 First edition | |
| Author | David Sedaris |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jacket design by Chip Kidd |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Essay collection |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
Publication date | May 2, 2000 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 288 pp (first edition, hardcover) |
| ISBN | 0-316-77772-2 (first edition, hardcover) |
| OCLC | 43562054 |
| 814/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3569.E314 M4 2000 |
| Preceded by | Holidays on Ice |
| Followed by | Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim |
Me Talk Pretty One Day, published in 2000, is a collection of essays by American humorist David Sedaris. The book is separated into two parts. The first part consists of essays about Sedaris’s life before his move to Normandy, France, including his upbringing in suburban Raleigh, North Carolina, his time working odd jobs in New York City, and a visit to New York from a childhood friend and her bumpkinish girlfriend. The second section, "Deux", tells of Sedaris’s move to Normandy with his partner Hugh, often drawing humor from his efforts to live in France without speaking French and his frustrated attempts to learn it. Prior to publication, several of the essays were read by the author on the Public Radio International program, This American Life.
In April 2001, Variety reported that Sedaris had sold the Me Talk Pretty One Day film rights to director Wayne Wang, who was adapting four stories from the book for Columbia Pictures with hopes of beginning shooting in late 2001.[1][2] At the time, Sedaris commented, "It's just one of those things I had never considered. Like, 'What if I de-clawed a kitten?' But I like Wayne Wang a lot."[2] He recommended Jack Lemmon to play his father and Elaine Stritch for his mother.[2] Wang had completed the script and begun casting when Sedaris asked to "get out of it," after a conversation with his sister aroused concerns as to how his family might be portrayed on screen. He wrote about the conversation and its aftermath in the essay "Repeat After Me", published in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Sedaris recounted that Wang was "a real prince. I didn't want him to be mad at me, but he was so grown up about it. I never saw how it could be turned into a movie anyway."[3]
- ^ Fleming, Michael (2001-04-05). "'Wave' duo pilot cable; Wang's 'Pretty' deal". Variety. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^ a b c Lafreniere, Steve (2001). "Amy and David Sedaris". Index Magazine. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
- ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (2004-06-21). "10 Questions for David Sedaris". Time. Archived from the original on 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2007-10-07.