David Sedaris, acclaimed for his sharp wit and storytelling prowess, returns with Happy-Go-Lucky, his first collection of essays since the bestseller Calypso. In a world where restaurant menus were once paper and masks reserved for Halloween, Sedaris navigates the mundane and the extraordinary. As the book opens, he is seen engaging in everyday activities: shooting guns with his sister, exploring flea markets in Serbia, and amusing his elderly father with wheelchair jokes.

The Pandemic Strikes

The narrative takes a turn with the onset of the pandemic. Sedaris, like many, finds himself in lockdown, deprived of the audience interactions he cherishes. His world shrinks to solitary walks through an empty city, the monotonous hum of daily vacuuming, and musings on how others, from sex workers to acupuncturists, adapt to quarantine life.

Emerging into a Changed World

As society adjusts to a new normal, Sedaris emerges transformed. After the rebuff of an offer to fix a stranger’s teeth, he focuses on self-improvement, venturing out with newfound confidence. The death of his father prompts reflections on identity and aging, as he navigates life no longer as someone’s son.

Back on the road, Sedaris encounters a battle-worn America, marked by empty storefronts and graffiti that echo the nation’s divided sentiments. Through his essays, Sedaris captures the humor, poignancy, and contradictions of these times, offering insights into the misanthropy and longing for connection that define the human experience. In Happy-Go-Lucky, Sedaris proves once again to be an unparalleled chronicler of our era’s complexities.