David Sedaris

Born in Johnson City, New York, in 1956, David Sedaris dropped out of Kent State University in 1977 and hitchhiked around the U.S., later drawing upon the experience for the first short story he wrote. In an interview, he recalled that his writing teacher said years later, “I remember that piece! That was such a great parody of Raymond Carver!” Sedaris clarified, “You know, it wasn’t meant as a parody.” He published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994, and his most recent collection, Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls, in 2013.