I really look forward to your posts; they're all so good! But I get 'finger-tied' (the digital version of tongue-tied) as I write to you and this community at large. I wonder if others feel the same shyness at saying something, anything to you, one the best writers on the planet. My infernal critic is saying "Jeez, what trivia, such a dumb-ass comment, who cares?"
Kate, I went through a lot of that when I first discovered this forum. I think it was / is George’s down-to-earth way of being in the world that helped me let go of that. His way of communicating that yes, we are all in this together, and every one of us matters, carrying as we each do an entire universe of love, joy, despair, triumph and tragedy within us: amazing and priceless stories.
Thanks, it’s so nice of you to write, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I agree that George Saunders is a very caring and approachable person— that’s evident in his writing and all that he shares with his readers. It’s weird for me to be tongue-tied, as I’m a pretty forthright person who ordinarily is not shy at all!
Hey Kate. I sometimes post something here and then I worry that it's too dumb and I delete it. So you're not at all alone in worrying. But what I've found is that this is really a major judgment-free zone, all credit to George who created this place and set the tone. Please comment away! You are an equal around these parts!
I feel some degree of that almost every time I comment here. (Or anywhere, really...) Sometimes it's just a tiny niggle, and other times it's so big I delete and walk away.
Truly, the only time I have ever thought to myself, "Well, that's a dumb-ass comment," has been when someone has been terribly rude or intolerant — which is almost unheard of in these parts.
I say let those fingers loose! Let them fly! We are happy to have you here.
Kate, my feeling much of the time, esp. in the light of so many of good insights and critiques. Perhaps the advice of David and Sara and Mary g. is the answer to finger-tied.
So I’ll act on that and add that George and Samin Nosrat had a great discussion in Berkeley a week ago that included a quote from Samin via her friend Kevin, who attributed it to Flaubert: Prose is like hair; it shines with combing.
Yes, Kate, I have often felt the same! I'm usually a little behind with reading the posts, and by the time I do, there are so many thoughtful, insightful comments, it doesn't seem I would add much by jumping in. Sometimes I do anyway, but sometimes I stay stuck in that feeling that no one will care what I have to say, so why bother. So, yes, I can relate . . . and wanted to say I'm glad you posted and I hope you will again when you have something you want to share. (And I'm reminding myself to do that too!)
Thanks, Melissa! Although I was an early and enthusiastic subscriber, It took me months before I posted anything, mainly because I was too busy to read whatever George had the group reacting to and didn’t read half of the posts. When I finally tuned in, I was chagrined to realize all that I had missed. Now I’m close to being addicted!
Yes, you’re right— and it’s so gratifying! I see that you’re very active on here. It’s good that I don’t have anything pressing on the agenda today. I find myself checking my iPhone for the latest comments— they produce little blips of seroton!
Please believe me, Melissa, when I say that I do care what you have to say! I'm one of those people who reads every post--I have to stop myself from commenting on everyone's posts because that would be pretty obnoxious.
I read the comments here in Story Club and get so much out of them. People notice things about a story that I hadn't, and I agree with Kate Kerr, it's close to an addiction. Sure beats other social media, though! And, if this was a "real" in-person classroom, none of us would chat this much–– or for so long after a lesson is officially "over"... as the lessons here are never really over.
Yes, I agree. Even when I feel I am too late to the conversation, I learn a lot from reading others' responses and reactions to the stories. There are always so many insightful and thought-provoking responses!
Write on Kate. Who knows what words may turn out to be diamond nuggets for you or others someplace down the road ahead? It's kicking on towards a year since George launched 🚀Story Club and one of the key stories that seems to 🏃♀️ and 🏃♂️ is that we are all, day by day, still gently 'feeling our way', 'testing the limits', 'beating the boundary' ... just make sure you've got your version of 'The Saunders Silo Sack' with you so that any word string that strikes you as particularly interesting and potentially helpful gets picked up ... just thankful that we are operating in a virtual environment because otherwise my silo sack would be way too heavy to lug around 🛍
I know what you’re on about. But I think when we get back to discussing an actual story your finger-tiedness will get unknotted. Other than simply appreciating getting an inside view into the life and times of a truly great, American writer it’s hard to say much other than “thank you “. On a mutually read and thought through story, I’m sure you’ll have a lot to say.
