"Last official event!" In Japanese we say "otsukaresama deshita," which literally translates to "you are tired/it is tiring" but means something more like "thank you for all your hard work." I am sure you are also tired, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all your hard work George. For your books, your teachings, your time, warmth, and generosity of spirit you bestow upon us Story Clubbers. Otsukaresama deshita! These behind-the-scenes posts have been so much fun and I'm a little sad it's already coming to an end.
I just read those Japanese words to my husband (he's an American of Japanese descent) and he looked at me and then said OH and said the words back to me correctly.
I'm reading through comments from the last few posts and just saw you got a shoutout--how thrilling! Did you attend tonight's event as well? I have a picture of you in my mind and I like to imagine that I'd know your face in that auditorium full of people. But now, I also picture: Japanese-American husband. Wait, does this sound creepy? Oh I hope not . . .
Hahaha! No, not at all creepy! Just make sure when you imagine him that you see an incredibly handsome guy! (To sharpen your vision: his mother is Japanese--she grew up in Hawaii--and his father's people hail from Germany. It's a very nice pairing!) (And yes, the shout out from George was just really, really sweet and so unexpected. And yes, i DID go to last night's event. I think I'll post about it here in this thread in a bit.)
I did! Scroll down to find it. I hope I wasn't too negative in my little summation. Nick Offerman was a real prize, and it was sweet to see the two of them together. I forgot to mention that Jeff Tweedy sent a question along for Nick to read to George during the Q and A, and it was pretty funny--something along the lines of "Do you love Nick more than you love me?"
I will picture your husband handsome, and charming :).
I'm a similar mix: my mom is from Japan and my father is Polish-American, from Detroit (or Dearborn, for anyone who knows the area. Fordson High School grad--go Tractors!). I've probably mentioned this before--we're getting close to our one year anniversary in Story Club and I'm sure I've started repeating myself by now. My parents were both born after WW2 but there's still a lot of post-war trauma there, or more like--a void. The things we do not talk about. Mary, I saw elsewhere you wrote that your father shared so much of his story with you (wrote it down?) and I think that's incredible. What a gift. I wish my dad would do the same! I have so few stories of his. And my mother shares, but there are a lot of omissions and complete rewrites, so it's complicated.
And what S. said! Keep sharing, I get to live vicariously through you! I think of your shoutout and get the warm fuzzies.
Manami, i did two things with my dad. First, i bought one of those do-it-yourself fill-in-the blanks memoir books, with life questions for a person to answer. The one I found was very comprehensive. There was even one section that asked what you'd like to happen at your funeral--and it was actually nice to have that when he died. Like, he wanted my brother to sing a particular song, and so my brother was able to do that for him. (It also asked "how would you like to be remembered?" and I've been posing that same question to myself ever since.) Also there were things like, your greatest regret. Your religious beliefs. Your first love. After that, I took a notebook and at the top of each page, I wrote a question for my dad to answer regarding his work life. He was a criminal defense lawyer with a wonderful career and I felt the purchased book didn't cover that part of his life well enough. So, I made one myself! He said answering the questions was the best gift he'd ever gotten. I made copies of both books for my four siblings, and now we have so much to read about him, in his own words. It's pretty great. I bought that same book for my mom and encouraged her to fill it out, but she just did not do it. I'm bummed about that. I tried to ask her a lot of questions in the years before she died, but there's so much that i don't know and will never know. I guess that's just how life goes. And i think there are things a parent never tells their children, so my dad is still a mystery to me as well, despite the pages he wrote at my request. I hope you keep trying to get their stories--even with the omissions and changes. Memory is not trustworthy anyway. The stories morph and change, but they're still great stories. xo
It can also be said with friends and colleagues when out for drinks after work and cheersing. "Otsukaresama!" It's like, "to a job well done!" (But in my head I say, "I am tired" lol)
Thanks Rosanne, I totally missed that. I think I was secretly hoping it was a rider, an "I'll do the interview, but I need two mugs" kind of thing. (Just kidding!)
Hey StoryClubbers, you might want to checkout the rather profound podcast dropped today by The Ezra Klein Show called “George Saunders on the Braindead Megaphone that makes our politics so Awful”.
It’s rich with reflection, ambiguity, and revelation. My favourite line is George’s stated goal: to burn through disillusionment.
