Furman University has put together a great collection of "Web-Based Activities for Foreign Languages" offering vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension, and information discovery exercises that will help you avoid the pitfalls that Sedaris encountered.
Sedaris is a satirist. Interested in taking a look at more contemporary satire? Check out the homepage of The Onion, a satirical website.
This is the homepage of NPR's show Morning Edition with Bob Edwards, a show with which Sedaris has had a close relationship. Do you think Sedaris's work is more effective when you listen to him, or when you read it?
Did you know that Sedaris also writes plays with his sister, Amy Sedaris? Here's a review of one of them, The Book of Liz. Does the review make you want to see the play? Why or why not?