I have previously seen and heard Sarah Vowell before, so the video clip did not really add to or change my perception of her work. I had not actually seen David Sedaris before, though I have heard him read some of his essays on tape or on NPR's
"This American Life", seeing him was really interesting. Seeing his well-timed or placed facial expressions bring laughs to moments you might not laugh at if you were just reading his writing. This made me wonder what he would do reading "Chipped Beef", "You Can't Kill the Rooster", or (one of my personal favorites,) "Twelve Moments in the Life of the Artist".
The most interesting impression I got was of Chuck Palahniuk.
Admittedly, unlike many people I had never read any of his writing
before the selections from Stranger Than Fiction. I have heard his novels (Fight
Club, Choke, Survivor) tend to be dark,brutal,nihilistic,and disturbing. He is noted for reading stories at his readings that are so vivid and disgusting that they have led audience members to faint.
Considering these facts (even though the selections we read were not the most disturbing) the video we watched was surprising. WatchingPalahniuk tell the sweet and tender (and funny) story about the death of his Grandmother. I would not have
thought that the author of Fight Club would also write (or perhaps moreaccurately tell) a story about stealing the Elves that his Grandparents put up in their house during Christmastime. I was quite surprised and it changed my opinion/idea ofPalahniuk.
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2 comments:
Studenting. Gerunds are a way of life, apparently.
I had a similar reaction to Palahniuk. I've not read anything other than what we got in class, but I had the same impression of him for some of the other pieces I've heard about. He seems to be a really complex person, and hey, anyone who dresses up as a bear/dog in Seattle just for kicks is pretty okay with me.
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