Thanks for the notes! I love adding to my (never-ending) TBR list. I have read "Marlena," and remember thinking it was beautifully written. A brutal read, but such an honest portrayal of what it's like to be a teenage girl and have an intense, fierce friendship with someone who is . . . well I won't say too much, but I've had a Marlena in my life, and Buntin just nails it. Another "read it!" vote!
It truly is a blessing! I only feel bad about all the diamonds that lay undiscovered. There just isn't enough time!
George posted something about Andrew Sean Greer recently (I think? maybe somewhere in the photo captions?) and I just recently finished "Less is Lost." "Less" was such a joyful joyful read, and I wasn't sure how I felt about a sequel . . . but I was so sad when it was over. Archie Less, you got me again! I'll be saying "we're all having our own experience" for the rest of my life. And, "Champagne!" I think Greer said there wouldn't be another Less book, but I hope he changes his mind ten years from now, because I'd love to revisit that character in the winter of his life. Sorry I'm rambling--but that's what I've recently read and loved and would shout at everyone, "put it on your list!"
I read Less twice, too! I had to revisit it during the early days of the pandemic when I needed something warm and comforting and funny. And it's just so sharply written--many things underlined in my copy.
But I think I was nervous for Less is Lost as well. The bar was high! And I'll admit, it took me a little while to get into. I finally had to power through once my library copy was due and then once I really got going, I couldn't stop. A friend of mine said she liked it even more than the first one--I didn't feel the same way, though I did like it. I'm hard on sequels, in general. I'm sure if I think hard enough I'll find one I liked more than the first (ooh I think I just did. The Empire Strikes Back!)
Rambling's good, we love rambling. Alas, however, I didn't love Less. Could not get into it. Felt very episodic to me. I kept starting it & putting it down and decided at last to put it down for good. Just not my thing. Life's too short & there's too much to read!
Yes I agree, life's too short to keep pushing through something that's just not for you. I used to make myself go at least 50 pages before I threw something in the DNF pile, but nowadays it could be as little as a page, a paragraph. I hope that doesn't sound cruel--considering all the work that goes into getting a book out into the world, and all the people who believe in it who make it happen . . .
I will say though that I have also given some books another try at a later date and found my feelings towards them have warmed. So maybe there's also a case of: wrong book at the wrong time. The mood was off. I tried to pair a perfectly nice wine with the wrong meal. Something like that.
Thanks for these links! Mogalson’s book has received a considerable amount of attention. He’s a magnificent foreign/war correspondent bringing all of his tools to bear on the rise of Christian Nationalism and the radical Right. Dee’s and Buntin’s books are discoveries for sure!
George also had very nice things to say about Julie Buntin's "Marlena" in one of his on-the-road posts & which included a photo, can't recall which one, but on his recommendation I have it on my list.
Thanks, Jane. I was just going to post it, too. I wanted to include the link but for some reason couldn't get this one to go this time. Anyway, a little dose of sanity on a day when we need it most here.
Thanks Jane. Just finished the podcast. I was hooked from the start when Ezra quoted George as saying, "The language we use and hear can increase the quotient of compassion and understanding we bring to the world." Oh man, what a tribute to the value of writing, reading, storytelling.....
I was at George's event last night at the Writer's Guild. i think that makes me winner of the Number One George Nerd Prize, since i went to both of his los angeles events. It was very different from the one moderated by Judd Apatow. Nick Offerman was very funny and engaging, and he and George clearly adore one another. But overall, it was a more subdued evening. The crowd was, perhaps, older...? The room less packed. And the atmosphere less festive for whatever reason. But I feel perhaps I'm being too picky and maybe it wasn't the room at all--maybe it was me, less nervous about seeing George in person since I'd already seen him a few nights ago. Hard to know. (For whatever reason, there were many seats toward the front that were blocked off as "reserved" and so remained empty all evening. This pushed the audience further back into the room and left a feeling of emptiness there at the front. I don't know why in the world they did such a thing, but it seemed to be a bad idea.) Nick Offerman started off by talking...a lot. I mean, maybe 10 minutes of him talking away while George waited patiently for a question to appear. (Later, Nick made a joke about his talking so much, which made him very human. He's so quick-witted! I can see why George loves hanging out with him!) George hit all of the key points. On my Bingo card, I got Hemingway, Lincoln, Chekhov, Tolstoy, the 500 pound tome on the Mexican wedding, Paula, Syracuse, Tobias Wolff, Custer in the Bardo, Buddhism....but he never said the words "micro-decisions" so I lost the game. Also, there was nothing about cats. For Nick Offerman fans who also adore George, it was a win-win. I have to admit to not knowing Offerman at all--I've never seen him in anything (yes, i skipped Parks and Rec entirely--sue me!) and I've never read his books. So he was a new element for me and i enjoyed his manner of speaking, his self-deprecation, and his underlying nervousness. Overall, the evening was really lovely, and George was his own sweet self, which was great. Congratulations on getting through all of it, George! I hope you feel love and adored, because you are. xo
OH! And i forgot to mention: George brought up the Einstein quote, with the caveat that there'd been a discussion on Story Club as to its true origins.... Not a true shout out to me, but close enough to make me smile!
