The Santaland Diaries

Sounds Good!

Well, it’s December – we’re a week in actually – and so it’s almost time for my favourite Christmas reading.

I’m not really one for Christmas books. But there’s one favourite, one must, every year I read (or I guess re-read) David Sedaris’ story, The Santaland Diaries.

It’s special to me for a couple of reasons – first of all it was my introduction to the world of Sedaris. More on him and his books some other day perhaps. I haven’t quite read them all – I have the latest diaries to catch up on and his recent collection, The Best of Me. But that compilation and the two volumes of diaries are on my shelf, maybe they’ll form part of my summer holiday reading. Every other Sedaris book that’s available I’ve read. And some of them (Barrel Fever, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim) I’ve read several times. I’ve gifted copies of Sedaris books, I’ve bought CDs of him giving readings – I missed the one chance I had to see him when he came to New Zealand! And he’s always a great guest on a few of my favourite podcasts.

But the story, The Santaland Diaries, first appeared (for me) in the book, Barrel Fever.  

And then it was available in a standalone volume. I read Barrel Fever as my introduction to Sedaris, after hearing about him first. I was hooked. I started buying up the other collections of essays. I guess I love them all. But the one that has meant the most to me is a slim volume called Holidays on Ice.

Click that link to find an audiobook version, or Kindle – or of course it’s available – and maybe in your local store – as a wee paperback to hold and treasure.
 
Holidays on Ice features a bunch of Christmas-related stories and essays, some are brand new for the collection, others, like The Santaland Diaries were read aloud and published earlier.

Holidays on Ice is my Christmas book. I re-read it most years.

And if don’t get through the whole thing, I always, at the least, re-read the story, The Santaland Diaries.

Not that many single stories have their own Wikipedia entry. You might read there, or elsewhere, that Sedaris was fact-checked and there’s some dispute as to the ‘facts’ of the story. I don’t think that matters at all. This story has been the balm for me when I worked in retail over the silly season. And now I return to it as a comfort. Also, it’s just funny as…

It’s Sedaris recounting his (alleged) time as a Macy’s Christmas elf. It was funny when I first read it. And then when I took a job in retail again it became the salve – I read it over several Christmases, sometimes at the start and near the end of December. Since moving away from the Christmas Eve Retail Rush and back to some sort of normalcy, I continue to read the story (at least) once a year. I’m reading it now for the nostalgia of other readings. As well as for the humour and humanity on display in the story.

There are several versions – audio – available.

And while I’ve been writing this – I’ve had a version of it on in the background. Something about Sedaris reading his own work has always been crucially important. Fans of him and his material will already know that.

Anyway, today I just wanted to mention the story. It’s as much a tradition for me as buying any advent calendar (didn’t even bother doing that this year) or putting up a tree (also not doing that. Outrageous I know – but so liberating!)

So perhaps if you don’t already, you could enjoy a listening session or reading of The Santaland Diaries. It’s one of my main Christmas traditions.

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Any regular Christmas re-reading in your house?

The Santaland Diaries has even been turned into a play: