important books of the last 125 years.

The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for The Performing Arts (The Soraya) is an award-winning, state-of-the art 1,700-seat theatre designed and built by HGA Architects and Engineers and opened in January 2011 as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC). Through a transformative gift by Younes and Soraya Nazarian the venue was renamed as The Soraya in 2017. Vibrant programming has served to establish The Soraya as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley and its 1.8 million residents, and as one of the top arts and culture venues in Southern California. Since its inaugural season, The Soraya has presented over 500 artists and companies across the genres of music, dance, theater and film and is a highly in demand location for filming and rental events.

The Soraya's 2023/2024 Season boldly advances the expansive sound of orchestras both traditional and contemporary; the freestyle vibe of jazz; an array of dance luminaries, and a cultural bounty drawn from the musical well of global voices. The Soraya continues its vigorous commitment to innovating, excelling, and amplifying access by offering a wide variety of performances that reflect Los Angeles' many distinctive communities and featuring new and original work and artists from the local region as well as nationally and around the world.

Located on the vibrant campus of California State University Northridge (CSUN), The Soraya and the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication share an integral link that enhances student access and opportunities in the arts and performing arts. A $5 million contribution from record producer and former California Lieutenant Governor Mike Curb was pivotal in ensuring the completion and opening of The Soraya in 2011. For his founding support and in acknowledgment of the integral relationship between the Mike Curb College and The Soraya, Mike Curb is recognized as one of The Soraya's Cornerstone Benefactors. This partnership fosters academic and artistic excellence, elevating the talents and the future growth of CSUN's students through master classes, student tickets, concerts of student ensembles, and students appearing alongside renowned artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Aida Cuevas, and Martha Graham Dance Company.

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