Its hard to tell exactly from where the motivation for the shift stems.
And indeed, therein lies Sedaris genius he reflects the culture inwardly.
This time, hes just leaning a smidge more into the tragedy part.
Credit: Frederic SOULOY/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images; Little, Brown and Company
Sedaris encourages specificity by committing himself to it with a matter-of-fact verve.
Theyll best detect when hes getting grim, padding a morose thought around layers of ace one-liners.
WhileCalypsofeatures Sedaris signature wit, its effect has changed.
At its best, his humor buttresses a sadness here, a longing.
His piece on his sister Tiffanys suicide gets right at the heart.
His ruminations on his parents, bathed in distance and regret, convey a painful familiarity.