Oh, gosh, Kate, "dumb-ass" away. You only think you're "dumb-assing" but what you're really doing is adding your vital voice, one we all want to hear, to a community of the good-hearted & like-minded. You're definitely in the right place, rare as such a place is these days, and if what you have to say is genuine & has nothing of spite in it, we're all ears or, I guess, eyes in this case. As for your internal critic, we all have one. Mine is named Mrs. Honyak. You can guess by the name what sort of relationship we have.
Yep, I realize that most of us have an interior critic. And just to be clear, that wasn’t a typo; I meant to characterize my internal critic as ‘infernal’, as it can be so diabolical! While I have never named the nagging naysayer, I do periodically tell it to shut up!
Infernal! Yep, that's it. My Mrs. Honyak has a backstory, complete with cartoon drawing that I keep near my desk. I find it easier to yell at something I can see, or at least see better. Mrs. Honyak (first name: Gorgonula, after, of course, the Gorgons) has a backstory that includes a poor put-upon husband (wears only those Stanley Kowalski strapped undershirts), two wayward children (let's not go there). Also, fat ankles, a bad perm, a pocketbook in which she keeps certain "lists", and a wardrobe of cheap rayon dresses into which she squeezes her, um, abundant visage. And lastly, the words by which Mrs. Honyak lives: I came, I criticized, I left.
Yeah, have at it; I didn’t copyright it! There’s more where that came from. There are around a half million words in the English language and the human brain has about 86 billion neurons that can invent gazillion combinations...
I love this post. It’s really all about finding satisfaction and or bliss in the moment, wherever possible, I believe, whether one is building a shed or feeding a child or hiking the PCT or writing a story…
Last night at the laundromat as I stood there not ironing but folding clothes and between loads, reading all of your posts here, I thought of the Story Club members and our learned leader across the nation and wondered what you were all doing at that moment. I thought of E.M. Forster's entreaty to "...only connect" and it occurred to me that that's what George has done with Story Club--connecting us all.
Here's another thought. Regarding despair, though I've had a couple of stories published, I've experienced no shortage of deep despair and what buoys me is reminding myself how thrilling it is simply to be a student of writing, how the process and possibility of growth is endless and challenging and fulfilling.
Congratulations, George, on what sounds like a wildly successful book tour! May you sleep the sleep of the victorious.
Erica, thank you so much for reminding me that I want to read this (I remember you mentioning it way back in the "shitty jobs" discussion). Just added it to my library requests!
Thank you so much, George. I’ve mostly resided in the “Despair” and occasionally the “Is it good?” phases. My own cycle takes a sharp turn to “It can’t be” and then “Give up” and then back to “Despair”. 🤣😅😓 I’ve never had the courage to move to the “send it out” phase. Just hearing that these are places that even you go through - even now! - is tremendously encouraging and makes me want to stop curtailing the cycle.
I would encourage you to send out your work. (If you’re a fiction writer, Duotrope is a good place to look for markets.) Anyway, what’s the worst that could happen? You will be rejected. That is part of being a writer, but it doesn’t mean you’re not good, just that a certain publication didn’t need your work at a certain time. You’ll never fathom why, and it doesn’t pay to waste energy thinking about it. I just shrug, and send it to the next place on my list. I’m not nearly as well-known or successful as George (who, like me, still gets rejected, by the way), but I’ve been writing a long time and through tenacity have about a hundred stories in print. (Well, some of them are out of print now.) George is right: the most satisfying part of the writing/publishing process is the moment you’ve finished a story you believe in. I guess what I’m saying is: trust your judgment.
I'm afraid extremely topical jokes from thirty years ago don't age particularly well. I'll just say that some of those Dan Quayle jokes were mine. It was fun to write something at my desk on Friday night and hear it on national TV that Monday.
