For your listening pleasure...

[Lord Manhammer]

Every holiday, I listen to two stories from NPR, both of which are written by essayist David Sedaris. The first one is "The SantaLand Diaries" in which David recounts working at Macy's SantaLand in NYC. The second story is "Six to Eight Black Men" and David discusses a rather peculiar Dutch Christmas Tradition. I present them both for all of you to enjoy if you haven't heard them. Maybe they'll become a tradition for you, too.

SantaLand Diaries: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/47/christmas-and-commerce/act-two-21
Six to Eight Black Men:

 

[NYCgrrl]

Much much funnier than Clemont’s St Nicholas and younger son doesn’t have to recite it either. Sending the vid onward along with the other one:

 

[LuvOrlando]

Before I click, please share the vibe, maybe 3 adjectives if you would be so kind?

 

[dvcgirl67]

I love David Sedaris....I've read/listened to every book essay he's ever written....have seen him many times when he does book tours at our local theater. I love reading his books, but really enjoy listening to his audiobooks as he narrates. Me Talk Pretty One Day is one of the funniest collections of essays ever. The story of him learning French in Paris with other non-French speakers and trying to explain the Easter Bunny makes me cry laughing. Also...him singing jingles from local businesses in a Billie Holliday voice....just the funniest.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Before I click, please share the vibe, maybe 3 adjectives if you would be so kind?

He is a modern day humorist in the style of..Mark Twain, E. Bombeck, the Lake Webegon where all the women are tall and the children of above average intelligence author (can’t think of his name). He just makes me laugh a lot

 

[dvcgirl67]

Before I click, please share the vibe, maybe 3 adjectives if you would be so kind?

He is a modern day humorist in the style of..Mark Twain, E. Bombeck, the Lake Webegon where all the women are tall and the children of above average intelligence author (can’t think of his name). He just makes me laugh a lot

And, while I guess we should point out that he's a liberal gay man in a committed relationship with his longtime partner Hugh, the stories he weaves about his immediate family with his quirky siblings (one particularly troubled), alcoholic and complex mother and his Father who was a buttoned up IBM-man...and the polar opposite of his son in that he's a die hard republican are really the heart and soul of his work. And the stories about his travels with Hugh and how odd he and his siblings think Hugh and his family are.....well, they're just hysterical.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Before I click, please share the vibe, maybe 3 adjectives if you would be so kind?

Sarcastic, Funny, Poignant

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Before I click, please share the vibe, maybe 3 adjectives if you would be so kind?

Snarky, smart, and so, so funny.

 

[tvguy]

CNN Reporter Mike Chinoy did an amazing story decades ago on Christmas in Japan. With less than 2% of the Japanese population being Christian, Christmas isn't as much a religious holiday as it is in other parts of the world. But Japanese retailers latched onto the chance to increase sales so started pushing Christmas sales. Unfortunately, not being familiar with Christian Holidays and the characters associated with them, one store had an interesting, but mistaken display in a store front. A Christmas display featuring Santa..........nailed to a cross.

 

[amcnj]

When I was in high school, the boy sitting next to me in physics was reading some odd titled books. I asked him about them, and he told me the author also had a radio program on that he stayed up to listen to.

I never pursued it further, but later after the movie A Christmas Story came out, I put it all together and realized that was Jean Shephard. I enjoyed his narration in the movie and was sorry I missed out on sampling his radio program. Some people just have that gift of being great story tellers.

 

[tony67]

CNN Reporter Mike Chinoy did an amazing story decades ago on Christmas in Japan. With less than 2% of the Japanese population being Christian, Christmas isn't as much a religious holiday as it is in other parts of the world. But Japanese retailers latched onto the chance to increase sales so started pushing Christmas sales. Unfortunately, not being familiar with Christian Holidays and the characters associated with them, one store had an interesting, but mistaken display in a store front. A Christmas display featuring Santa..........nailed to a cross.

Oddly KFC seems to be the traditional meal in Japan:

 

[Owlpost23]

And, while I guess we should point out that he's a liberal gay man in a committed relationship with his longtime partner Hugh, the stories he weaves about his immediate family with his quirky siblings (one particularly troubled), alcoholic and complex mother and his Father who was a buttoned up IBM-man...and the polar opposite of his son in that he's a die hard republican are really the heart and soul of his work. And the stories about his travels with Hugh and how odd he and his siblings think Hugh and his family are.....well, they're just hysterical.

He's the rooster and we're lucky to have him!

 

[dvcgirl67]

He's the rooster and we're lucky to have him!

His brother!

This is why listening to his audiobooks is priceless....the accent is just hysterical.

 

[Owlpost23]

His brother!

This is why listening to his audiobooks is priceless....the accent is just hysterical.

Paul just sounds like an absolute riot!

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I never pursued it further, but later after the movie A Christmas Story came out, I put it all together and realized that was Jean Shephard. I enjoyed his narration in the movie and was sorry I missed out on sampling his radio program. Some people just have that gift of being great story tellers

Jean Shepherd also provided the voice for "Dad" in The Carousel of Progress. That's why he sounds so oddly familiar.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Paul just sounds like an absolute riot!

His whole family sounded very interesting. He had a very poignant piece in The New Yorker when his sister Tiffany committed suicide in Somerville, Mass. While it's very emotional, I'll share it here because, it's David and he's wonderful, whether he makes us laugh or cry: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/10/28/now-we-are-five

 

[dvcgirl67]

His whole family sounded very interesting. He had a very poignant piece in The New Yorker when his sister Tiffany committed suicide in Somerville, Mass. While it's very emotional, I'll share it here because, it's David and he's wonderful, whether he makes us laugh or cry: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/10/28/now-we-are-five

The piece about his sister Tiffany was really beautiful and honest. Many families have a loved one that they simply can't reach. Or that they've tried and tried with and eventually just can't do it any longer. But he still found the beauty in her, while being honest about the state of her life at the end. It was very moving.