I like a world in which books and authors are the highlight of a television show (even a great one like the Daily Show). George, next time you should be the host!
Hope in the face of despair from George Saunders! I want to remind anyone reading these comments that the next No Kings protest is March 28th. A great way to find hope is marching with like-minded folks. Google No Kings to see where a march is in your city. Nice interview, George. Nice suit!
You really did a great job communicating your values and your hope. And I think you're right that the current administration is standing on one wobbly leg.
Thanks so much for the heads up. I would've found it on my own, but not as quickly. I was only recently saying what a great Daily Show Guest you would be, and made a mental note to look up to see if or how many times you had been there. I was surprised to learn this was the first time. It would've been nice to see you with Jon because, well, it's Jon, and also he often does much longer interviews.
You'd think with all the interviews we've heard and seen since the book dropped that there would be a sense of rehash evident, but while the material is cross-covered, the substance, wisdom, insight and manner of each interview is always fresh; and even the go-to catchy diction; it never feels rote or elevator-pitchy. I'm going to borrow a sentiment from Springsteen, who, in slightly different context, explained his credibility with his audience as a result of having built a trustworthy relationship with them over time. (this said after admitting he'd never had a working class job and didn't know a damn thing about cars).
I see you doing that too, and commenting on it openly and well. Your paradigm of the writer and reader sharing an experience and recognizing one another as individuals doing such sharing feels loaded with Nebraska/Jungleland/Tom Joad/Land of Hope and Dreams /etc. And while noting the lack of any hint of reheated commentary, I've been reading Conversations with George Saunders, and again, it's remarkable how nothing you say feels oversaid, too clever, planned, or stagey. So, I conclude, as Zevon said when Bruce finished playing the guitar solo on Disorder in the House "So, you really ARE him!" (that solo being, for my money, the single best Guitar solo Springsteen ever put on vinyl, a gift to his dying friend not long before he passed. Literally blew out the amplifier in the studio (it's on film! and well worth the watch, if only for the look on Z's face while Bruce shredded)).
But we were talking about you, George. I digressed.
To gush further, this was, to me (a very dedicated viewer) one of the finer interviews of Klepper's, (him being so slouch at all) which speaks to you, his subject. It was nice him bringing up the 2016 NYer Trump piece. I've chosen this one interview to share with some relatives and friends unfamiliar with you and your work to explain to them why I'm always going on and about Saunders, Storyclub, the books, et al.
Congratulations on great segment. If you were to do some serious Chat-show slumming, you could teach Bill Maher a thing or two, but I think you're likely too kind for his kind.
"I've chosen this one interview to share with some relatives and friends unfamiliar with you and your work to explain to them why I'm always going on and about Saunders, Storyclub, the books, et al."
Great interview. So charming, George…and the jacket looked amazing! Aside from that, so much insight which has tempered my despair. Thanks for sharing.
One of my very favorite late-night tv experiences was seeing John Irving parry and chat and laugh with Jon Stewart, many years ago. Cannot wait to watch this video — had no idea it was coming!
But I loved what you said even more. I do think the path forward is the pairing a truth and accountability with love, mercy and grace. It is a struggle with this crew we have in power. But as much as they aren’t helped by “yes-men” and lack of accountability, they also aren’t helped by hate. And neither are we.
This kind of paired well with our Chekhov discussion this week, as we dipped into the ideas of hope and despair, action and inaction.
Hope leaves open the possibility that things might get better (the crux of the “it gets better campaign). Despair is the opposite, it woos you to give up. It whispers lies in your ear that nothing will ever get better.
My oncologist told me once that she noticed a difference between we patients that got stuck in the “why me” phase and those that moved on from it. Everyone asks “why me” when something devastating happens. That’s normal. But you can’t stay there or you’ll just sink into the swamp of sadness, like Artax from the Neverending Story.
Anyway, your jokes also hit, which is always a relief. Especially on a comedy show. So, bravo.
