When You are Engulfed in Flames

David Sedaris's remarkable ability to uncover the hilarious absurdity teeming just below the surface of everyday life is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this new book of stories. Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life ? the etiquette of having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger or how to soundproof your windows with LP covers against neurotic songbirds ? to the most deeply resonant human truths. Taking in the parasitic worm that once lived in his mother-in-law's leg, an encounter with a dingo and the purchase of a human skeleton, and culminating in a brilliant account of his attempt to quit smoking ? in Tokyo ? David Sedaris's sixth story collection is a fresh masterpiece of comic writing.

About the Author

David Sedaris lives in Paris. Raised in North Carolina, he has worked as a housecleaner and most famously, as a part-time elf for Macy's. Several of his plays have been produced, and he is a regular contributor to ESQUIRE and Public Radio International's 'This American Life'.

Reviews

Praise for DRESS YOUR FAMILY IN CORDUROY AND DENIM: ** 'This is a man who could capture your heart and lift your spirits while reading out the ingredients of a rice cake' OBSERVER ** 'His best, funniest, most satisfying book' TIME OUT ** 'Sedaris writes with a gentle but unfailing acuity and a keen eye for the ridiculous ... extremely funny' SUNDAY TIMES