David Sedaris

And it was the same thing, just such a generous person, just always curious, always.

And I just modeled myself after those two women, really.

I dress like them now, too.

If you're just joining us, my guest is writer David Sedaris.

His new essay collection is called The Land and Its People.

More after a break.

This is Fresh Air.

In the last chapter of your new book, you reminisce about when you first moved to New York in 1990 and how broke you were then and the writer you now are living on the Upper East Side, the inner monologue that you're having about money.

It seems to be on display in the book.

And I'm curious, like in 93, after your seminal Santa Land piece ran on NPR, you sat for an interview with The New York Times and you discussed being offered jobs to write soap operas, films, I think even an episode of Seinfeld.

And the reason you turned it all down was because, quote, if you start making that kind of money, then you have to keep making that kind of money.

And that's not really what I want to do right now.

I wonder, we started this conversation talking about your pretty rigorous, impressive touring schedule.

Do you feel like you have to keep making the money that you're making touring?

Is that a motivation for you at this point?

I don't know how much of it is about the money.

I mean, you know, let's just take the tour that I'm on right now.

I started with four new essays and then I was able to write two little short ones during that time.

And so to be able to read them out loud and get them on their feet and get them better and better and better.

That's a lot, because if I were just sitting at home, I might have written those things, but I wouldn't have had the chance to improve them the way that I've been able to on this tour.