New York Times best-selling author and Grammy-nominated humorist David Sedaris will return to Birmingham on Friday, Nov. 8, presented by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
Sedaris is an all-time Alys Stephens Center favorite, and he will be making his fifth appearance at the ASC. Join Sedaris for an entertaining and intellectually provocative evening as he celebrates the release of his ninth book, “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls.” This new collection of essays takes readers on a bizarre and stimulating world tour. From the perils of French dentistry to the eating habits of the Australian kookaburra, the squat-style toilets of Beijing and the wilderness of a North Carolina Costco, Sedaris shares the absurdity and delight of a curious traveler’s experiences. Sedaris’ sidesplitting stories of his adventures are not to be forgotten.
Sedaris is set to take the stage at 8 p.m. in the ASC’s Jemison Concert Hall, 1200 10th Ave. South. Tickets are $61.50, $52.50 and $41.50. A book-signing with Sedaris will follow the performance. For tickets, visit the ASC online at www.alysstephens.org or call 205-975-2787.
Sedaris’ career took off in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay “SantaLand Diaries.” He is the author of personal essay collections, including “Barrel Fever,” “Holidays on Ice,” “Naked,” “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim” and “When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” each of which became an immediate best-seller. He is also the author of the New York Times best-selling collection of fables “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary” (with illustrations by Ian Falconer). Sedaris’ pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” There are more than seven million copies of his books in print; they have been translated into at least 25 languages.
The ASC, inspired by Birmingham’s locally based international artists and touring artists who are based internationally, will also present Global Fest, a free celebration of world cultures happening that week. The hourlong events, all held at noon in the ASC, include “The Jig Is Up! The Masterful Artistry of Irish Dance” on Wednesday, Nov. 6; “The Art of Indian Dances” on Thursday, Nov. 7; and “Un Voyage Aux Frances” on Friday, Nov. 8. Everyone is invited. For more details, visit www.AlysStephens.org.