When You Are Engulfed in Flames (edit title)

Shelfari edited the description of When You Are Engulfed in Flames 3 weeks ago.

• "David Sedaris's ability to transform the mortification of everyday life into wildly entertaining art," ( The Christian Science Monitor ) is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this remarkable new book. Trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of buying drugs in a mobile home in rural North Carolina . In essay after essay, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life-having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane or armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds-to the most deeply resonant human truths. Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing from "a writer worth treasuring" ( Seattle Times ). Praise for When You Are Engulfed in Flames : "Older, wiser, smarter and meaner, Sedaris...defies the odds once again by delivering an intelligent take on the banalities of an absurd life." -- Kirkus Reviews This latest collection proves that not only does Sedaris still have it, but he's also getting better....Sedaris's best stuff will still--after all this time--move, surprise, and entertain." -- Booklist Table of Contents: It's Catching Keeping Up The Understudy This Old House Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie? Road Trips What I Learned That's Amore The Monster Mash In the Waiting Room Solutions to Saturday's Puzzle Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool Memento Mori All the Beauty You Will Ever Need Town and Country Aerial The Man in the Hut Of Mice and Men April in Paris Crybaby Old Faithful The Smoking Section

Timothy Gray approved Ulrich’s request to change the contributors of When You Are Engulfed in Flames Monday, November 9 2009.

• Added a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary Author)

Timothy Gray approved Ulrich’s request to change the contributors of When You Are Engulfed in Flames Monday, November 9 2009.

• Removed a contributor: David(Author) Sedaris: (Primary None)
• Removed a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary None)
• Removed a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary None)
• Removed a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary Author)

Ulrich edited the contributors of When You Are Engulfed in Flames Saturday, November 7 2009.

• Added a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary Author)

Ulrich edited the contributors of When You Are Engulfed in Flames Saturday, November 7 2009.

• Removed a contributor: David(Author) Sedaris: (Primary None)
• Removed a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary None)
• Removed a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary None)
• Removed a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary Author)

eissme edited the table of contents of When You Are Engulfed in Flames Thursday, October 29 2009.

• 1. It's Catching
  2. Keeping Up
  3. The Understudy
  4. This Old House
  5. Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie?
  6. Road Trips
  7. What I Learned
  8. That's Amore
  9. The Monster Mash
  10. In the Waiting Room
  11. Solution to Saturday's Puzzle
  12. Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool
  13. Memento Mori
  14. All the Beauty You Will Ever Need
  15. Town and Country
  16. Aerial
  17. The Man in the Hut
  18. Of Mice and Men
  19. April in Paris
  20. Crybaby
  21. Old Faithful
  22. The Smoking Section

Shelfari edited the contributors of When You Are Engulfed in Flames Thursday, October 1 2009.

• Added a contributor: David(Author) Sedaris: (Primary None)
• Added a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary None)
• Added a contributor: David Sedaris: (Primary None)

Martha P edited the ridiculously simplified synopsis of When You Are Engulfed in Flames Wednesday, September 9 2009.

• Added: David Sedaris successfully quits smoking after many years by going to Japan, where everyone smokes.

something witty approved Timothy Gray’s request to combine 12 books, including When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Wednesday, September 9 2009.

Timothy Gray submitted a request to combine 12 books, including When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Sunday, September 6 2009.