That was fun to watch and it looked like you were having fun. I was interviewed a couple of years ago here in Louisville by someone from the Daily Show and, at the time, I wasn't entirely sure of who they were or of the significance of being on the show, so I had no qualms or nerves and really enjoyed the experience. BTW, I loved reading Vigil.
After reading Vigil, I had the same question Jordan asked. It's hard to recognize the "inevitability" of people like KJ Boone and the "incompetents," as you called them, without feeling like we're excusing their destructive behaviour. How do we thread that needle?
That's a deep topic. More here soon on that. But for now: that "inevitable occurrence" is Jill's view. The Frenchman holds a different view. I hold...both views. :)
George, I appreciate your words: "When this crumbles--and it's gonna do so and it's gonna be pretty catastrophic--those of us who are of the spirit could fill the void with an even better version." Yes! Thanks for the encouragement to fend off despair and to be "of the spirit."
Agree with Tess, but can't deny that I'm not 100 sure it will happen. Because it should doesn't mean it will. I Preparing myself and my loved ones for enduring in sensible kindness and strong communities eve if this Dark & Nightshade Carnival continues in some for or another. It really truly should crumble, either abruptly or piecemeal, because its yielded good for only the tiniest percentage of s tiny percentage. But short of violent revolution, there's historically been little evidence of change benefiting the most people occurring when such change means de-benefitting the richest .%
Sorry to mention the proverbial lumps in the punch-bowl. I want what we all want, but surety is unsure.
That stated, if it not only beneficial but critical that people like George are able to say it will crumble because i should crumble;e, and that they have outlets, the Daily Show being one, to say so. Thanking the messenger!
I like a world in which books and authors are the highlight of a television show (even a great one like the Daily Show). George, next time you should be the host!
I could not agree more!
Hope in the face of despair from George Saunders! I want to remind anyone reading these comments that the next No Kings protest is March 28th. A great way to find hope is marching with like-minded folks. Google No Kings to see where a march is in your city. Nice interview, George. Nice suit!
It’s already on our calendar. We were at the last one with at least 250,000 of our neighbors🥰
I was not aware one was coming up. Thanks for the info :)
You really did a great job communicating your values and your hope. And I think you're right that the current administration is standing on one wobbly leg.
I hope so.
So wonderful!
Thanks so much for the heads up. I would've found it on my own, but not as quickly. I was only recently saying what a great Daily Show Guest you would be, and made a mental note to look up to see if or how many times you had been there. I was surprised to learn this was the first time. It would've been nice to see you with Jon because, well, it's Jon, and also he often does much longer interviews.
You'd think with all the interviews we've heard and seen since the book dropped that there would be a sense of rehash evident, but while the material is cross-covered, the substance, wisdom, insight and manner of each interview is always fresh; and even the go-to catchy diction; it never feels rote or elevator-pitchy. I'm going to borrow a sentiment from Springsteen, who, in slightly different context, explained his credibility with his audience as a result of having built a trustworthy relationship with them over time. (this said after admitting he'd never had a working class job and didn't know a damn thing about cars).
I see you doing that too, and commenting on it openly and well. Your paradigm of the writer and reader sharing an experience and recognizing one another as individuals doing such sharing feels loaded with Nebraska/Jungleland/Tom Joad/Land of Hope and Dreams /etc. And while noting the lack of any hint of reheated commentary, I've been reading Conversations with George Saunders, and again, it's remarkable how nothing you say feels oversaid, too clever, planned, or stagey. So, I conclude, as Zevon said when Bruce finished playing the guitar solo on Disorder in the House "So, you really ARE him!" (that solo being, for my money, the single best Guitar solo Springsteen ever put on vinyl, a gift to his dying friend not long before he passed. Literally blew out the amplifier in the studio (it's on film! and well worth the watch, if only for the look on Z's face while Bruce shredded)).
But we were talking about you, George. I digressed.
