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This afternoon I had to good fortune to be able to see David Sedaris read at Santa Fe's local bookstore, Collected Works. I arrived early, as I knew there would be hoards of people there, around 4 p.m. I purchased my copy of When You Are Engulfed in Flames, as well as two other books, and headed to find a seat. I waited a few minutes with some friends I met there and David appeared, doing a "sound check" with the very simple PA system (a tiny amp). He proceeded to announce over the speaker, to the then small crowd, that he would pay someone $5 to mend a pair of pants he had with him (not the ones he had on). My hand automatically shot up. He told me also that he would sign my book first. So I went over to the table where the pants were kept and he got out a tiny sewing kit and signed my book, handing me the $5 tucked inside the book's pages. 

"Are you from here?" he asked me as he drew in the pages of his book. 
"Yeah, I live here. Just graduated from the college."
"Oh yeah?"
"Creative writing."
"Cool. Zoe, I have a graduation present for you." He reached below him and pulled up a plastic bag containing several items: tiny shampoo from a hotel in LA, a pink knitted pouch.
"I'll go with the bag," I said at the request of my friends who still sat in the audience.
He slipped my signed book inside and smiled at me. Then I went to my seat and worked at mending his very expensive trousers. I did a fine job, if I say so myself. 
The store filled up and the reading began. He was hilarious, charming, and real. 
What a great evening!

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