Btw, thanks for promoting my link to Shepherd; I should be doing that myself every chance I get. The people there have an interesting concept and were extremely nice to deal with.
I need to get on that schedule! I recently learned that what I do instead has a name: revenge bedtime procrastination. No one tells me when to sleep! Not even me!
Well, it was my kids who originally got me on that schedule by waking me up at 5:30 am for four years running... now I am just so accustomed to it that I can't quit!
Bedtime is also when I do the most reading, so I'll put the kiddos to bed, climb into mine and then have some glorious quiet book time all by myself. It's the best.
I was an early riser before having my daughter (this wasn't always the case, but when I became a morning person I felt like I'd "finally grown up") but it's the interrupted sleep that's killing me. When does it stop!?
Her bedtime is when I finally get "me" time--and like you, it's when I do the most reading, but the best reading always either leads to more reading or turns my brain into a pinball machine . . .
I don’t know… my kids are 6 and 8 now and the 6 year old still wakes up sooo early. They both sleep through the night now, but neither did until after they were 2. It was 4 years of insane sleep deprivation that got so bad I was convinced I had early onset dementia.
Every once in a while my reading leads to too much reading, but I get so sleepy I usually can’t go too late.
My real problem is waking up at 3 am and then deciding I should read for awhile. 😬
I used to wonder why all moms got a little loopy and batty as they got older. Now I get it - the children completely break your brain!
I do so dislike apps that won’t let me edit my post, post-post, when I see a problem in my writing. [Thank you David Snider, S. Shepard. I see that the edit feature is available on the web interface, but not on the app.]
Hmm, I tried the three dots but there’s no “edit” - just “share link to comment”, “hide comment”, and “delete comment”. And I’m using the Substack app. What am I missing? 🙏
Thank you to the questioner and thank you George. How kind of you to share so many details of your adventure without polishing them up too much. Again you bless us with your honesty. I feel like you are returning from a hero’s journey, coming back to us to share the knowledge you have won during your struggles along the way. And the StoryClubbers were like helpful guardians along the way. BTW There is something about that self portrait in the hotel mirror that captures the disorienting nature of travel through multiple cities. It says it all. “Here I am. Right here. Everywhere. Nowhere”
I love that ultimately your satisfaction seems to reside more in the work -- in the process -- than in the end result. This is something I've intuited, and you seem to be confirming it. This can help with the anxiety about whether anything will come of it. It doesn't matter if anything comes of it, that's not the point. The point is to just keep working at it. (This is me talking myself through a typical doubt attack.)
I'm curious about the tiredness you photo-captioned about. Is it that you don't get enough sleep, don't have time for naps, simply don't want to stop to rest? Can you say?
Yes, I love this post also, as David writes just below. It makes me think of Pema Chodron's book Living with Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change. We are always in flux with any effort--starting, working along, finishing, and starting over except in those moments when we find flow (a theory developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) are magical but hard to sustain. It's a space where the person finds freedom to create in the endeavor at hand. So many what ifs deter us from entering a state of flow but sometimes it just happens.
Great post. Accepting that there's "no settled place of fulfillment" is actually fulfilling in itself, if you can indeed accept it. Sometimes, it ain't easy.
It always struck me as rather apt, or at least strangely coincidental, that Vonnegut, WWII veteran & author of the devastating "Slaughterhouse Five", should be born on Veterans' Day.
No, not yet, but I'm aware of it. I think that whatever one of those streaming services it was on was the one that I, of course, hadn't subscribed to. But it's been out a few years so it may be more widely available. Have you seen it? Did you see the short film, included in the link I sent, of V's explanation of how stories work? True. Also hilarious.
The Colbert Show seemed to give George a bit less time this visit (no bonus skit or song), but George managed to cram in all of the goodies about how he goes about a short story. As always from Colbert, good questions. Satisfying segment. Now...will Colbert’s reading of “Love Letter” at Symphony Hall appear on YouTube?