To gush further, this was, to me (a very dedicated viewer) one of the finer interviews of Klepper's, (him being so slouch at all) which speaks to you, his subject. It was nice him bringing up the 2016 NYer Trump piece. I've chosen this one interview to share with some relatives and friends unfamiliar with you and your work to explain to them why I'm always going on and about Saunders, Storyclub, the books, et al.
Congratulations on great segment. If you were to do some serious Chat-show slumming, you could teach Bill Maher a thing or two, but I think you're likely too kind for his kind.
"I've chosen this one interview to share with some relatives and friends unfamiliar with you and your work to explain to them why I'm always going on and about Saunders, Storyclub, the books, et al."
I just did the exact same thing last night! haha
Great interview. So charming, George…and the jacket looked amazing! Aside from that, so much insight which has tempered my despair. Thanks for sharing.
One of my very favorite late-night tv experiences was seeing John Irving parry and chat and laugh with Jon Stewart, many years ago. Cannot wait to watch this video — had no idea it was coming!
First of all, great suit. Love the blue lapels.
But I loved what you said even more. I do think the path forward is the pairing a truth and accountability with love, mercy and grace. It is a struggle with this crew we have in power. But as much as they aren’t helped by “yes-men” and lack of accountability, they also aren’t helped by hate. And neither are we.
This kind of paired well with our Chekhov discussion this week, as we dipped into the ideas of hope and despair, action and inaction.
Hope leaves open the possibility that things might get better (the crux of the “it gets better campaign). Despair is the opposite, it woos you to give up. It whispers lies in your ear that nothing will ever get better.
My oncologist told me once that she noticed a difference between we patients that got stuck in the “why me” phase and those that moved on from it. Everyone asks “why me” when something devastating happens. That’s normal. But you can’t stay there or you’ll just sink into the swamp of sadness, like Artax from the Neverending Story.
Anyway, your jokes also hit, which is always a relief. Especially on a comedy show. So, bravo.
That was fun to watch and it looked like you were having fun. I was interviewed a couple of years ago here in Louisville by someone from the Daily Show and, at the time, I wasn't entirely sure of who they were or of the significance of being on the show, so I had no qualms or nerves and really enjoyed the experience. BTW, I loved reading Vigil.
You need to do this much more often.
After reading Vigil, I had the same question Jordan asked. It's hard to recognize the "inevitability" of people like KJ Boone and the "incompetents," as you called them, without feeling like we're excusing their destructive behaviour. How do we thread that needle?
That's a deep topic. More here soon on that. But for now: that "inevitable occurrence" is Jill's view. The Frenchman holds a different view. I hold...both views. :)
Yeah... not something you can properly address in 10 minutes.
I watched it last night, and it was clearly edited. Thank you for posting the full interview. It is much better unedited.
Fabulous interview!
Yay, I tape that show and watch it the next evening, so looking forward to seeing your interview in situ, as well as the longer version.
George, I appreciate your words: "When this crumbles--and it's gonna do so and it's gonna be pretty catastrophic--those of us who are of the spirit could fill the void with an even better version." Yes! Thanks for the encouragement to fend off despair and to be "of the spirit."
Agree with Tess, but can't deny that I'm not 100 sure it will happen. Because it should doesn't mean it will. I Preparing myself and my loved ones for enduring in sensible kindness and strong communities eve if this Dark & Nightshade Carnival continues in some for or another. It really truly should crumble, either abruptly or piecemeal, because its yielded good for only the tiniest percentage of s tiny percentage. But short of violent revolution, there's historically been little evidence of change benefiting the most people occurring when such change means de-benefitting the richest .%
Sorry to mention the proverbial lumps in the punch-bowl. I want what we all want, but surety is unsure.
That stated, if it not only beneficial but critical that people like George are able to say it will crumble because i should crumble;e, and that they have outlets, the Daily Show being one, to say so. Thanking the messenger!
We must have hope. That’s two strong legs to stand on, minimum. We stand with you, George.