Sedaris and Crumpet the Elf: A Holiday Tradition The life of David Sedaris took an unexpected, and not entirely unwelcome, turn when his "Santaland Diaries" were first broadcast on Morning Edition in 1992. We reprise his story of holiday cheer.
Sedaris and Crumpet the Elf: A Holiday Tradition
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December 23, 200512:00 AM ET
David Sedaris at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest, in 2004. Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images hide caption
Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images
The Original 1992 Segment
Due to format changes at Morning Edition, the original 1992 "Santaland" segment was slightly longer than the one used for rebroadcast in 2004 and 2005. Here is the 1992 version:
Santaland Diaries (1992)
The life of David Sedaris took an unexpected, and not entirely unwelcome, turn when his "Santaland Diaries" were first broadcast on Morning Edition in 1992.
Sedaris recounted his experiences playing Crumpet the elf at Macy's in New York during the holidays. Almost overnight, he went from obscurity to sought-after talent.
Now, 13 years later, he is a best-selling author who still appears on public radio from time-to-time.
And in those intervening years, the popularity of his original NPR appearance has only grown. So, here, once again, is Sedaris reading in 1992 from his "Santaland Diaries."
David Sedaris Interview
The satirist talks about how he got his start on public radio.
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Holidays On Ice
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