Seeing the stairs with Dylan's words on them reminds me of the time when my husband and I had just bought a house in Brooklyn and we painted our own little love poem, word by word, up the steps to the second floor, then covered the whole thing up with a carpet runner. I've always wished I could be there the day the new owners lifted up that runner and saw those words. And no, you don't get to know what they were!
Hey George, this has been such a gas, following along with your book tour and getting to see you in person. Thanks for all of this. You must be getting sick of hearing how generous and kind we all find you, but you know, sometimes the truth hurts. (Question: did you get the little gift I left for you at the stage door of Zipper Hall? Just wondering if it made it to you....)
I do like the idea of understanding and accepting the place in the process in which you find yourself. It’s necessary and part of the whole, so even when it’s a more scary or anxious part, there’s a little reminder that this, too, is good (and will hopefully pass until the next time you find yourself there).
I’ve missed the book signing as well these past couple of years. It’s still a joy to simply be present at the event and her some great questions and answers and laugh and sign with the others around me.
I am glad, though, that was at least one time in the past when George was able and kind enough to chat, sign my large stack of books and even take a picture with me. Even after my friends and I had stalked him the whole weekend. In a friendly way. Not a creepy way (I hope). Like « happening to be at the place he was taken for lunch » because my friend worked there. And, well, half of us had been GAs in the English Department. We slyly took photos with George in the background (confession) but then we were introduced and he took pics with us with his actual consent, so that was nice and generous of him.
No regrets. We were young(ish), fans and had a blast.
Thank you for sharing your tour thoughts. I’ve so enjoyed the radio and podcast interviews - each one falling on my ears offering a new way of thinking of something just as I needed it. I wish you a new mess to sort into a story very soon, and I thank you for the reader experience. Rest well.
I really look forward to your posts; they're all so good! But I get 'finger-tied' (the digital version of tongue-tied) as I write to you and this community at large. I wonder if others feel the same shyness at saying something, anything to you, one the best writers on the planet. My infernal critic is saying "Jeez, what trivia, such a dumb-ass comment, who cares?"
Kate, I went through a lot of that when I first discovered this forum. I think it was / is George’s down-to-earth way of being in the world that helped me let go of that. His way of communicating that yes, we are all in this together, and every one of us matters, carrying as we each do an entire universe of love, joy, despair, triumph and tragedy within us: amazing and priceless stories.
Thanks, it’s so nice of you to write, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I agree that George Saunders is a very caring and approachable person— that’s evident in his writing and all that he shares with his readers. It’s weird for me to be tongue-tied, as I’m a pretty forthright person who ordinarily is not shy at all!
Hey Kate. I sometimes post something here and then I worry that it's too dumb and I delete it. So you're not at all alone in worrying. But what I've found is that this is really a major judgment-free zone, all credit to George who created this place and set the tone. Please comment away! You are an equal around these parts!
Your encouragement is heartwarming. It’s so essential to receive affirmation!
We all get intimidated by the ghosts of our pasts, it seems
Thanks, Mary! I thought I thanked you earlier, but that important little word is down below. We’ll see where this post lands!
Ha! i got it!
Thanks !
I feel some degree of that almost every time I comment here. (Or anywhere, really...) Sometimes it's just a tiny niggle, and other times it's so big I delete and walk away.
However, I know this is The Best Place on the Internet© and is populated by the kindest, smartest, most generous spirits I have ever had the pleasure to meet virtually.
Truly, the only time I have ever thought to myself, "Well, that's a dumb-ass comment," has been when someone has been terribly rude or intolerant — which is almost unheard of in these parts.
I say let those fingers loose! Let them fly! We are happy to have you here.
the best place on the Internet© ... so perfect 😄
Sara, i always love your posts.
Kate, my feeling much of the time, esp. in the light of so many of good insights and critiques. Perhaps the advice of David and Sara and Mary g. is the answer to finger-tied.
So I’ll act on that and add that George and Samin Nosrat had a great discussion in Berkeley a week ago that included a quote from Samin via her friend Kevin, who attributed it to Flaubert: Prose is like hair; it shines with combing.
