21 Down Summary and Analysis

Yet again, Sedaris introduces a character with traits that are dramatically different from his own traits. By comparison, these differences often illustrate the flaws that Sedaris finds in himself.

At the beginning of this essay, Sedaris recalls the day when he stopped in to visit his devastatingly handsome ex-boyfriend. To his disappointment, he does not find a man who has suddenly lost a few teeth. Instead he finds the same beautiful man who is on the phone, and is finishing up a New York Times crossword puzzle. His former partner claims that the crossword puzzles keep his hands busy while on the phone. Sedaris loathes that his former boyfriend is not only gorgeous, but so brilliant that he can multi-task puzzle solving and conversation.

Shortly after this visit Sedaris finds himself obsessed with the New York Times crossword puzzle. He notes...