74 pages 2 hours read

David Sedaris

Me Talk Pretty One Day

Nonfiction | Essay Collection | Adult | Published in 2000

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

After Reading

Discussion/Analysis Prompt

In Me Talk Pretty One Day, Sedaris often uses humor and creative thinking to cope with life’s challenges. Is this an effective method for dealing with reality, or does it trivialize serious issues? What are your thoughts on Sedaris’s approach to adversity?

Teaching Suggestion: Some students may say that Sedaris’s ability to make public and laugh at his adversities frees him from the shame and stigma that we all feel about our eccentricities. Others may disagree, saying that Sedaris makes light of life’s most significant moments, such as his failures as an artist, his interactions with his boyfriend, and his disapproval from authority figures. To encourage deeper discussion, you might add the following questions to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt: “What alternative methods could Sedaris have used to deal with reality? Does all humor trivialize serious issues, or are there certain types of humor that lean more heavily in this direction?”

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who have difficulty getting started, or for those who are visual learners, this discussion would be a good opportunity to use Truth Hotspots as a scaffolding device. The teacher could create an x-axis on the board, with “False for Sure” on one end and “True for Sure” on the other.

Related Titles

By David Sedaris

SuperSummary Logo
Plot Summary
David Sedaris
Guide cover placeholder
SuperSummary Logo
Study Guide
David Sedaris
Guide cover image
SuperSummary Logo
Plot Summary
David Sedaris
Guide cover placeholder
SuperSummary Logo
Study Guide
David Sedaris
Guide cover image
SuperSummary Logo
Plot Summary
David Sedaris
Guide cover placeholder
SuperSummary Logo
Plot Summary
David Sedaris
Guide cover placeholder