When You Are Engulfed in Flames

"David Sedaris's ability to transform the mortification of everyday life into wildly entertaining art," (iThe Christian Science Monitor/i) is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this remarkable new book. brTrying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of buying drugs in a mobile home in rural st1:place w:st="on"st1:state w:st="on"North Carolina/st1:state/st1:place. In essay after essay, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life-having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane or armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds-to the most deeply resonant human truths.  Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to st1:place w:st="on"st1:city w:st="on"Tokyo/st1:city/st1:place in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing from "a writer worth treasuring" (iSeattle Times/i). brbrstrongPraise for emWhen You Are Engulfed in Flames/em:/strongbrbr"Older, wiser, smarter and meaner, Sedaris...defies the odds once again by delivering an intelligent take on the banalities of an absurd life." --iKirkus Reviews/ibrbrThis latest collection proves that not only does Sedaris still have it, but he's also getting better....Sedaris's best stuff will still--after all this time--move, surprise, and entertain."  --iBooklist/ibrbrstrongTable of Contents:br/strongbrIt's CatchingbrKeeping UpbrThe UnderstudybrThis Old HousebrBuddy, Can You Spare a Tie?brRoad TripsbrWhat I LearnedbrThat's AmorebrThe Monster MashbrIn the Waiting RoombrSolutions to Saturday's PuzzlebrAdult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete ToadstoolbrMemento MoribrAll the Beauty You Will Ever NeedbrTown and CountrybrAerialbrThe Man in the HutbrOf Mice and MenbrApril in st1:city w:st="on"st1:place w:st="on"Paris/st1:place/st1:citybrCrybabybrst1:place w:st="on"Old Faithful/st1:placebrThe Smoking Sectionbrbrbrbr