Me Talk Pretty One Day

The non-fiction book I chose to read was Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, which consisted of 28 short essays on different parts of his life. It was one of the most enjoyable non-fiction books I have ever read. Sedaris has always been known for his wit. He writes in and uncomplicated style and explores seemingly simple ideas, but his stories have a lot of meaning. The book as a whole flowed very well; the separate essays held together and painted a full picture of his life. Because the stories were in a chronological order, I was never really confused as to what part of his life I was currently immersed in. Yes, I said immersed. Sedaris really knows how to put you in his shoes, whether they are those of a fifth-grader with a lisp and a penchant for mischief or those of a speed-head looking for his next fix. Throughout the book I felt connected to Sedaris and was, despite it sounding cheesy, scared when he was scared and happy when he was happy.

My favorite essay in the book was called “12 Moments in the Life of the Artist”, which oddly enough chronicles twelve events in Sedaris’s life as a mediocre artist before he became a writer. The essay begins with Sedaris taking up painting because he was jealous of the attention his sister was getting as an aspiring painter. However, as he started in on the profession, many of the tasks proved to be much more difficult than he had imagined them to be. He continues to pursue art in college and finds himself still lacking in the talent department, so he transfers colleges and tries to start over, but soon finds himself skipping class to get high with his roommate. Eventually he drops out. Moving back home to Raleigh he discovers Crystal Meth and conceptual art. My favorite line in the book comes from this section when he writes, “Either one of these things is dangerous, but in combination they have the potential to destroy entire civilizations.” Sedaris goes on to explain how his new friends, who also shared a love of conceptual art, and slightly more than habitual drug use, shun him for selling out to a museum reception, the collapse of their collaborative performance art piece, and his dealer’s admission to a treatment center in Georgia. What is wonderful about Sedaris’s writing is that throughout these descriptions of tragedy and heartbreak he is able to keep the reader laughing.  Sedaris’s story continues with his explanation of the horrible depression that follows a speed user’s continual highs. The last moment of the twelve captures the newly sober Sedaris attending a piece of performance art. As things usually are in situations such as this, the art is not nearly as interesting or profound as it would have been if he were high. Instead of going right back to find a new dealer he uses this as a chance to change his life and walks away from drugs and art altogether. This was my favorite essay because I loved the way Sedaris described the effects of such drugs on one’s life: they always seems like a wonderful and beautiful idea before and while high, but as soon as you’re sober you realize what a mess of your life they have made.

Reading a five page essay by Sedaris is a great lesson on how to tell a story, build a character, mix tragedy and comedy, and inspire a reader’s response. 

Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman was a tough read. Mainly in that it contained vocabulary that, to a child of the new millennium, are foreign despite being part of his spoken language. No doubt, the language is antiquated, but one still has to understand the vocabulary in order to read the piece. So I set off on the arduous journey through the eighteenth century upper class, highly educated, vernacular. Once I managed the vocabulary as best I could, her points became quite clear. In essence, she blames the condition of eighteenth century women on men and their actions throughout the past.

According to Wollstonecraft the main culprit in women’s less than desirable condition is an inadequate education system. Lack of education, unlike with men, leaves most women, except for the very fortunate or self taught, in the dark, especially on the principles of reason. Wollstonecraft’s makes the argument that reason should be the primary goal of all humans. Women are not taught to reason. Girls are taught not to think, but to act in such a way that they need never think. Women are taught to look beautiful and act beautiful so that men will marry them and take care of them for the rest of their lives.  I really found this interesting considering I live in a time where some women are choosing to forgo marriage in favor of leading the rest of their life as a single, independent women. Also, as a man in this generation, I don’t see why one would deny women the chance to be educated. Women should receive the same schooling as men. Given that men and women are different in many ways, equal education will promote broader ideas to improve society.

One of my favorite parts of this essay was her comparison of uneducated women to soldiers. Wollstonecraft makes the point that women and soldiers share some of the same characteristics. Both are taught to follow orders, so to speak. Both are expected to be subservient. An army is only as strong as its soldiers are blindly obedient. Wollstonecraft also points out that women are bound by their appearance. Women are taught to be pretty and coy. Soldiers are taught to stand up straight and push out their chests. They are told to parade around full of pomp and vigor. They are not, however, allowed to think.

I also find it interesting that Wollstonecraft makes the point that, if we leave women uneducated, marriages will fail. Put simply, since the woman has been taught only to please she will do such. The husband will be happy at first but then become accustomed to her and become bored, thus leaving the woman bitter and the man searching for another. In essence Wollstonecraft is saying that a thinking woman makes a better wife. I had a harder time with this part of the argument. Many families seem to get along fairly well with an uneducated mother and a full-time working father. I don’t know that similar educational backgrounds are the key to marital bliss. 

Wollstonecraft was clearly writing her essay for learned men of her generation. I found the reading difficult and boring at times. I know that it’s an essay of argument with points and counter points, but it was hard to identify them because the language was so challenging and drawn out.