True, John, but the imp in me wants to point out that, like hair, words can also get tangled up!
You're right, of course. And if we comb them perhaps they'll shine with a glossy brilliance, even a knotty glossy brilliance.
That must have been a great event. I would have loved to see them both!
It was a happy, attentive mood with lots of laughter on the stage and in the audience.
Thanks Sara.
Yes, Kate, I have often felt the same! I'm usually a little behind with reading the posts, and by the time I do, there are so many thoughtful, insightful comments, it doesn't seem I would add much by jumping in. Sometimes I do anyway, but sometimes I stay stuck in that feeling that no one will care what I have to say, so why bother. So, yes, I can relate . . . and wanted to say I'm glad you posted and I hope you will again when you have something you want to share. (And I'm reminding myself to do that too!)
Thanks, Melissa! Although I was an early and enthusiastic subscriber, It took me months before I posted anything, mainly because I was too busy to read whatever George had the group reacting to and didn’t read half of the posts. When I finally tuned in, I was chagrined to realize all that I had missed. Now I’m close to being addicted!
And look, Kate, at the responses you have garnered with your post! Words go a long way with this group of readers. More, please!
Yes, you’re right— and it’s so gratifying! I see that you’re very active on here. It’s good that I don’t have anything pressing on the agenda today. I find myself checking my iPhone for the latest comments— they produce little blips of seroton!
Story Club: the ultimate mood-enhancer!
Please believe me, Melissa, when I say that I do care what you have to say! I'm one of those people who reads every post--I have to stop myself from commenting on everyone's posts because that would be pretty obnoxious.
I read the comments here in Story Club and get so much out of them. People notice things about a story that I hadn't, and I agree with Kate Kerr, it's close to an addiction. Sure beats other social media, though! And, if this was a "real" in-person classroom, none of us would chat this much–– or for so long after a lesson is officially "over"... as the lessons here are never really over.
Yes, I agree. Even when I feel I am too late to the conversation, I learn a lot from reading others' responses and reactions to the stories. There are always so many insightful and thought-provoking responses!
You never know what you might be able to add to a conversation until you add it.
Write on Kate. Who knows what words may turn out to be diamond nuggets for you or others someplace down the road ahead? It's kicking on towards a year since George launched 🚀Story Club and one of the key stories that seems to 🏃♀️ and 🏃♂️ is that we are all, day by day, still gently 'feeling our way', 'testing the limits', 'beating the boundary' ... just make sure you've got your version of 'The Saunders Silo Sack' with you so that any word string that strikes you as particularly interesting and potentially helpful gets picked up ... just thankful that we are operating in a virtual environment because otherwise my silo sack would be way too heavy to lug around 🛍
I know what you’re on about. But I think when we get back to discussing an actual story your finger-tiedness will get unknotted. Other than simply appreciating getting an inside view into the life and times of a truly great, American writer it’s hard to say much other than “thank you “. On a mutually read and thought through story, I’m sure you’ll have a lot to say.
You may be right!
Oh, gosh, Kate, "dumb-ass" away. You only think you're "dumb-assing" but what you're really doing is adding your vital voice, one we all want to hear, to a community of the good-hearted & like-minded. You're definitely in the right place, rare as such a place is these days, and if what you have to say is genuine & has nothing of spite in it, we're all ears or, I guess, eyes in this case. As for your internal critic, we all have one. Mine is named Mrs. Honyak. You can guess by the name what sort of relationship we have.
Yep, I realize that most of us have an interior critic. And just to be clear, that wasn’t a typo; I meant to characterize my internal critic as ‘infernal’, as it can be so diabolical! While I have never named the nagging naysayer, I do periodically tell it to shut up!
Infernal! Yep, that's it. My Mrs. Honyak has a backstory, complete with cartoon drawing that I keep near my desk. I find it easier to yell at something I can see, or at least see better. Mrs. Honyak (first name: Gorgonula, after, of course, the Gorgons) has a backstory that includes a poor put-upon husband (wears only those Stanley Kowalski strapped undershirts), two wayward children (let's not go there). Also, fat ankles, a bad perm, a pocketbook in which she keeps certain "lists", and a wardrobe of cheap rayon dresses into which she squeezes her, um, abundant visage. And lastly, the words by which Mrs. Honyak lives: I came, I criticized, I left.
