Author and comedian David Sedaris coming to Springfield for free show
Jackie Rehwald
Best-selling author and comedian David Sedaris is coming to Springfield next year, and tickets are free thanks to the Springfield-Greene County Library District and Friends of the Library.
Sedaris will bring his brand of adult humor to the Gillioz Theatre at 7 p.m. May 1.
During the one-hour event, Sedaris will read from new and unpublished material and entertain 20-30 minutes of questions from the audience, a news release said.
His books will be available for sale, and he will sign books before and after the event.
Tickets will be available at 10 a.m. March 4.
Sedaris' visit is part of the library district's annual community celebration of reading for pleasure, The One Read.
No stranger to Springfield
This is not the first time Sedaris has visited the Queen City.
In his book "Theft by Finding," Sedaris described his trip from the Springfield airport to a hotel during a tour in the year 2000 as "hideous."
"Springfield has got to be the most depressing city in the United States," Sedaris began the entry.
Though he didn't explicitly say where he stayed in Springfield, Sedaris mentioned a Big Kmart, Western Sizzlin', Walmart, ALDI and AutoZone — businesses that exist or existed at one point near a cluster of hotels on the corner of Kearney and Glenstone.
Sedaris had some positive things to say about Springfield in his book.
He described his interaction with "incredibly friendly" Walmart employees.
"It's a hideous place, but the people are really nice, even the customers," he wrote.
About Sedaris
According to the release, Sedaris was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries," which it replays during the holidays.
His nationally best-selling essay collection "Calypso" was published in June 2018, and the second volume of his diaries is expected for summer 2021.
His other books include "Theft by Finding," "Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls," "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk," and "When You Are Engulfed in Flames," to name a few.
He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and BBC Radio 4, the release said.
Visit gillioztheatre.com.
— Some information was taken from a 2017 News-Leader story.