In 1992, David Sedaris rose – almost elflike, you might say – into the spotlight by reading from his essay The Santaland Diaries on NPR’s Morning Edition. With his soft-grained voice and disarmingly understated style of delivery, Sedaris broke a lot of people up recounting his experiences at Macy’s in New York, dressed as one of Santa’s helpers, guiding kids and their control-freaky parents toward the place where Christmas gift wishes could be expressed and, at least theoretically, granted. The comic and author comes to the Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) this Friday, April 9 at 8 o’clock for a one-man show.

Sedaris’ personal essays – a mainstay of The New Yorker that also appeal to Costco readers – carry enough contextual heft to pass for literature, but always with plenty of room for juggling wit. What makes his writing so much fun, whether read or heard on the radio, is his impeccable timing. For his sixth book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Sedaris tackles mortality head-on, sideways and with laughs all around.

In conjunction with the Sedaris performance, Barnes & Noble will be donating a portion of its proceeds of nationwide sales from Friday, April 9 through Tuesday, April 13 to the Bardavon and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. Any purchases made in Barnes & Noble stores or online at www.barnesandnoble.com are eligible. A bagel? Cool. A copy of Harpers? Yup. When purchasing, customers must use Promotional Code #10157345.

Tickets for the Friday, April 9, 8 p.m. Bardavon presentation of David Sedaris at UPAC in Kingston are available for $60 for Golden Circle seating, $45 for general admission and $40 for Bardavon members. They can be purchased at the UPAC box office at 601 Broadway in Kingston, (845) 339-6088; the Bardavon box office at 35 Market Street in Poughkeepsie, (845) 473-2072; or by contacting TicketMaster at www.TicketMaster.com or (845) 454-3388.