''Calypso'' is a collection of 21 semi-autobiographical essays by

David Sedaris David Raymond Sedaris (; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries.” He published his first co ...

. It was published on May 29, 2018 by

Little, Brown and Company Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emil ...

. 14 of the 21 essays were previously published in a magazine or newspaper; some of these were published under a different title or in a different form.

Essays

Synopsis

In ''Calypso'', Sedaris writes primarily about his family and aging, as he is approaching the age his mother was when she died of cancer (62) and his sister Tiffany had recently died by suicide. He purchases a seaside vacation home in

Emerald Isle, North Carolina Emerald Isle is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Crystal Coast and is located entirely on Bogue Banks. The population was 3,655 at the 2010 census, but as many as 50,000 tourists each week inhabit the a ...

, for the remaining siblings to spend time in with their father, now in his 90s, as they did growing up. He also discusses shopping for clothes in Japan with his sisters and a gastrointestinal virus he acquires while on book tour, an experience he views in terms of looming incontinence of old age.

Reception

The

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Book Marks Literary Hub is a daily literary website that launched in 2015 by Grove Atlantic president and publisher Morgan Entrekin, American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame editor Terry McDonell, and Electric Literature founder Andy Hunter. Con ...

reported that 65% of critics gave the book a "rave" review, whilst 30% of the critics expressed "positive" impressions, based on a sample of 23 reviews.

References

{{David Sedaris 2018 non-fiction books American essay collections Little, Brown and Company books Works by David Sedaris