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.