We'll talk some about GS in class, but I wanted to point you to this excellent article in The New York Times which calls Saunders' story collection Tenth of December, "the best book you'll read this year." There are tons of little tidbits on the evolution of Saunders' career and how he is seen in the world of literary fiction. Take a read!
Write about something that strikes you in the comments below.
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Erica Bogosian
ReplyDeleteI liked how his stories seemed to straddle the gap between literary fiction and scifi/fantasy. Given our discussion about elitism and the gap between literary and genre fiction, it's heartening to see that an author who incorporates elements of genre fiction still gets recognition as a literary author.
There's a certain beauty in Saunders' ability to focus on teeny drops of meaning in life. I have observed a tendency in myself and others to characterize humans and their lives by their utter tedium/meaninglessness in fiction pieces. And yet, to see a well-known, incredibly creative and talented writer like Saunders be able to capture the little, good things in life—in the midst of the chaotic and unfriendly—and to be labeled as "more than a writer"...that gives me hope for writing, and for people, in general. I am glad he is willing to share his perspective on this life—and to do it with eloquence and aplomb!
ReplyDeleteWatching this video made me realize how adept he is at separating his narrators' voices from his own. He says "The absence of wealth creates an erosion of grace". My first reaction when I listened to him was wondering why he doesn't put some of these sparkling phrases in his own writing. And then I realized that that in itself is why he is talented. If we asked "why is Saunders so successful", I'd say that it's in his ability to know the truth he is trying to convey, but refrain from saying it outright. He leaves the reader urging for completion, and that's why his writing is in the New Yorker. It makes you think about what's unsaid, and it has such potency that your left feeling the gravity of his story.
ReplyDeleteThe way Saunders speaks about death, and his becoming intimate with the idea of his eventual relation to it, speaks greatly to his writing style and success. His work makes you believe it, and you maintain an emotional connection thereafter because you, too, feel a certain familiarity with the topic (not only Death) being discussed or alluded to. That is, I feel, one of the most detrimental things about writing—it doesn't matter if you are writing about fly as it crosses your windowsill aimlessly, so far as you bring to light something readers around the world also feel, but may not be able to articulate. Saunders does this in a fascinating way. He is abrupt and absurd and outrageously creative, while still maintaining an audience by perceiving even the smallest moments in a truthful way, and sharing that truth in full abandonment.
ReplyDeleteI so agree that Saunders is one of the most exciting writers out there now. He has the a singular gift of finding sort of buried and unarticulated truths and shedding light on them, often venturing into the seemingly bizarre in order to more clearly reveal the strange/confusing way that we are, that we think. I think the most bizarre thing, though, is that his writing is not really so absurd. That thousands of readers can find truth, connectedness, compassion in his stories shows me that maybe the worlds he creates are not so very different from the one we live in. His voice is developed, his worlds fully formed, and the biting sting of his work, I think, is a real concern with empathy. None of his characters seem like strawmen, but each reveals a little more about the way we make decisions, and the bizarre things that are important to us.
ReplyDeleteI very much so agree with many of these comments and found that in Saunders' writing I really connected with the moments in which he sheds light onto emotions that are present within us all but oftentimes difficult to identify or admit. I really appreciate the awareness that is mentioned in the article and the way he seeks to bring that to his readers. I believe that is part of what makes his work far reaching. The intent with which he writes isn't just to alleviate his own compulsion to write, but also to consider his audience. I loved the part of the article where the author spoke of his comfort coming in "strange packages" and I feel like that is a really accurate way to describe Saunders' writing. Perhaps on the surface it doesn't look or feel like a comforting piece of writing, but by the way he illuminates basic human truths in his characters and thus in his readers, it does provide a comfort. As well as a lot of inspiration for us as writers. Additionally, I especially appreciated when he spoke about how you can open yourself up to a story and a person's possibilities by withholding judgement, and I find that to be so true in both regards.
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me first is how many various things Saunders ended up doing and how many places he went to and things he had to see before he could actually find his voice as a writer and dedicate his life to becoming a writer. It makes the resolution of one such as myself, having decided that I wanted to pursue writing when I was about eight years old because I loved to read about epic battles in fantasy and sci-fi worlds, look insanely premature. In a way, this fact is encouraging because it shows that even if we don't get to quit our day jobs and do nothing but write within two years after earning our MFA or doctorate or whatever, there is still plenty of hope and are plenty of other great writers who have gone for even longer without any objective validation of their dreams. I remember having lunch with Dr. John and him telling me about all the things he had to do before he was able to gain some measure of success as a writer, and he told me that the most important thing is to always continue in the direction that you want to head and never simply settle for where you are.