Mary, we're getting to where pretty much everything is a shout out to you. You should smile. A lot. And...I can relate to the subdued nature of the second event. I wasn't there but I was at the Berkeley event. It was definitely subdued. Be glad you were at that lovely first one.
I should have put "kindness" on that list. How does George do it? How does he remain so kind to everyone? He talked about writing a character who is somewhat unlikeable, and then he puts in a little flaw that we all can relate to--like we find out this asshole has a sick child--and that makes us feel warmer toward that character. I think George walks around and sees the good in everybody. It's pretty amazing.
He talked about that in Chicago, too. It’s actually kindness that drew me to George in the first place. I always thought that there was an underlying dignity given to his characters.
Totally agree Lanie. It's all about the kindness. That's what drew me too. I learned about him through his podcast interviews rather than his writing. George seem like a really, really, good guy who spreads love and compassion with tremendous wit and humility. I feel lucky to have crossed paths with him.
For perhaps ornery reasons I have tried to concentrate on the stories we're all reading/thoughts on them and stayed away from the George Saunders home team adulations (not that GS asks for it, btw - it's us on story club that can get all gooey eyed). However, this morning's dog walk/pod cast listen I tuned into Ezra Klein's pod cast to perhaps get some perspective on the Midterm madness that played out last night. But, instead of electoral politics . . . there was George. Being in the biz I am, I deal with a lot of politicians, corporate CEOs, leaders of various stripes and a few sports icons. That world was taken over about thirty years ago by the rise of the professional "Media Trainer". It's only gotten worse to the point that, now, no matter how much thought you put into an interview, conjure up tricks to subvert or go around a media trained "celebrity", attempts to get something genuine or even spontaneous out of your subjects it is almost a complete impossibility. So feeling especially blue about this state of affairs after last night's elections I inadvertently stumbled upon our fearless leader on Klein's show. And, what leapt out in like the first minute, what arrested me, was that I was listening to that endangered species, a real honest-to-god human being. One who listened, honestly conversed with the host and even if some of his material is, by necessity (the book tour, doncha know) schtick or warmed over, it was astoundingly genuine. And the effect of that on Klein was pronounced. He's usually pretty humane, not a jerk, but does have his rock ribbed opinions. But soon into this interview with George you could feel him soften so that it became this interesting and specific conversation between two really intelligent guys. To use the cliche, it was like water in the desert and made those of us who toil in the public world yearn for more and despair for how far we are away from that. Hopefully, we're now back to the world of story with (huzzah, huzzah) that great one himself, Mr Chekov. But for now, I've a card carrying member the gooey eyed story clubbers in a sincere paeon to George.
Welcome to the gooey eyed club Stephen. George himself is a huge part of the magic going on here. The Clubbers are part of it too. George has set the tone and attracted such a great group. BTW - it was a podcast that originally hooked me into this. And, similar to you, I was stunned by George's candor and authenticity. Like, who does that anymore?
Commenting because you encouraged me to! :) Thank you for such an insightful, funny, and motivating conversation. I’m beyond grateful to have gotten the opportunity to hear you speak and also the bonus honor of saying hi afterwards.
How was the talk tonight with Nick Offerman? I have many, many memories of events at the Writers Guild Theatre (I moderated a discussion there once with author Michael Connelly), but I couldn't manage to go tonight and also last Thursday downtown.
It was fantastic! I laughed, I learned, I listened to two friends joking around and sharing that joy with us. Feel like I came out of it with my brain a little bit fuller of writerly wisdom. This was my first time at the Writers Guild Theater and I’m so glad I went.
