Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary
Encyclopedia
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (titled Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Wicked Bestiary outside the United States) is a collection of animal-themed humorous short stories by memoirist and humorist David Sedaris
. The collection was published in September 2010.
Sedaris did not give the animals names, using only such names as 'chipmunk' and 'squirrel.' Animals, he said, don't need description. Sedaris said in an October 2010 interview with The Washington Post
, "If I wrote, 'Phillip and Amanda had been dating for two weeks when they ran out of things to talk about', I would have to give you a whole description. But, everyone knows what a squirrel and a chipmunk look like. So, I wrote it as, 'The squirrel and the chipmunk had been dating for two weeks when they ran out of things to talk about.'"
Sedaris was inspired after reading a book of stories from South African mythology about anthropomorphic animals. Believing he could do better with a modern twist, he wrote 25 stories over two years, with the aim to ensure a high quality book by cutting ten of the 25.
David Sedaris
David Sedaris is a Grammy Award-nominated American humorist, writer, comedian, bestselling author, and radio contributor....
. The collection was published in September 2010.
Sedaris did not give the animals names, using only such names as 'chipmunk' and 'squirrel.' Animals, he said, don't need description. Sedaris said in an October 2010 interview with The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, "If I wrote, 'Phillip and Amanda had been dating for two weeks when they ran out of things to talk about', I would have to give you a whole description. But, everyone knows what a squirrel and a chipmunk look like. So, I wrote it as, 'The squirrel and the chipmunk had been dating for two weeks when they ran out of things to talk about.'"
Sedaris was inspired after reading a book of stories from South African mythology about anthropomorphic animals. Believing he could do better with a modern twist, he wrote 25 stories over two years, with the aim to ensure a high quality book by cutting ten of the 25.
Table of Contents
- "The Cat and the Baboon", a fableFableA fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
about gossip and the service industry. Read on This American Life Episode "That's Not What I Meant" °288 5/6/2005 - "The Migrating Warblers"
- "The Squirrel and the Chipmunk", previously published as "so a squirrel and a chipmunk walk into a bar". Fable about a squirrel, a chipmunk, and a love that could never be. Read on This American Life episode "Star-Crossed Love" °308, Aired February 20, 2006
- "The Toad, The Turtle, and the Duck"
- "The Motherless Bear", audio version read by Elaine StritchElaine StritchElaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist. She has appeared in numerous stage plays and musicals, feature films, and many television programs...
- "The Mouse and the Snake"
- "The Parenting Storks"
- "The Faithful Setter"
- "The Crow and the Lamb"
- "The Sick Rat and the Healthy Rat", previously published as "The White Rat". Read on This American Life Episode "Crybabies" °415 on September 24, 2010
- "The Cow and the Turkey", barnyard animals decide to play Secret SantaSecret SantaSecret Santa is a Western Christmas tradition, in which members of a group or community are randomly assigned a person to whom they anonymously give a gift. Often practiced in workplaces, or amongst large families, participation in it is usually voluntary...
. Read on This American Life episode "The This American Life Holiday Spectacular" °305 December 23, 2005 and December 26, 2010. - "The Vigilant Rabbit". In 2010, Sedaris told various radio personalities, after traveling many cities on a book tour wearing a vest, an elderly TSA woman in an airport aggressively requested him to remove his vest, "I'm going to make you into a rabbit" he said.
- "The Judicious Brown Chicken"
- "The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig", Read on Episode 315 of This American LifeThis American LifeThis American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
on July 21, 2006 - "Hello Kitty", natural enemies meet in an Alcoholics Anonymous program in prison. Read on This American Life, episode "Cat and Mouse" °309 February 24, 2006
- "The Grieving Owl"