. . . at least that's what young David Sedaris's mother told him once when he shoved a coin purse sized piece of meat in his mouth at a family barbeque.

On Friday, Beth and went to see David Sedaris give a reading of new essays at Town Hall in New York. For those you unfamiliar with David (Dave for those of us who are) he is best known as a writer of wry autobiographical essays, a commentator for NPR and former elf. His stories and articles often poke fun of himself and his eccentric family but, beneath the surface he manages examine serious life issues with his unique perspective. Among his body of work, my personal favorite is Me Talk Pretty One Day. If you’re interested in reading any of his work, this collection of stories is a good place to start.