A little over three years ago I asked George Saunders whether I could sit in on one of his MFA classes at Syracuse, and, flabbergastingly, he said okay.
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Posted inEditor's Pick
The Rumpus Interview with George Saunders
In addition to plenty of great advice for aspiring writers, George Saunders reflects on the creative process for his new novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, the mystery of the “constellation of meaning” — the interviews, notes, and scenes that once distilled become his nonfiction work, and on bold compassion as the right course of resistance […]
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Quotes
How a Story Becomes a ‘Hopeful Thing’: George Saunders on His Writing Process
At the Guardian, the author recounts how it takes “hundreds of drafts” and “thousands of incremental adjustments” to form a story into a “hopeful thing.”
Posted inBooks, Nonfiction, Profiles & Interviews, Quotes
A ‘Constellation of Meaning’: The Rumpus Interviews George Saunders
In addition to offering plenty of great advice for aspiring writers, George Saunders reflects on the creative process for his new novel, the interviews, notes, and scenes that once distilled become his nonfiction work, and on bold compassion as the right course of resistance under a Trump presidency.
Posted inBooks, Story
Getting Tricked by Helen DeWitt
Helen DeWitt’s hectic, disruptive style reflects the content of her stories: the difficulty of living an authentic life, or telling anything like a “story,” in a ruthlessly disruptive world.
Posted inNonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories by Sam Knight, Rick Perlstein, Ijeoma Oluo, Keziah Weir, and George Saunders.
Posted inNonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, read stories by Michael Hall, Molly McArdle, Mehreen Kasana, Helen Hollyman, and an interview by Kate Harloe.
How to Use
The Chekhov-Saunders Humanity Kit is a series of documents based on a class on Anton Chekhov’s Little Trilogy taught at Syracuse by George Saunders on October 31st, 2013. It is a do-it-yourself kit with a variety of optional parts provided: a syllabus, essays, papers, and a partial transcript of the class itself. Please begin by […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Discussions, Nonfiction, Profiles & Interviews, Story, Writing
The Writers’ Roundtable: Fiction vs. Nonfiction
A conversation between writers Eva Holland, Benjamin Percy, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Mary H.K. Choi, and Adam Sternbergh about writing on both sides of the fiction-nonfiction divide.
Essay
Thursday in the Class With George It was a cold, gray October morning, misty and drizzling, when I arrived at Syracuse University’s Bowne Hall, a handsome three-story brick building that first opened for classes in 1907. The Syracuse campus is postcard gorgeous; literally a city on a hill, with beautifully-tended grounds and fine Victorian buildings […]