I’ll acknowledge her presence in your mind, but this is the first and last time I will mention her, lest she creep into my mind!
It is rare.
Yes, I’ve felt that, and feel that.
"Finger-tied!" I like it.
Hope you don't mind if I steal it.
Yeah, have at it; I didn’t copyright it! There’s more where that came from. There are around a half million words in the English language and the human brain has about 86 billion neurons that can invent gazillion combinations...
I love this post. It’s really all about finding satisfaction and or bliss in the moment, wherever possible, I believe, whether one is building a shed or feeding a child or hiking the PCT or writing a story…
Indeed David. Be here now. With gratitude.
!!!!
Another fantastic Q And A. Whoever asked that question, I say to you, what a great question.
Last night at the laundromat as I stood there not ironing but folding clothes and between loads, reading all of your posts here, I thought of the Story Club members and our learned leader across the nation and wondered what you were all doing at that moment. I thought of E.M. Forster's entreaty to "...only connect" and it occurred to me that that's what George has done with Story Club--connecting us all.
Here's another thought. Regarding despair, though I've had a couple of stories published, I've experienced no shortage of deep despair and what buoys me is reminding myself how thrilling it is simply to be a student of writing, how the process and possibility of growth is endless and challenging and fulfilling.
Congratulations, George, on what sounds like a wildly successful book tour! May you sleep the sleep of the victorious.
"Last night at the laundromat..." would be a great first line.
Stewart O'Nan has a wonderful novel called Last Night at the Lobster. I wonder if I had that somewhere in my mind...
Erica, thank you so much for reminding me that I want to read this (I remember you mentioning it way back in the "shitty jobs" discussion). Just added it to my library requests!
It is wonderful to be a student-- love this post.
Thank you so much, George. I’ve mostly resided in the “Despair” and occasionally the “Is it good?” phases. My own cycle takes a sharp turn to “It can’t be” and then “Give up” and then back to “Despair”. 🤣😅😓 I’ve never had the courage to move to the “send it out” phase. Just hearing that these are places that even you go through - even now! - is tremendously encouraging and makes me want to stop curtailing the cycle.
Hey Leslie,
I would encourage you to send out your work. (If you’re a fiction writer, Duotrope is a good place to look for markets.) Anyway, what’s the worst that could happen? You will be rejected. That is part of being a writer, but it doesn’t mean you’re not good, just that a certain publication didn’t need your work at a certain time. You’ll never fathom why, and it doesn’t pay to waste energy thinking about it. I just shrug, and send it to the next place on my list. I’m not nearly as well-known or successful as George (who, like me, still gets rejected, by the way), but I’ve been writing a long time and through tenacity have about a hundred stories in print. (Well, some of them are out of print now.) George is right: the most satisfying part of the writing/publishing process is the moment you’ve finished a story you believe in. I guess what I’m saying is: trust your judgment.
https://shepherd.com/best-books/literary-fiction-that-made-me-laugh-out-loud
great websites and book recommendations. Now I’d love to know about the jokes you wrote for Jay Leno!
I'm afraid extremely topical jokes from thirty years ago don't age particularly well. I'll just say that some of those Dan Quayle jokes were mine. It was fun to write something at my desk on Friday night and hear it on national TV that Monday.
Btw, thanks for promoting my link to Shepherd; I should be doing that myself every chance I get. The people there have an interesting concept and were extremely nice to deal with.
Shepherd is a great idea. Anyway, jeez, doesn't Dan Quayle seem harmless now...
Curtailing that cycle is liberating. A moment-by-moment process. Breathe.
Best wishes on your Colbert appearance tonight! Thank you for your ever-open heart to us, George. 🙏
Wish I had a television. I’ll watch the clips after the fact on YouTube. Good luck, George!
