"Day In, Day Out," David Sedaris

I want these days is to read interesting stuff written by smart people, then write my own. I'm on vacation, so it's easy to lose myself for an hour in Damon Krukowski's The New Analog or Tom Hanks's Uncommon Type. On Austin Kleon's recommendation, I re-read David Sedaris's "Day In, Day Out" from Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls. I live a good life.

Kleon wrote recently (and I wish I could find the damn post) how in the past he thought people asking writers what they wrote with or on or how they positioned their desk were being annoying or stupid. But now he's interested in all that. Listening to a master speak well of their craft is riveting no matter the craft. I once listened for an hour to a guy talk about digging graves by hand. He asked what to do with a rock two feet in diameter three feet down. I had no idea. He said, you dig into the side of the grave and lever the son of a bitch out of the way.

Sedaris's "Day In, Day Out" describes diary keeping, which ought to be boring, but he starts with a seven-year-old who imitates him keeping notebook and pen in a pocket to record things of interest. I laughed out loud four different times because Sedaris is a master not just of writing but of humor and comedy. He had me glued. I'll read it again before turning it back into the library. Probably twice.

I want to write about Writer, the app I'm using to draft this, but I don't know a good way in yet. I'll read more Sedaris and Kleon. Something will give me the spark. Even if it doesn't, it will have me wanting to write more and that's always reason enough to keep going.