Biographile’s This Week in History remembers events of the past, and the icons that set them in motion. If you're stirred by the words below, read on for more inspiring author quotes.

Perhaps it is fitting for a writer like David Sedaris -- one who narratively capitalizes on unfortunate events and situations -- to have been born the day after Christmas (December 26, 1956), since such birthdays are often considered unfortunate. After the inundation of presents and candy, a consumerism fugue state sets in -- a consumption of consumption, if you will -- and a birthday must be inevitably anticlimactic.

Yet Sedaris seems to have overcome a life strung wall to wall with inconveniences remarkably well. Since being 'discovered' in the early 90's by NPR's Ira Glass, Sedaris's star has risen to great heights: He is a #1 New York Times bestselling author many times over, a regular contributor to The New Yorker and Esquire, and has been nominated for multiple GRAMMY Awards. His unique style marries absurd topics with incisive commentary, hyperbolic tales with keen insight, and he doesn't even need an extraordinary topic to riff on; the mundane is the cornerstone of his writing. From his early family life, to business class flights, to taking French lessons, nothing is too ordinary to be given the Sedaris treatment.

The beauty in Sedaris's words is that they can be uproarious and still cut emotionally. (Like when his dying mother sent him her unused cigarettes, and they were not his brand. "Still, they were free.") Sometimes his writing contributes to a larger discussion, such as one piece offering passing commentary on the frayed issue of gun rights. Rather than talk about violence or statistics, he observes that in Texas, the blind can legally hunt as long as they have a sighted companion. In Michigan, he goes on, a registered blind hunter needs no companion at all. And the primary conceit of the essay in question isn't even directly about guns, but rather different international Christmas celebrations.

So, in honor of a man who uses his humor to deal with everything from looming social issues to personal grief, we have pulled together a list showcasing the wit and wisdom of America's funniest modern writer.

1. If you read someone else’s diary, you get what you deserve. (TIME Magazine Interview, 2004)

2. A zoo is a good place to make a spectacle of yourself, as he people around you have creepier, more photogenic things to look at. (When You Are Engulfed in Flames, 2008)

3. If you aren't cute, you may as well be clever. (Me Talk Pretty One Day, 2000)

4. When you’re in love nothing is so abstract or horrible that it can’t be thought of as cute. (When You Are Engulfed in Flames, 2008)

5. I haven't got the slightest idea how to change people, but still I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should ever figure it out. (Naked, 1997)

6. Sometimes the sins you haven’t committed are all you have to hold onto. (When You Are Engulfed in Flames, 2008)

7. All I do is lie, and that has made me immune to compliments. (Holiday on Ice, 1997)

8. Given enough time I guess anything can look good. All it has to do is survive. (When You Are Engulfed in Flames, 2008)

9. Remember that the most important thing is to try and love other people as much as they love you. (Holiday on Ice, 1997)