An Elf No More, Sedaris Recalls Days In Santaland
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Crumpet the Elf is back for another Morning Edition Christmas. Crumpet is the not-so-secret identity of humorist David Sedaris, who was once a department store elf at Macy's. He wrote about the experience in his memoir The Santaland Diaries.
The story begins like this: "I wear green velvet knickers, a forest green velvet smock and a perky little hat, decorated with spangles. This is my work uniform."
Sedaris and Crumpet the Elf: A Holiday Tradition
David Sedaris at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest, in 2004.
David Sedaris Interview
The satirist talks about how he got his start on public radio.
The Original 1992 Segment
Due to format changes at Morning Edition, the original 1992 "Santaland" segment was slightly longer than the one used for rebroadcast in 2004 and 2005. Here is the 1992 version:
The life of David Sedaris took an unexpected, and not entirely unwelcome, turn when his "Santaland Diaries" were first broadcast on Morning Edition in 1992.
Sedaris recounted his experiences playing Crumpet the elf at Macy's in New York during the holidays. Almost overnight, he went from obscurity to sought-after talent.
Now, 13 years later, he is a best-selling author who still appears on public radio from time-to-time.
And in those intervening years, the popularity of his original NPR appearance has only grown. So, here, once again, is Sedaris reading in 1992 from his "Santaland Diaries."
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