CALYPSO by David Sedaris

The odd cover design of this book is derived from one of the wildly amusing new stories.

Janet is an old friend of David’s who finds “art” in the grain of sheets of plywood. She gifts him a work which is, purportedly, a one-eyed racoon looking in a mirror. But the real thrust of the story is David’s desire to take possession of a harmless fatty tumour once he has it surgically removed so he can feed it to a turtle he has developed a fascination for.

However, it is against federal law for the surgeon to give Sedaris anything that has been removed from his body and this is where the story becomes more outlandish. This is undoubtedly one of Sedaris’ best and most intimate books. Nothing, it seems, is off limits.

He writes about his mother’s alcoholism and his sister Tiffany’s suicide. Among the darkness he still finds humour. He points out that in Japan if you commit suicide by throwing yourself in front of a train your family is fined $80,000 for the inconvenience caused. “Of course,” he writes, “if your family was the whole reason you were killing yourself, I suppose it would just be an added incentive.”

Nor does he shy away from presenting himself in a poor light, revealing that the last time he saw Tiffany was after one of his shows, where he closed the door in her face.

Shopping provides endless fascination and Sedaris knows no buyer’s remorse as he snaps up questionable garments like dress culottes by Commes des Garcons. A Fitbit and an Apple Watch provides great fodder as David struggles to meet its never-ending demands, even while suffering gastroenteritis!

Among the amusing observations on life’s absurdities there are deeper reflections on growing older, failing health and, ultimately, death and its aftermath.