Happy-Go-Lucky

In a world where restaurant menus are still printed on paper and masks are worn primarily on Halloween, David Sedaris engages in everyday activities. As he learns to shoot guns with his sister, explores muddy flea markets in Serbia, and shares wheelchair jokes with his elderly father, the pandemic abruptly alters his routine. Like many, he finds himself in lockdown, unable to tour and connect with audiences, which he cherishes most. To cope, he walks for miles through a nearly empty city, vacuums his apartment twice daily, and ponders the survival of sex workers and acupuncturists during quarantine. As life adapts to a new reality, Sedaris undergoes personal changes, including a newfound confidence after straightening his teeth. Newly orphaned, he reflects on what it means to no longer be someone's son. Once back on the road, he encounters a weary America, with empty storefronts and graffiti that captures the conflicting sentiments of the times. In this work, Sedaris masterfully blends humor and poignancy, exploring the personal and public upheavals of recent years, while articulating the misanthropy and yearning for connection that define the human experience. If we must navigate these interesting times, there is no one better to document them than Sedaris.