I have a television, but I have the bedtime of a little old lady (or a toddler!. I’ll be catching it tomorrow as well.
I need to get on that schedule! I recently learned that what I do instead has a name: revenge bedtime procrastination. No one tells me when to sleep! Not even me!
I like when we rebel against ourselves. The irresistible force meets the immovable object at long last!
If only I could channel the wilfulness into something productive. Mountains would be moved!
That’s the rub!
Well, it was my kids who originally got me on that schedule by waking me up at 5:30 am for four years running... now I am just so accustomed to it that I can't quit!
Bedtime is also when I do the most reading, so I'll put the kiddos to bed, climb into mine and then have some glorious quiet book time all by myself. It's the best.
I was an early riser before having my daughter (this wasn't always the case, but when I became a morning person I felt like I'd "finally grown up") but it's the interrupted sleep that's killing me. When does it stop!?
Her bedtime is when I finally get "me" time--and like you, it's when I do the most reading, but the best reading always either leads to more reading or turns my brain into a pinball machine . . .
I don’t know… my kids are 6 and 8 now and the 6 year old still wakes up sooo early. They both sleep through the night now, but neither did until after they were 2. It was 4 years of insane sleep deprivation that got so bad I was convinced I had early onset dementia.
Every once in a while my reading leads to too much reading, but I get so sleepy I usually can’t go too late.
My real problem is waking up at 3 am and then deciding I should read for awhile. 😬
I used to wonder why all moms got a little loopy and batty as they got older. Now I get it - the children completely break your brain!
I do so dislike apps that won’t let me edit my post, post-post, when I see a problem in my writing. [Thank you David Snider, S. Shepard. I see that the edit feature is available on the web interface, but not on the app.]
Maureen, you can use the three dots … at the bottom to edit your post. (I didn’t know about this for months!!)
I was late to learning about this, too, and then pretended my typos were somehow cool.
Your typos are manna from seven heavens!!
Hahahaha! "I meant to do that."
Yep, nothing like a good tipo.
Hmm, I tried the three dots but there’s no “edit” - just “share link to comment”, “hide comment”, and “delete comment”. And I’m using the Substack app. What am I missing? 🙏
Ok, the three tiny dots below your comment just after the faint words "Collapse"... click on that.
Somehow this is delicious: "...just after the faint words "collapse"...click on that." Yum. Where the mind goes.
Aha! I see that “collapse” is visible on the web interface but not the app. Thanks to both of you!
Thank you to the questioner and thank you George. How kind of you to share so many details of your adventure without polishing them up too much. Again you bless us with your honesty. I feel like you are returning from a hero’s journey, coming back to us to share the knowledge you have won during your struggles along the way. And the StoryClubbers were like helpful guardians along the way. BTW There is something about that self portrait in the hotel mirror that captures the disorienting nature of travel through multiple cities. It says it all. “Here I am. Right here. Everywhere. Nowhere”
I love the "hero's journey" analogy - it feels just right! And George is so good at showing us the humanity of the hero.
Everywhere and Everything All at Once. Sounds familiar!
I love that ultimately your satisfaction seems to reside more in the work -- in the process -- than in the end result. This is something I've intuited, and you seem to be confirming it. This can help with the anxiety about whether anything will come of it. It doesn't matter if anything comes of it, that's not the point. The point is to just keep working at it. (This is me talking myself through a typical doubt attack.)
I'm curious about the tiredness you photo-captioned about. Is it that you don't get enough sleep, don't have time for naps, simply don't want to stop to rest? Can you say?
Mostly just the pace of the tour-travel. Up early, flying most of the day, go to event, come back to hotel a bit revved up, get up at 5 or 6 am, etc.
Yes, I love this post also, as David writes just below. It makes me think of Pema Chodron's book Living with Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change. We are always in flux with any effort--starting, working along, finishing, and starting over except in those moments when we find flow (a theory developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) are magical but hard to sustain. It's a space where the person finds freedom to create in the endeavor at hand. So many what ifs deter us from entering a state of flow but sometimes it just happens.