Sounds great Isabella, very much in the tone of last week’s gathering with Judd Apatow. I’m so happy that Los Angeles had this Saunders to Apatow to Offerman double play!
Jeez, this is pretty amazing! Chekhov’s world. Thanks for finding this, Michael. Somewhere there’s a recording of Tolstoy reading from the Bible in various languages, including English. ❤️
Not sure about the Bible readings but did find Tolstoy reading a passage from his last major work, Wise Thoughts for Every Day, in four languages: French, English, Russian and German. The audio recordings were made at the writer’s home in Yasnaya Polyana on October 31, 1909, when he was 81 years old. Per the article on Open Culture, the English version sounds a bit like the King James Bible. The words are hard to make out in the recording, but he says:
That the object of life is self-perfection, the perfection of all immortal souls, that this is the only object of my life, is seen to be correct by the fact alone that every other object is essentially a new object. Therefore, the question whether thou hast done what thou shoudst have done is of immense importance, for the only meaning of thy life is in doing in this short term allowed thee, that which is desired of thee by He or That which has sent thee into life. Art thou doing the right thing?
Maybe this is closer? In 1892, Tolstoy published The Four Gospels Harmonized and Translated where he compared the Four Gospels, read the text in Greek and drew analogies with translations into other languages – Vulgate, Bibles in German, French, and English. Then in 1906 published The Gospel in Brief which is a synthesis of the four gospels into one narrative. In addition, Tolstoy's religious views were published in other works as in A Confession (1882) and What is Religion (1902). If interested to read more and make sense of all this, see this paper: https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/sendebar/article/download/1547/2611/
Bombard away George. I've loved being updated on your tour. I'm deep into Manuel Munoz, deep is how think of my reading since starting Story Club. And deeper how I think of my writing. Looking forward to more Checkov, more instruction and even more heavy bombardment.
I wonder what Mr Chekhov would think of having one of his stories as “a return to normal”? Come to think of it, he’d probably think “yeah, that’s about right” (except in Russia of course).
Hey Story Clubbers, here's some news: George will be on Colbert this Thursday, preceded by Emily Blunt. (So, a nice, classy show.)
And George, if you're out there, a question: At which Beverly Hills hotel were you a doorman? I graduated from BH High School; my family lived there until 1999, so I know downtown BH very well. And loads of experiences at the nice, intimate Writers Guild Theatre. (Fun fact: Directly across the street from that theater is the Los Angeles Consulate of Afghanistan.)
Thanks for the heads up, Robert! And Emily Blunt! I think she's just fantastic, so lovely and ridiculously talented--am really looking forward to "The English" premiere later this week.
Having read Nick Offerman's book with the hilarious chapter about his Glacier National Park adventure with George and Jeff Tweedy, I loved seeing this photo. Happy George got his glasses back. ;). And love this podcast interview. Glad there's still time for me at age 62. Now off to finish Liberation Day …
I haven't read this yet, but I have it in my TBR stack. I took a trip to Glacier this past summer, so I have a renewed motivation to get started on it. Thank you!
"Last official event!" In Japanese we say "otsukaresama deshita," which literally translates to "you are tired/it is tiring" but means something more like "thank you for all your hard work." I am sure you are also tired, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all your hard work George. For your books, your teachings, your time, warmth, and generosity of spirit you bestow upon us Story Clubbers. Otsukaresama deshita! These behind-the-scenes posts have been so much fun and I'm a little sad it's already coming to an end.
(I also have to ask: why two mugs?)
I just read those Japanese words to my husband (he's an American of Japanese descent) and he looked at me and then said OH and said the words back to me correctly.
Ha! I love it.
I'm reading through comments from the last few posts and just saw you got a shoutout--how thrilling! Did you attend tonight's event as well? I have a picture of you in my mind and I like to imagine that I'd know your face in that auditorium full of people. But now, I also picture: Japanese-American husband. Wait, does this sound creepy? Oh I hope not . . .
Hahaha! No, not at all creepy! Just make sure when you imagine him that you see an incredibly handsome guy! (To sharpen your vision: his mother is Japanese--she grew up in Hawaii--and his father's people hail from Germany. It's a very nice pairing!) (And yes, the shout out from George was just really, really sweet and so unexpected. And yes, i DID go to last night's event. I think I'll post about it here in this thread in a bit.)
Please do! I'm living through you, Mary g. since I can't go to these. It's thrilling to hear about it.
