Theft by Finding - David Sedaris

1996
January 1, 1996
New York
Amy’s New Year’s resolution is to make more Asian friends. She hopes to find them at community
meetings and small restaurants. I think that’s great, to have a goal.
Hugh’s friend Sue, who’s from Georgia, had a New Year’s Day luncheon and served ham, collard
greens, and black-eyed peas, traditional Southern food meant to bring good luck and prosperity. She
cooked the collards with a penny. I told Amy about it and now we’re trying to think of other recipes
that call for change.
January 24, 1996
New York
It really is torture to sit around the house and write all day. I’m thinking it might motivate me to
finish the book faster, the thought that after it’s finished I can return to housecleaning. The problem is
that I haven’t even started the book yet. Today I wrote a letter to Karen Dobragosz, a girl I went to
high school with. She sent me a Christmas card over a year ago, so I responded to it. Check. Then I
read a thirty-five-page story written by a guy in Colorado named Robert. He sent it to me weeks ago
and called last night asking why he hadn’t heard from me.
His story was not easy to read. All the characters said things like “Whattya doin’?” and “Nuthin’.”
Then I wrote two letters of recommendation. It doesn’t sound like much in terms of progress, but I
sat at my desk from noon until six thirty. Practically.
January 30, 1996
New York
Helen called me over to give me a chicken quiche but really to complain about the excessive heat.
The landlord suggested she keep her windows open, but she says that if she does, it’ll let all the airconditioning
out. It makes no sense to have that running in the winter, but she does, along with the heat
and three fans.
February 8, 1996
New York