Holidays on Ice

FOR THOSE DREADING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, BESTSELLER SEDARIS (WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES) MAKES LIFE A LITTLE EASIER WITH THIS RE-RELEASE OF HIS UPROARIOUS ESSAY COLLECTION, NEWLY EXPANDED FROM THE ORIGINAL 1997 EDITION. SEDARIS GETS THE MOST MILEAGE OUT OF CHRISTMAS, FROM HIS STINT AS A MACY\x81FS ELF IN \x81GSANTALAND DIARIES,\x81H TO COMPARING AMERICAN AND DUTCH HOLIDAY TRADITIONS IN \x81GSIX TO EIGHT BLACK MEN.\x81H IN \x81GJESUS SHAVES,\x81H SEDARIS RECALLS A FRENCH CLASS IN WHICH STUDENTS TRY TO EXPLAIN TO EACH OTHER, IN BROKEN FRENCH, THE CONCEPT OF EASTER: \x81GON THE EASTER WE BE SAD BECAUSE SOMEBODY MAKES JESUS DEAD TODAY.\x81H THIS UPDATED VERSION INCLUDES \x81GTHE MONSTER MASH,\x81H POACHED FROM WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED, IN WHICH SEDARIS SPENDS HALLOWEEN AT THE MORGUE; AND \x81GTHE COW AND THE TURKEY,\x81H A NEW STORY FEATURING THE SECRET SANTA WOES OF BARNYARD ANIMALS. LONGTIME FANS WILL BE HAPPY TO HAVE ALL SEDARIS'S HOLIDAY STORIES IN ONE VOLUME, AND THOSE WHO'VE MANAGED TO MISS THE LITERARY FUNNY-MAN COULDN'T GET A BETTER GIFT.