I just read When You Are Engulfed In Flames and it really is good. I was off of David Sedaris for awhile, because that squirrel book was so weird. I just re-read the good ones, like Naked, and I have Me Talk Pretty One Day (the audiobook) on iTunes for the car.
The title refers to DS's time in Japan, quitting smoking. It's taken from the booklet in his Japanese hotel room. This section--the last, called "The Smoking Section"--is so great. Lots of Engrish, tales of him trying to learn Japanese (impressive, I think, considering he learned French as an adult not that long ago)--it's awesome. Made me remember all the strange things in Japan (to us, Americans) that are totally "normal." I just watched the movie version of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery), entitled just "Hedgehog," and it also had lots of cool Japanese things--like the toilet seat that automatically blasts Mozart Requiem as soon as you sit down. I want one of those. When I was in Japan, I only saw the buttons in the public toilet stalls that just made a WHOOSHH fake toilet flush sound--they are so creatively discreet, the Japanese, aren't they? I don't think I've ever seen a button like that, not even nearby--like in Korea or Hong Kong.
Anyway (if you haven't already, of course), you should read "...Engulfed In Flames." It'll take you like an hour cuz it's so funny; it's guaranteed to will fill you life with "fun and joyful mind."
Now that he's quit smoking, I wonder: how is he going to stop himself from compulsively touching people's heads in airports and kissing light switches...?
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