Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People

A most enjoyable and snarky spoof of Crafting Self Help books (and when enjoying the audiobook it feels more like a mock TV show). Not unlike the author’s celebrated TV show At Home with Amy Sedaris, it is as funny but gradually grows darker as it progresses—how dark and in what directions I won’t spoil. Sly in spots, broad in others. Shameless in the best ways.

Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People is a satire on the life and economic times of the "olden days." It’s also a parody of today’s big, beautiful crafting books, with a thousand (intentionally messy) illustrations showing hundreds of (intentionally lame*) homemade crafts for every personality and room of the house, and using every available material. (*I wonder what it says about me that I’m honestly interested in the thumbtack art and balloon art, the penny bookmark, rusty-nail wind chimes and tampon ghost!)

Fair warning: This book is by Amy Sedaris, in collaboration with other creatives like Amy Sedaris. It’s a bit darker and cruder than I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, her book about entertaining. If you don’t show more know Amy, think Sarah Silverman -- both begin sentences in an innocent, extra-polite voice that lures you in and then suddenly veers into a shocking incorrectness that alternately makes you laugh out loud and cringe at the wrong, wrong, wrongness. A chapter here on crafting safety is particularly gruesome ... and hilarious.

(Review based on a copy of the book provided by the publisher.) show less

A how-to for learning how to make a mouse ghetto for any dying rodents you might find, an obscene fruit salad, a rusty nail wind chime and tampon ghosts. Crafts are arranged by topics such as "The Joy of Poverty", "Unreturnable Gift Giving", "Making Love" and "Sausages". Hidden amongst the bad advice are real recipes, and there are plenty of photos of the Sedaris type, which means weird 70's clothing and generally making herself look like a mental patient. I've been a fan since the "Strangers With Candy" days.

Okay, tongue firmly planted in cheek? Well, following the success of her last book I Like You (a New York Times bestseller and reviewed by me here), comedienne Amy Sedaris has come out with another definitive guide - Simple Times. This time crafting and crafters are the focus (target?)

To quote Amy - " Crafting is putting ideas into action and then holding them together with an inexpensive adhesive."
Where to get those ideas?Where to craft? Who is crafting?

"More than 8 out of 10 households have at least 4 out of 5 family members engaging in 2 out of 3 crafts 78% of the time. A staggering 98% of this group are homosexual men."

The chapters and crafts covered are totally eclectic. Think of those crafts you made in grade 2 that your mom show more hung on to. Some of the chapter headings? Crafting for Jesus, Handicraftbles, Shut ins, Teenagers Have a Lot of Pain, Sausages, Making Love or Fornicrafting and oh boy so many more.

Every page features full colour photographs of the crafts. These are so much fun to look at - I loved the miniature sets. But the centerfolds of stretching before and after crafting were priceless. I couldn't stop laughing. The costumes Amy wears are perfectly crafted, utilizing gingham, rick rack and pom poms to their fullest potential.

Yes some of the ideas are totally whacked, but a lot of them have merit. It is the presentation of the ideas that is priceless. And read the instructions very carefully - lots of jokes hidden in there. There are some actually really good recipes included. Really, you have to read an excerpt to get the picture.

You're either to going to love this book or go 'huh I don't get it?' Sedaris's humour is left of centre for sure and not politically correct all the time. But really, we all know someone who would love this book! show less

I did not read the blurb on the back of this audiobook so I thought I was getting a book about various crafts that Amy Sedaris enjoys doing. Instead, I got a sarcastic look at crafts and crafters. Fine by me. I thought most of the book was pretty funny. Some of it probably crossed the line of decency, but I'm pretty hard to offend, so I laughed at it. The only thing I didn't get was the chapter on sex. It didn't seem to fit the rest of the book; like it was thrown in for shock value. I could have done without that one. Everything else got quite a few giggles out of me and was a pleasant surprise.

It's hard to rate this book. Is it in bad taste? Oh gosh yes. Is it funny anyway? Yes. Is it appropriate for families with small children? Nope. I'm going to have to remove some pages if I decide to keep it because I really don't feel like explaining some of the kinkier staged photos to a toddler--especially not the one with implied bestiality. Is this a book that will teach you how to make a lot of cool crafts? Not really. What it is is a book that will give you ideas and help you to think WAY outside the box. And laugh of course. If you didn't like "I Like You--Hospitality Under the Influence" skip this by all means. If you liked it, give this a shot, just don't expect it to be as surprisingly useful.

Definitely a do not judge me by my cover book!
Sedaris delivers situational irony at it's best.

America's most delightfully unconventional hostess and the bestselling author of I Like You delivers a new book that will forever change the world of crafting. According to Amy Sedaris, it's often been said that ugly people craft and attractive people have sex. In her new book, SIMPLE TIMES, she sets the record straight. Demonstrating that crafting is one of life's more pleasurable and constructive leisure activities, Sedaris shows that anyone with a couple of hours to kill and access to pipe cleaners can join the elite society of crafters.

From the start I loved the wit and humor in this book. I certainly was expecting a seriously boring show more crafting book on how to glue popsicle sticks together correctly. I was very surprised and found my way laughing at times out loud. Then at other times thinking, is she really serious? This book is fairly large and I must say I found a need to take a break here and there to compose myself. Especially when I got to erotic chapter on fornicrafting;) Believe it or not there are some useful craft ideas and recipes in this book. Give her credit as Selaris does keep within theme of the title of her book "Simple Times" with her theatrical scenes and costumes.

The illustrations alone are entertaining and keep you turning to the next page to see what comes next. This book is certainly not for everyone and you might find yourself hiding it the closet away from your children and mother-in-law. It is adult humor that gives a break from the sometimes mundane world of crafting. I must say some would find this book highly offensive, if they let it get under their skin. I however laughed and shared with my husband wacky art and ironic ideas that left us feeling we are glad we don't take everything seriously, while feeling sorry for those that do. Life is too short for that. The title alone should clue you as to the satire and irony in this book. A book not for everyone, but if you would find it fun to make a doorway curtain out of candy corn and string for Halloween, then this book is for you. The candy corn curtain however is my idea and not in the book, so don't get to excited. Just a little ironic inspiration that came to me after reading Simple Times. show less