Humorist and best-selling author Sedaris appears at Van Wezel

The world first took note of David Sedaris in 1992, when he read “Santaland Diaries,” his depressing but hilarious memoir of his days as an elf at a Macy’s department store in New York, on NPR.

Since then, Sedaris has become one of America’s foremost humorists, a best-selling author, a Grammy nominee and a major concert draw.

Sedaris’ reading of “Santaland Diaries” has become a holiday tradition on NPR, and it has been turned into a one-person stage play that’s performed all around the country at Christmastime. Sedaris is a frequent contributor to “The New Yorker,” NPR’s “This American Life” and to the BBC in Great Britain.

He will be in Sarasota on April 19 for an appearance at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

His stage appearances are free-form but they typically combine readings from his books (his most recent are “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” and “When You Are Engulfed in Flames and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary”), personal reminiscences and stories about his current life (he lives in London and is known for picking up litter on the streets, and even has a local garbage truck named after him) and a Q and A with the audience.

Whatever the exact form and subject matter his shows take on, they’re always personal, warm, sardonic and very, very, very funny.

Details: 8 p.m. April 19, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $46-$76. 941-953-3368, vanwezel.org.

This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 8:09 AM with the headline "Humorist and best-selling author Sedaris appears at Van Wezel."