I did! Scroll down to find it. I hope I wasn't too negative in my little summation. Nick Offerman was a real prize, and it was sweet to see the two of them together. I forgot to mention that Jeff Tweedy sent a question along for Nick to read to George during the Q and A, and it was pretty funny--something along the lines of "Do you love Nick more than you love me?"
Hahahaha! Love that. "You're my favorite. Don't tell the others..."
I will picture your husband handsome, and charming :).
I'm a similar mix: my mom is from Japan and my father is Polish-American, from Detroit (or Dearborn, for anyone who knows the area. Fordson High School grad--go Tractors!). I've probably mentioned this before--we're getting close to our one year anniversary in Story Club and I'm sure I've started repeating myself by now. My parents were both born after WW2 but there's still a lot of post-war trauma there, or more like--a void. The things we do not talk about. Mary, I saw elsewhere you wrote that your father shared so much of his story with you (wrote it down?) and I think that's incredible. What a gift. I wish my dad would do the same! I have so few stories of his. And my mother shares, but there are a lot of omissions and complete rewrites, so it's complicated.
And what S. said! Keep sharing, I get to live vicariously through you! I think of your shoutout and get the warm fuzzies.
Manami, i did two things with my dad. First, i bought one of those do-it-yourself fill-in-the blanks memoir books, with life questions for a person to answer. The one I found was very comprehensive. There was even one section that asked what you'd like to happen at your funeral--and it was actually nice to have that when he died. Like, he wanted my brother to sing a particular song, and so my brother was able to do that for him. (It also asked "how would you like to be remembered?" and I've been posing that same question to myself ever since.) Also there were things like, your greatest regret. Your religious beliefs. Your first love. After that, I took a notebook and at the top of each page, I wrote a question for my dad to answer regarding his work life. He was a criminal defense lawyer with a wonderful career and I felt the purchased book didn't cover that part of his life well enough. So, I made one myself! He said answering the questions was the best gift he'd ever gotten. I made copies of both books for my four siblings, and now we have so much to read about him, in his own words. It's pretty great. I bought that same book for my mom and encouraged her to fill it out, but she just did not do it. I'm bummed about that. I tried to ask her a lot of questions in the years before she died, but there's so much that i don't know and will never know. I guess that's just how life goes. And i think there are things a parent never tells their children, so my dad is still a mystery to me as well, despite the pages he wrote at my request. I hope you keep trying to get their stories--even with the omissions and changes. Memory is not trustworthy anyway. The stories morph and change, but they're still great stories. xo
Thank you so much Mary, you've given me some wonderful ideas. I will try!
I love learning these new words, 🙏!
It can also be said with friends and colleagues when out for drinks after work and cheersing. "Otsukaresama!" It's like, "to a job well done!" (But in my head I say, "I am tired" lol)
A lovely comment. Thank you!
Thank you, Robin!
I think that the mugs are "merch" for the podcast, one blue, one cream--there's mention of mugs at the top of the show & somewhere in the fine print.
Thanks Rosanne, I totally missed that. I think I was secretly hoping it was a rider, an "I'll do the interview, but I need two mugs" kind of thing. (Just kidding!)
Hey StoryClubbers, you might want to checkout the rather profound podcast dropped today by The Ezra Klein Show called “George Saunders on the Braindead Megaphone that makes our politics so Awful”.
It’s rich with reflection, ambiguity, and revelation. My favourite line is George’s stated goal: to burn through disillusionment.
OK Story Clubbers, I took notes on the last question Ezra Klein asked. Three books George Saunders is reading (The Ezra Klein Show):
“The Storm is Here” by Luke Mogalson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59883591-the-storm-is-here
“Sugar Street” by Jonathan Dee. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60430268-sugar-street
“Marlena” by Julie Buntin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30199414-marlena
Thanks for the notes! I love adding to my (never-ending) TBR list. I have read "Marlena," and remember thinking it was beautifully written. A brutal read, but such an honest portrayal of what it's like to be a teenage girl and have an intense, fierce friendship with someone who is . . . well I won't say too much, but I've had a Marlena in my life, and Buntin just nails it. Another "read it!" vote!
This is good to know---just moved it up in my pile, the giant teetering one. It really is a blessing, having all sorts of good stuff to read.
It truly is a blessing! I only feel bad about all the diamonds that lay undiscovered. There just isn't enough time!
