NYT George Saunders Interview

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 16:07:26 -0700

I’m not sure why I’m so drawn to writers, other than it’s a skill that I don’t have in any form. Writers have dedicated their lives to crafting words together to tell a story that a reader can understand, identify with, sympathize with, even to the point of changing the life of that reader. The person that I am today is partly shaped by books that I’ve read.

This interview with George Saunders is a real treat.

George says;

There’s this Chekhov quote that I’m kind of living by lately. He says a work of art doesn’t have to solve a problem — it just has to formulate it correctly.

I agree, the start of solving a problem is truly identifying what the problem is. To formulate it correctly. To put it into words that can be understood. This is a skill. I see it in my own life in relationships. I complain about something and talk about the problem, but it comes across wrong to the other person, they don’t understand, or they offer a solution to the problem they perceive I’m talking about. I’m failing to formulate my problem correctly.

The art of good writing will never cease to amaze me and even though I can’t write, I sure can appreciate it, and read as much of it as I can until my dying day.

Anyway, really good interview. Read it or even better watch the video.

His new book, Vigil, comes out January 27th.

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 05:42:19 -0700

‘Your World Is Burning. Here’s What You Can Actually Do About It.’ 🔗 Joan Westenberg / joanwestenberg.com

You can doomscroll, or you can create.
You can rant, or you can build.
You can theorize, or you can act.
You can wish, or you can work.

quote on Cliff538

NYT George Saunders Interview