Contemporary Southern Writers: Alexis Noel

"David Sedaris is a playwright and a regular commentator for National Public Radio. He is also the author of the bestselling Barrel Fever, Naked, Holidays on Ice, and Me Talk Pretty One Day." [1] Sedaris, a brilliant, humorous writer straight from the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, provides an interesting introspective into southern life through short stories of his life experiences. With his vivid use of imagery, Sedaris paints a picture of "how the south really was, and how it still is".

The best example of southern living and stereotypes can be seen through his short story called "The Understudy" in his book When You Are Engulfed In Flames. Witty and realistic, the story takes place during the childhood of Sedaris, where he relates his experience about a babysitter his parents hired for the week while they were out of town. What could be more transparent than a description by a kid? The hired woman is a stereotypical "trailer trash" southerner, with a thick accent and a desire to make children suffer. What kinds of stereotypes are presented in this short story and what makes the story so outrageous? Do you feel as though you could find this woman in the south today?

"The Understudy":