David Sedaris

But I'm curious because the last time you were on this show, you said your father was, quote, not a good person, but he was a great character.

Do you think of people as characters first and people second?

No, I think of them as people, but then if I'm writing an essay, I think of them as characters.

Because if you're on the page, you're a character.

When you're in real life, you're a person.

Hugh is a good character.

My sister Gretchen, I adore my sister Gretchen.

She's not a good character.

She's a great person.

And I have friends who are great people, but not great characters.

And it doesn't have anything to do with being dynamic.

Maybe it's a degree of confidence that makes somebody a good character.

What do you mean?

Like confident people.

Confident people always have my ear.

Even if I don't agree with them or even if I think their confidence is...

or that they're fooling themselves, right?

It doesn't matter.

It gets me to sit up straight and it gets me to listen.

And I think I'm probably not alone in that.