David Sedaris: Live For Your Listening Pleasure

by David Sedaris (Author and Narrator)

If you were lucky enough to have caught a performance on David Sedaris's most recent sold-out, 34-city tour, you already know that David Sedaris Live For Your Listening Pleasure is a must-have album! If you didn't hear it live and in person, then you're in for a treat-hilarious brand-new recordings from performances in Denver, New York, Durham, LA, and Atlanta, in one convenient audiobook collection, on sale November 24 for only $17.98.

From the bold feral rabbits of his French backyard to the eating habits of a carnivorous bird Down Under, Live For Your Listening Pleasure takes listeners on a veritable tour of natural wonders, beginning with a fable, Cat and Baboon and moving on to the peculiarly American habitat of the "big-box" store.

Track Listing:

1: Cat and Baboon (Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado)

2-5: Author, Author (Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City)

6-8: Innocence Abroad (Durham Performing Arts Center, in Durham, North Carolina)

9-13 Laugh, Kookaburra (Royce Hall, UCLA in Los Angeles, California)

14-16: Diary Entries (Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia)

Genres: Humor, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Essays, Memoir, Comedy, Short Stories

2 pages, Audio CD

First published November 24, 2009

About the author

David Raymond Sedaris is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries". He published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994. His next book, Naked (1997), became his first of a series of New York Times Bestsellers, and his 2000 collection Me Talk Pretty One Day won the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Much of Sedaris's humor is autobiographical and self-deprecating and often concerns his family life, his middle-class upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, his Greek heritage, homosexuality, jobs, education, drug use, and obsessive behaviors, as well as his life in France, London, New York, and the South Downs in England. He is the brother and writing collaborator of actress Amy Sedaris.
In 2019, Sedaris was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Reviews

[cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fabulous reminder NOT to listen to David Sedaris while on public transit, lest all of the other riders begin to slowly creep away from you as you chortle, snort, and then eventually laugh loudly and for a good length of time as David describes a well-intentioned trip to Costco with his brother in law that ends with a cart full of condoms (in the hundreds) and strawberries. Seriously. Don't listen to this in public.

[Heather Alderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been curious about david Sedaris's writings for a while, but never picked one up. Then I was at the library needing a very quick audiobook as I waited for another one to come in. This was hilarious, I was laughing so hard I was crying. I will definitely be picking up more from him.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy David Sedaris and this is him doing not a reading but a live performance. If you like him you will enjoy - if you don't you won't. I did use it to introduce my mom to him, and I'm not sure if she enjoyed.

How did this book find me? I'm a Sedaris fan.

[Rachel England-Brassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ooo lordy!
I've never listened to Mr. Sedaris before and what a treat it is - highly recommend for your listening pleasure, coming in your ears sometime soon I hope. :P

[Jason X · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first exposure to Sedaris' work though I had heard of him. I will definitely read more.

This is not really a book per se, though it is mostly the author reading his stories to a live audience. If you like podcasts that are humorous, thoughtful, irreverent and personally human you will enjoy. I think it's only about 3 hours.

My favorite stories were '6 to 8 Black Guys', which made me laugh so hard my side hurt and 'Kookaburra', which is sublime.

Audiobook quality is A.

[Perri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only available in audio , of course, but it's a good reminder why I love to hear Sedaris read his own material. His dry delivery, just makes his material all the more funny. I had to shut it off a few times because I was laughing so hard. I can see why it would offend some listeners, but I loved his irreverence and self deprecating humor!

[Geetha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this paired with "Live at Carnegie Hall," so I'm reviewing them together. Classic laugh-out-loud Sedaris. And, of course, hearing Sedaris himself read these essays is always a treat because of his impeccable comedic timing. "Innocence Abroad" was probably my favorite on this one, especially because Sedaris says this is a never-aired This American Life story, and I swear I remember Ira Glass talking one one episode about pretentious ways to say the word "Nicaragua." Did he steal that bit from Sedaris?

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!!

[Valerie Medlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Sedaris is one of my favorites to listen to ever. He spurs my creativity. I dreamt I met him last night on an Austrian Airline flight to Vienna. 🤪

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope I get a chance to listen to this author live sometime. He's absolutely freaking awesome. I was laughing so hard in the car and probably scaring fellow drivers on the interstate. I have two more of his audiobooks in my car, so I'll be bragging on him again!

[sani · Rating 4 out of 5]

hilarious !

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had me embarrassingly laughing in the tram, walking down the street and into my living room.

[Bob Schmitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sedaris is just hilarious. In this book Sedaris talks about doing book readings. He buys little gifts for people like individually packaged ibuprofen or condoms. He says ridiculous things to people like he finds one lady who is a special ed teacher and he asked her her kids mostly just assholes. And she says well I did have one kid on the last day of school, write on the blackboard, Mrs. Jones is a cock master. She said what really surprised her is that he spelled it correctly. He asked another lady when was the last time you touched A monkey and she replies can you smell it on me? It’s just hilarious what he’s willing to ask and do. And the responses that he gets.

And Australia, they use the word shout as in. I’m gonna shout you a beer meeting. I’m gonna buy you a beer.

Talks to a stewardess who says that when you go up in an airplane in compresses your intestines and it makes you fart and the stewardess walk up and down the aisle and fart because of the engine noise and they call it cropdusting.

[Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book that managed to fill me with laughter. While it was somewhat disjointed in terms of a theme, and even location in where it was recorded. it was still fun to hear all of these stories. This is definitely not the last time I will listen to David Sedaris, which by the way, is the only way to experience his books. These simply have to be listened too. I give it a four out of five.

[Dee-Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

listened to this and live at carnegie hall but felt like a cheat to put both down as two separate books so i chose the half i enjoyed slightly more to be the trophy in the hallowed virtual shelves of my goodreads account...

dipping my toe into audiobooks and had a delightful listen, grinned through most of it and laughed out loud a lot. he has a knack for details!! especially enjoyed the kookaburras story, the cat and baboon fable, the innocents abroad story and the costco one.

[Finnoula · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing is if it’s a David Sedaris book I’m gonna like it!!! Haha I’ve heard a lot of these stories, the kookaburra song story is my favorite, but the other one I like is the Costco book tour! I swear his writing is so fun and I find it amazing!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I can only take so much Sedaris, but this compilation of live reading of his work was a great sampling (if you don’t know his work) and definitely made me chuckle out loud a few times. Was short enough to not make me lose interest.

[Michele Smits · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Sedaris can get me laughing and feeling alright with the world, even on my most stressful or depressing days. Those endorphins released are better than any pharmaceutical medicine I take!! Thank you for letting me inside your life, described with such creative words of hilarity!! 😂

[Trish Bahrenfuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook. It was very entertaining. A friend recommended it to me. He has a very dry sense of humor about very common topics. I found myself laughing out loud. It took one to two hours.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun! Laughed out loud a few times, which says a lot if you are of German descent.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this in the car. Kept our attention and made us laugh a lot!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know he’s funny, you know he’s funny but this is hilarious, laugh out loud selections of his work.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny. Makes lawn chores almost bearable.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed and laughed and laughed. Smart and witty. Loved it.

[Marie B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything that makes me laugh until I cry deserves five stars.

[Rebecca L. Constantino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty as always and brings humor the most basic and simple actions and interactions in his daily life.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too funny....Love his work.

[Alicia L. Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and a few laugh out loud moments.

[Kelly Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good mix of things I’d heard before and things that were new to me. He’s always enjoyable.

[Happy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooooh I laughed our loud so many times!!!! *Still smiling.*