George posted something about Andrew Sean Greer recently (I think? maybe somewhere in the photo captions?) and I just recently finished "Less is Lost." "Less" was such a joyful joyful read, and I wasn't sure how I felt about a sequel . . . but I was so sad when it was over. Archie Less, you got me again! I'll be saying "we're all having our own experience" for the rest of my life. And, "Champagne!" I think Greer said there wouldn't be another Less book, but I hope he changes his mind ten years from now, because I'd love to revisit that character in the winter of his life. Sorry I'm rambling--but that's what I've recently read and loved and would shout at everyone, "put it on your list!"
I read Less twice! Nervous for Less is Lost, but of course, i'll read it...one of these days!
I read Less twice, too! I had to revisit it during the early days of the pandemic when I needed something warm and comforting and funny. And it's just so sharply written--many things underlined in my copy.
But I think I was nervous for Less is Lost as well. The bar was high! And I'll admit, it took me a little while to get into. I finally had to power through once my library copy was due and then once I really got going, I couldn't stop. A friend of mine said she liked it even more than the first one--I didn't feel the same way, though I did like it. I'm hard on sequels, in general. I'm sure if I think hard enough I'll find one I liked more than the first (ooh I think I just did. The Empire Strikes Back!)
Rambling's good, we love rambling. Alas, however, I didn't love Less. Could not get into it. Felt very episodic to me. I kept starting it & putting it down and decided at last to put it down for good. Just not my thing. Life's too short & there's too much to read!
Yes I agree, life's too short to keep pushing through something that's just not for you. I used to make myself go at least 50 pages before I threw something in the DNF pile, but nowadays it could be as little as a page, a paragraph. I hope that doesn't sound cruel--considering all the work that goes into getting a book out into the world, and all the people who believe in it who make it happen . . .
I will say though that I have also given some books another try at a later date and found my feelings towards them have warmed. So maybe there's also a case of: wrong book at the wrong time. The mood was off. I tried to pair a perfectly nice wine with the wrong meal. Something like that.
Thanks for these links! Mogalson’s book has received a considerable amount of attention. He’s a magnificent foreign/war correspondent bringing all of his tools to bear on the rise of Christian Nationalism and the radical Right. Dee’s and Buntin’s books are discoveries for sure!
George also had very nice things to say about Julie Buntin's "Marlena" in one of his on-the-road posts & which included a photo, can't recall which one, but on his recommendation I have it on my list.
Thank you!!!
Thanks, Jane. I was just going to post it, too. I wanted to include the link but for some reason couldn't get this one to go this time. Anyway, a little dose of sanity on a day when we need it most here.
I'm on the last 15 minutes. It's so good. Might listen twice.
Thanks Jane. Just finished the podcast. I was hooked from the start when Ezra quoted George as saying, "The language we use and hear can increase the quotient of compassion and understanding we bring to the world." Oh man, what a tribute to the value of writing, reading, storytelling.....
I'm on it and look forward to it!
Was just going to post this. I have a lot of listening to do!
Thanks! Perfect timing. I need something today.
I was at George's event last night at the Writer's Guild. i think that makes me winner of the Number One George Nerd Prize, since i went to both of his los angeles events. It was very different from the one moderated by Judd Apatow. Nick Offerman was very funny and engaging, and he and George clearly adore one another. But overall, it was a more subdued evening. The crowd was, perhaps, older...? The room less packed. And the atmosphere less festive for whatever reason. But I feel perhaps I'm being too picky and maybe it wasn't the room at all--maybe it was me, less nervous about seeing George in person since I'd already seen him a few nights ago. Hard to know. (For whatever reason, there were many seats toward the front that were blocked off as "reserved" and so remained empty all evening. This pushed the audience further back into the room and left a feeling of emptiness there at the front. I don't know why in the world they did such a thing, but it seemed to be a bad idea.) Nick Offerman started off by talking...a lot. I mean, maybe 10 minutes of him talking away while George waited patiently for a question to appear. (Later, Nick made a joke about his talking so much, which made him very human. He's so quick-witted! I can see why George loves hanging out with him!) George hit all of the key points. On my Bingo card, I got Hemingway, Lincoln, Chekhov, Tolstoy, the 500 pound tome on the Mexican wedding, Paula, Syracuse, Tobias Wolff, Custer in the Bardo, Buddhism....but he never said the words "micro-decisions" so I lost the game. Also, there was nothing about cats. For Nick Offerman fans who also adore George, it was a win-win. I have to admit to not knowing Offerman at all--I've never seen him in anything (yes, i skipped Parks and Rec entirely--sue me!) and I've never read his books. So he was a new element for me and i enjoyed his manner of speaking, his self-deprecation, and his underlying nervousness. Overall, the evening was really lovely, and George was his own sweet self, which was great. Congratulations on getting through all of it, George! I hope you feel love and adored, because you are. xo
OH! And i forgot to mention: George brought up the Einstein quote, with the caveat that there'd been a discussion on Story Club as to its true origins.... Not a true shout out to me, but close enough to make me smile!
