BARREL FEVER by David Sedaris (Back...

BARREL FEVER by David Sedaris (Back Bay Books: $9.95; 196 pp.). Sedaris’ fiction has a dark edge that suggests J. D. Salinger’s “Nine Stories” reinterpreted by John Waters. “Season’s Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!,” a holiday newsletter explaining how a Vietnamese refugee joined a Middle-American family, has its darkly amusing moments. But the nasty tone of many of the stories makes it clear why Sedaris is known for his outrageous “SantaLand Diaries” detailing his experiences working at Macy’s as an Elf named Crumpet, which he read on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”