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Book Quote by David Sedaris

“I'm so old that when I started keeping a diary they were in actual books, and I think that's one the reasons that I've never written about sex. Because early on you had to worry that someone was going to find your diary, so it's bad enough to be writing like Joan Didion, but writing like Joan…” quote by David Sedaris
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“I'm so old that when I started keeping a diary they were in actual books, and I think that's one the reasons that I've never written about sex. Because early on you had to worry that someone was going to find your diary, so it's bad enough to be writing like Joan Didion, but writing like Joan Didion about sex acts you'd performed with somebody you had known for 20 minutes, that's a bit worse. So I would write in my diary, "I met J. and we had sex five times last night." But I would never write about what we did.”

David Sedaris

About This Quote

Source Essay: Diary Entries, David Sedaris, 2000s

He avoids describing sexual details in his diary to protect privacy and avoid embarrassment, focusing instead on mundane facts.

In simple terms: He omits sexual specifics to keep his diary private.

Key Takeaway

Protect personal details in private writings.

Themes

privacy self-censorship humor

Mood

reflective wry introspective

Type

personal confessional humorous

When to use this quote

  • writing personal journals
  • maintaining privacy
  • sharing anecdotes with friends
  • public speaking about personal life

Key Concepts

personal boundaries intimacy social norms

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you decide what personal details to keep private?
  • What risks arise from sharing intimate stories publicly?
A Different Perspective

He may still reveal sensitive info unintentionally.

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