“If you saw a leprechaun standing outside your shower, would you scream or know it meant you no harm?” This odd question is one of the many that David Sedaris receives while on his book tour. These questions suit his quirky, yet funny personality.    Sedaris, author of many bestselling books including “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim” and “When You are Engulfed in Flames,” provides a witty social commentary through short sarcastic stories featuring his family, people he has met on the road and sometimes even animals.     Sedaris sold out his hilarious show at the Burlington Memorial Auditorium on Oct. 6. The attendees were all in good spirits and talking with strangers in line; a common interest in his books brought everyone together.     As a smiling Sedaris walked on stage, the crowd met him with thunderous applause and whistles.     He began his show by reading a short story titled “Health Care Freedoms and Why I Want My Country Back.” The story is about an ignorant person who wants to protest Obama’s policy on health care, and goes to march on Washington — Portland, Washington. The story pokes fun at protestors, socialism and “Satan-Cheney ‘08.”     Though the microphones were hardly working, Sedaris didn’t let that ruin his show. The author was always accommodating to the audience and made sure that everyone could hear, while keeping them laughing at the same time.     “I have listened to all his stuff, so I had high expectations,” attendee Melinda Ferriot said. “The sound quality sucked, but the show was great. I appreciate that as funny as he is, he’s still pretty genuine.”     Sedaris continued to read short, funny stories for the rest of his reading. One audience-pleaser was an adult fable that is weak on morals, so it’s more just a story about animals, he quipped. The writing was clever, but Sedaris’ tone of voice made the story.     Sedaris also read from his diary, discussing the awkwardness of facial expressions. He explained, “Sometimes things happen and I don’t know what to do with my face,” and the audience burst out laughing. One of Sedaris’ strengths is that he makes fun of everyday occurrences to which everyone can relate. He ends each of his stories with a funny joke that takes the story home.      Sedaris found ways to encourage audience participation with a question and answer session. One particular weak spot that the audience honed in on was his struggle with smoking.    “It’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I miss the outrage of not being able to smoke in parks and telling people, ‘If you want to be in a smoke free environment, then go to work.'”     As Sedaris left the stage, his performance was met with a standing ovation. The reading was a well-received experience filled with sharp humor and amusing anecdotes.    “[It] was hilarious and good to listen to. I like his quiet sarcasm. I wasn’t surprised to see the show was sold out,” employee of the UVM Office of Sustainability Mick Ozeki said.      David Sedaris is a bold, shameless comedian. He exposes his personal quirks and others’ for people to laugh at together.    While his books are enjoyable, a night with David Sedaris is essential for everyone wholikes to laugh.