Great post. Accepting that there's "no settled place of fulfillment" is actually fulfilling in itself, if you can indeed accept it. Sometimes, it ain't easy.
The key!
Hey, All, Kurt Vonnegut would have been 100 today. Here's a collection of pieces, by & about him, from today's LitHub that might be of interest.
https://lithub.com/how-to-celebrate-100-years-of-kurt-vonnegut/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20November%2011%2C%202022&utm_term=lithub_master_list
It always struck me as rather apt, or at least strangely coincidental, that Vonnegut, WWII veteran & author of the devastating "Slaughterhouse Five", should be born on Veterans' Day.
Interesting! Did you see the documentary about him? I forgot the title of it.
No, not yet, but I'm aware of it. I think that whatever one of those streaming services it was on was the one that I, of course, hadn't subscribed to. But it's been out a few years so it may be more widely available. Have you seen it? Did you see the short film, included in the link I sent, of V's explanation of how stories work? True. Also hilarious.
I watched part of it, my husband watched the whole thing. Yes, I'm watching this one now. https://lithub.com/watch-kurt-vonnegut-explain-the-different-shapes-of-stories/
The Colbert Show seemed to give George a bit less time this visit (no bonus skit or song), but George managed to cram in all of the goodies about how he goes about a short story. As always from Colbert, good questions. Satisfying segment. Now...will Colbert’s reading of “Love Letter” at Symphony Hall appear on YouTube?
https://www.symphonyspace.org/your-visit/love-letter
Seeing the stairs with Dylan's words on them reminds me of the time when my husband and I had just bought a house in Brooklyn and we painted our own little love poem, word by word, up the steps to the second floor, then covered the whole thing up with a carpet runner. I've always wished I could be there the day the new owners lifted up that runner and saw those words. And no, you don't get to know what they were!
Hey George, this has been such a gas, following along with your book tour and getting to see you in person. Thanks for all of this. You must be getting sick of hearing how generous and kind we all find you, but you know, sometimes the truth hurts. (Question: did you get the little gift I left for you at the stage door of Zipper Hall? Just wondering if it made it to you....)
I did, Mary, and it will occupy a place of honor in my writing room. THANKS.
just glad you received it. xo
Also, forgive me, but I think I may have once again credited Einstein w that quote, on Colbert. Heat of the moment! 🥴😉🤣
Hahaha! At this point, i feel like it's a little in joke for all of us here in SC!
And somewhere Albert is smiling.
As he flies on that other plane.
(No, not the next one you've got to catch! Unless...)
I know. When it came in the middle of the conversation, I thought, “Ah, here it comes. The Einstein ‘Quote’!”
I do like the idea of understanding and accepting the place in the process in which you find yourself. It’s necessary and part of the whole, so even when it’s a more scary or anxious part, there’s a little reminder that this, too, is good (and will hopefully pass until the next time you find yourself there).
I’ve missed the book signing as well these past couple of years. It’s still a joy to simply be present at the event and her some great questions and answers and laugh and sign with the others around me.
I am glad, though, that was at least one time in the past when George was able and kind enough to chat, sign my large stack of books and even take a picture with me. Even after my friends and I had stalked him the whole weekend. In a friendly way. Not a creepy way (I hope). Like « happening to be at the place he was taken for lunch » because my friend worked there. And, well, half of us had been GAs in the English Department. We slyly took photos with George in the background (confession) but then we were introduced and he took pics with us with his actual consent, so that was nice and generous of him.
No regrets. We were young(ish), fans and had a blast.
Thank you for sharing your tour thoughts. I’ve so enjoyed the radio and podcast interviews - each one falling on my ears offering a new way of thinking of something just as I needed it. I wish you a new mess to sort into a story very soon, and I thank you for the reader experience. Rest well.
Once again a post that wakes me up to my own wishes and values cause I do not know many people who write like you George. Thanks and sweet dreams
Yes, I love the way George before we know it’s even happening brings out the best in us.