Mary, we're getting to where pretty much everything is a shout out to you. You should smile. A lot. And...I can relate to the subdued nature of the second event. I wasn't there but I was at the Berkeley event. It was definitely subdued. Be glad you were at that lovely first one.
Oh, Kurt, I smiled so brightly after the Judd Apatow event, I thought I would light on fire.
Your bingo card list was spot on and made me giggle.
I should have put "kindness" on that list. How does George do it? How does he remain so kind to everyone? He talked about writing a character who is somewhat unlikeable, and then he puts in a little flaw that we all can relate to--like we find out this asshole has a sick child--and that makes us feel warmer toward that character. I think George walks around and sees the good in everybody. It's pretty amazing.
He talked about that in Chicago, too. It’s actually kindness that drew me to George in the first place. I always thought that there was an underlying dignity given to his characters.
Totally agree Lanie. It's all about the kindness. That's what drew me too. I learned about him through his podcast interviews rather than his writing. George seem like a really, really, good guy who spreads love and compassion with tremendous wit and humility. I feel lucky to have crossed paths with him.
These extra normal posts have been great. I'm getting a good dose of vicarious fun.
For perhaps ornery reasons I have tried to concentrate on the stories we're all reading/thoughts on them and stayed away from the George Saunders home team adulations (not that GS asks for it, btw - it's us on story club that can get all gooey eyed). However, this morning's dog walk/pod cast listen I tuned into Ezra Klein's pod cast to perhaps get some perspective on the Midterm madness that played out last night. But, instead of electoral politics . . . there was George. Being in the biz I am, I deal with a lot of politicians, corporate CEOs, leaders of various stripes and a few sports icons. That world was taken over about thirty years ago by the rise of the professional "Media Trainer". It's only gotten worse to the point that, now, no matter how much thought you put into an interview, conjure up tricks to subvert or go around a media trained "celebrity", attempts to get something genuine or even spontaneous out of your subjects it is almost a complete impossibility. So feeling especially blue about this state of affairs after last night's elections I inadvertently stumbled upon our fearless leader on Klein's show. And, what leapt out in like the first minute, what arrested me, was that I was listening to that endangered species, a real honest-to-god human being. One who listened, honestly conversed with the host and even if some of his material is, by necessity (the book tour, doncha know) schtick or warmed over, it was astoundingly genuine. And the effect of that on Klein was pronounced. He's usually pretty humane, not a jerk, but does have his rock ribbed opinions. But soon into this interview with George you could feel him soften so that it became this interesting and specific conversation between two really intelligent guys. To use the cliche, it was like water in the desert and made those of us who toil in the public world yearn for more and despair for how far we are away from that. Hopefully, we're now back to the world of story with (huzzah, huzzah) that great one himself, Mr Chekov. But for now, I've a card carrying member the gooey eyed story clubbers in a sincere paeon to George.
Welcome to the gooey eyed club Stephen. George himself is a huge part of the magic going on here. The Clubbers are part of it too. George has set the tone and attracted such a great group. BTW - it was a podcast that originally hooked me into this. And, similar to you, I was stunned by George's candor and authenticity. Like, who does that anymore?
Thank you, Stephen, for your perspective!!
Commenting because you encouraged me to! :) Thank you for such an insightful, funny, and motivating conversation. I’m beyond grateful to have gotten the opportunity to hear you speak and also the bonus honor of saying hi afterwards.
Great meeting you tonight, Isabella! That was so fun.
And good luck with your work.
Thank you so much! I can’t describe how much this means to me.
How was the talk tonight with Nick Offerman? I have many, many memories of events at the Writers Guild Theatre (I moderated a discussion there once with author Michael Connelly), but I couldn't manage to go tonight and also last Thursday downtown.
