Humorist and author David Sedaris is a public radio regular – his 'Santaland Diaries' first aired on NPR's Morning Edition in 1992 and has gone on to become a holiday staple. He also is a regular Fresh Air guest, and in a first, we're sharing an exclusive bonus episode with Sedaris – normally only available for our Fresh Air+ supporters – with everyone. If you're not already a Fresh Air+ supporter, enjoying weekly bonus episodes like this and sponsor-free listening on all our episodes, you can find out more at https://plus.npr.org. You can hear all of Sedaris' 1997 interview here https://n.pr/4agJKmN. Sedaris' 'Santaland Diaries': https://n.pr/3TswxkO. Sedaris in 2022: https://n.pr/3Tm2qvf. Sedaris in 2018: https://n.pr/3Tsevz0. Sedaris in 2017: https://n.pr/48jrebn. Sedaris in 2013 https://n.pr/3GNj937. Sedaris in 2008: https://n.pr/3GL1wks. Sedaris in 2004: https://n.pr/47TsaDA. Sedaris in 2000: https://n.pr/48lw8oy. Sedaris in 1996: https://n.pr/41nfz98. Sedaris in 1994: https://n.pr/3Nw7V6W. Sedaris in 1993 https://n.pr/3Nv0FIf. Hear all 40+ years of Fresh Air's archives: https://FreshAirArchive.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the Ted Radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people where they will say to me, but it can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is.
The history behind words causing a lot of debate.
That's on the Ted radio hour from NPR.
I'm fresh airs and Marie Baldonado, it's the season of giving, and in that spirit, here at Freshair, we thought we could give you a little something special.
It's a bonus episode of our show, the kind we share each week with our fresh air plus supporters.
Today we're giving everyone a chance to hear it.
And if you are a fresh air supporter, we want to say thank you for your ongoing support of public radio.
Which brings us to this episode.
If you're a longtime public radio listener, and let's face it, if you're listening to this, you just might be, you've likely heard author David Sedaris speak about his time as a Macy's Christmas elf.
The woman at Macy's asked, would you be interested in full time elf or evening and weekend elf?
I said full time elf.
I am a 33 year old man applying for a job as an elf.
Sedaris first read his Santa Land Diaries on NPR's Morning Edition in 1992 and later read extended versions of the lightly fictionalized essay, both on this American life and here on FREsh aIr this evening.
I was a maze elf.
Nothing is more boring than being a maze elf.
Other maze elves address children and ask, what do you want for Christmas?
But really, why should a child tell an elf, Santa is who they've come to see?
And it seems pathetic for an elf to try to outshine Santa.