Sedaris Barrel Fever
August 22nd, 2008
Barrel Fever and Other Stories is the first of David Sedaris’ collected essays. Published in 1994, it was largely responsible for launching his career as a humorist into the mainstream.
Barrel Fever is particularly notorious in that it contains Sedaris’ SantaLand Diaries, the account of an elf working at a Macy’s department store during the Christmas season (the elf being Sedaris himself). It was this essay that made Sedaris truly popular as a humorist.
Beyond SantaLand Barrel Fever is split into two halves. The firt is composed of a series of short fictional stories and the second is made up of autobiographical sketches on Sedaris’ life, of which SantaLand is a part.
Here’s a complete listing of the tracks found on Barrel Fever:
Stories
1. Parade
2. Music for Lovers
3. The Last You’ll Hear from Me
4. My Manuscript
5. Firestone
6. We Get Along
7. Glen’s Homophobia Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 2
8. Don’s Story
9. Season’s Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!
10. Jamboree
11. After Malison
12. Barrel Fever
Essays
1. Diary of a Smoker
2. Giantess
3. The Curly Kind
4. SantaLand Diaries