It was fantastic! I laughed, I learned, I listened to two friends joking around and sharing that joy with us. Feel like I came out of it with my brain a little bit fuller of writerly wisdom. This was my first time at the Writers Guild Theater and I’m so glad I went.
Sounds great Isabella, very much in the tone of last week’s gathering with Judd Apatow. I’m so happy that Los Angeles had this Saunders to Apatow to Offerman double play!
Since we're going back to Rus in a bit, here's some footage of 1896 Mockba that's been restored with AI...
https://youtu.be/6FN06Hf1iFk
Jeez, this is pretty amazing! Chekhov’s world. Thanks for finding this, Michael. Somewhere there’s a recording of Tolstoy reading from the Bible in various languages, including English. ❤️
Not sure about the Bible readings but did find Tolstoy reading a passage from his last major work, Wise Thoughts for Every Day, in four languages: French, English, Russian and German. The audio recordings were made at the writer’s home in Yasnaya Polyana on October 31, 1909, when he was 81 years old. Per the article on Open Culture, the English version sounds a bit like the King James Bible. The words are hard to make out in the recording, but he says:
That the object of life is self-perfection, the perfection of all immortal souls, that this is the only object of my life, is seen to be correct by the fact alone that every other object is essentially a new object. Therefore, the question whether thou hast done what thou shoudst have done is of immense importance, for the only meaning of thy life is in doing in this short term allowed thee, that which is desired of thee by He or That which has sent thee into life. Art thou doing the right thing?
https://www.openculture.com/2012/05/rare_recording_leo_tolstoy_reads_his_work_in_four_languages_1909.html
Maybe this is closer? In 1892, Tolstoy published The Four Gospels Harmonized and Translated where he compared the Four Gospels, read the text in Greek and drew analogies with translations into other languages – Vulgate, Bibles in German, French, and English. Then in 1906 published The Gospel in Brief which is a synthesis of the four gospels into one narrative. In addition, Tolstoy's religious views were published in other works as in A Confession (1882) and What is Religion (1902). If interested to read more and make sense of all this, see this paper: https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/sendebar/article/download/1547/2611/
You always do such a great deep dive, thank you for this Nan.
this is incredible.
I also found this in addition to the other recording noted...
https://youtu.be/lwXtRJAKzPU
Wow. Cool. Thanks. (BTW, there was a piece in the NYT recently about Phillip Dick that made me think of you. Did you see it?)
I did read that. What a mind that guy had.
What a great thing to wake up to this community and all the posts full of hope and energy. Enjoyed the podcast.
Bombard away George. I've loved being updated on your tour. I'm deep into Manuel Munoz, deep is how think of my reading since starting Story Club. And deeper how I think of my writing. Looking forward to more Checkov, more instruction and even more heavy bombardment.
Bombard away, George! Excellent conversation with Sam. And, we like photos.
I wonder what Mr Chekhov would think of having one of his stories as “a return to normal”? Come to think of it, he’d probably think “yeah, that’s about right” (except in Russia of course).
Hey Story Clubbers, here's some news: George will be on Colbert this Thursday, preceded by Emily Blunt. (So, a nice, classy show.)
And George, if you're out there, a question: At which Beverly Hills hotel were you a doorman? I graduated from BH High School; my family lived there until 1999, so I know downtown BH very well. And loads of experiences at the nice, intimate Writers Guild Theatre. (Fun fact: Directly across the street from that theater is the Los Angeles Consulate of Afghanistan.)
300 N.Swall. Condos. Used to be called The Four Seasons (not affiliated w the hotel chain).
Thanks for the heads up, Robert! And Emily Blunt! I think she's just fantastic, so lovely and ridiculously talented--am really looking forward to "The English" premiere later this week.
Thank you as ever, George, and to everyone in this kind community.
Having read Nick Offerman's book with the hilarious chapter about his Glacier National Park adventure with George and Jeff Tweedy, I loved seeing this photo. Happy George got his glasses back. ;). And love this podcast interview. Glad there's still time for me at age 62. Now off to finish Liberation Day …
I haven't read this yet, but I have it in my TBR stack. I took a trip to Glacier this past summer, so I have a renewed motivation to get started on it. Thank you!
We did the audiobook during a long drive, read by Nick himself. Would be a great holiday road trip "read."
This was a very honest soulful conversation. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Have a great event tonight, George. Enjoy!