ReplyDeleteIt does, however, make me feel rather presumptuous thinking to write on life as an undergraduate college student before having really lived life. If we are supposed to write what we know, then we would stand to write much better fiction if we lived first, and then chose to write.
I have to admit, I also resonated with his experiences with money (or, rather, the lack of it) in trying to provide for his family. Those are concerns that are increasingly on my mind as I prepare to graduate. As an author and music composer, I have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I will have very little money in the comparative scale of things. But I will have to wrestle with, as George Saunders did, the inexorable pull of the desire to provide for one's family with the passion to strive for one's dreams.
Finally, I think I am impressed by Saunders' voice and his outlook on writing because he really emphasizes that the purpose of writing is to bring understanding to a certain situation, character or set of characters, or idea. For him, a story should be all about helping bring readers to a better understanding of the characters within and, by extension, helping them practice understanding others in real life. I think that is a very noble goal, and I commend him for it.
Saunders is really good at taking a slice of life and putting so much humanity and truth into it. I kept thinking of the quote "most men lead lives of quiet desperation..." when I listened to this interview and read his short story. I personally think there is a lot of beauty in the simplicity of a narrative. It doesn't mean the concepts themselves have to be simplistic, but Shakespeare wrote Brevity is the Soul of Wit and I honestly think it takes significant skill to pack a lot of emotion/meaning into small, seemingly insignificant stories. I will definitely read more of this Saunders fella.
ReplyDeleteLovell's comment on the gravity of Saunder's stories resonates, "One thing is that you read them and you feel known, if that makes any sense. Or, possibly even woollier, you feel as if [Saunders] understands humanity in a way that no one else quite does, and you’re comforted by it."
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree. Saunders' writing is revelatory. He is able to both capture and explore the gnawing dread of his characters' inner conflict. He unearths what is hidden and allows the private burdensome struggle of his characters to interact with the brooding, worldwide struggle of capitalism, poverty and sheer blissless existence. He does so in a genuine yet fearless nature and I believe it is that balance of courage and consideration which renders his characters complexity and simultaneously, coaxes the reader into feeling and out of hiding.
I think it's fascinating how much he focuses on death and the moments surrounding it, how he manages to convey all the feelings that come to light when one accepts that one will someday, somehow die. The point he brings up about almost dying bringing a sort of awareness of the world around us is really relevant, I feel--I think this is the reason why people pursue extreme, death defying recreational activities. To be close to death is to realize the value of life.
ReplyDeleteFrom a literary standpoint, the little that I've read of Saunders I think is so brilliant. He manages to convey such nuanced feelings and ideas in a way that feels natural and not at all orchestrated. He even manages to successfully integrate elements of humor when writing about otherwise dark subjects.
I just enjoy Saunder's ability to touch on nuance emotions/desires that we all have but cannot particularly articulate. He also delves into a lot of tough subject matter such as death, and to see that he can counter that with compassion, as Junot Diaz says in this article, is quite a feat.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate the fact that he is concerned with reaching readers. It seems that Tenth of December was an experiment on his part to connect to a larger audience, and that's admirable considering that so many other brilliant and established writers are paying him compliments. At that point, why would you change what you're doing? But he's still interested in reaching more readers, and broaden his scope, which I think adds to the charm of his stories, that he's writing them with an audience in mind that he wants to befriend.
Wow. Just wow. The article was amazingly in depth and oddly moving. My interest was particularly peaked when he talked about the awareness that comes after a near death experience. I think we've all had that sort of experience at least once in our life; the thrill of walking away from something that could have destroyed you and the aftermath of living in a world full of wonder for a short period of time. It's fascinating to me because I believe that good stories capture those moments very well. And it's not even that the story would have to do anything with a near death experience, but the detail and language give us this sense of awareness where we see certain familiar things in a new light. I also think that this idea goes along very well with Saunders' intention of capturing "the endless cycle of meaningful activity."
ReplyDeleteTo me, that is a very optimistic statement, which, at the same time, struck me significantly. This is mostly because what I've been doing is the complete opposite: trying to capture "the endless cycle of meaningless activity." And, to be honest, finding something meaningless is probably a whole lot easier than finding something meaningful, especially today where more problems are verbally voiced than actions are taken to solve them. But then again, I believe that if an author/writer is making a deliberate choice about which aspect of life he/she is writing about, it all boils down to personal disposition.