In Conversation with David Sedaris in Pasadena

Few writers can make a story about a bad dental appointment or a trip to a garage sale feel like a small epic. David Sedaris has built a career on exactly that, and on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, he brings his dry, sharp-eyed humor to Pasadena for an evening billed as a conversation. If you are scanning for things happening in Los Angeles this month that involve actual books and actual laughs, this is an easy pick.

When: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 7:30 PM Where: Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E Green St, Pasadena Tickets: Through the event listing linked below

Who is David Sedaris

Sedaris is one of America's best-known humor writers. His essay collections include Barrel Fever, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and his pieces turn up regularly in The New Yorker. He is also a familiar voice on public radio, especially on This American Life. More than ten million copies of his books are in print, translated into 25 languages, and he has won the Terry Southern Prize for Humor and the Medal for Spoken Language from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

His diaries, published as Theft By Finding, cover 1977 to 2002 and show where the observational habit comes from: a lifelong notebook-keeper who writes down the strange things strangers say.

What to expect

The listing describes the night as an "in conversation" format. That usually means a more relaxed shape than a straight reading, with Sedaris talking through his work and his habit of noticing what everyone else ignores. The listing does not name a moderator, a set list or an intermission, so treat those details as unannounced and check with the venue if they matter to you. Expect roughly two hours, based on the published 7:30 to 9:30 PM window.

Getting there

The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is a 1932 theatre on Green Street in the middle of downtown Pasadena, close to Old Town and the Metro A Line's Memorial Park station. A weeknight show means traffic on the 110 and 134 can stack up around the dinner hour, so leave extra time or take the train. Arriving early also gives you room to grab dinner nearby before doors, which makes it one of the more pleasant LA events this weekend-adjacent calendar can offer for anyone who prefers a Tuesday outing.

Prices were not listed on the page we checked, so look at the ticket link for current options and fees. Seating in a nearly 3,000-seat house varies a lot in sightline and cost, and a book signing, if one happens, would be announced by the venue rather than promised here. Browse more arts and culture picks in Pasadena or the full arts and culture listings.

Details can change, so confirm start time and entry rules on the official listing before you head out.