Meet George Saunders
Posted by:
marismom on
April 27, 2009 at
1:52AM CST
George Saunders is not your typical stuffy intellectual college professor. Oh, he has a Master's in creative writing, but before that he was a working stiff and got his undergraduate degree in geophysics. He is 51, grew up in Chicago, roots for the White Socks, and now teaches at Syracuse University. The 400-lb. CEO is one story in his collection CivilWarLand in Bad Decline. Ben Stiller has bought the rights to CivilWarLand and Saunders is working on the screenplay for these stories and also for a few of his other works. If you've seen Tropic Thunder then you'll have an idea of what Ben Stiller will do with a satirical look at corporate America. It should be interesting, but I hope he doesn't dumb the humor down. Please no fart jokes Ben!
The themes in his writings cover morality, consumerism, and corporate America. He looks at the world through a dark and satirical lens. He cites Monty Python as being on of his comedic influences, along with Dr. Suess. The humor is subtle and dry. I think the CEO story is more fitting given the political and cultural mood of our country now, and it was first written in 1993. He is compared to Kurt Vonnegut, Jonathan Swift, and Mark Twain. I must confess I don't think I've ever read Vonnegut. I know I should, like I know I need to finally read Moby Dick and War and Peace.
Here is an excerpt from an interview done in 2000 by the Missouri Review, about his story, The 400-lb. CEO. The interviewer has asked him about his dark themes and whether or not that signals pessimism or misanthropy on his part. He responds:
"Well as story like 400-lb. CEO doesn't say, I don't think, that life is always shit, although it does say that some people's lives are sometimes shit. It says that a shit-life is a possibility. And I think that's true and important. It's important to remember, if happy, that our current happiness is not permanent, and it is not due to any intrinsic goodness on our part. This seems to be something that American society is uncomfortable with, this idea that some people's lives are difficult past the point of sanity and that they aren't necessarily to blame....It's a wonderful thing to be reasonably sure that those you loved will be safe and sane for years to come. But I think part of our moral responsibility is to keep in our minds those whose lives are unsafe and unsane. In this way, fiction can be like a meditation, a way of saying: Though things are this way for me, right now, they could be different later, and are different for others at this moment.".
I hope you enjoy him as much as I did. If you want another compelling story to read try Puppy. You can find it at http://www.georgesaundersland.com/puppy. If I had found this first I would have picked it as my choice instead of 400-lb. CEO. I also enjoyed Isabelle and The Bounty in the same collection, CivilWarLand.
(23) Comments
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Posted by: reuther on April 27, 2009 6:16AM CST
Great stuff, MarisMom. I kind of thought he compared to some of the works in Robert Coover in Pricksongs and Descants and Donald Barthelme in City Life but Saunders makes more sense, if you will. I found myself not laughing but smiling and "almost laughing" while reading "Jon" out of Persuasion Nation. Now I must acquire the Civil War Land book.
Thanks.
(Trivia: Jay McInerney just came out with a book of new and selected stories. He studied at Syracuse under Raymond Carver and Tobias Wolff.)
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The content itself was great, but beyond that you write really well. It is very readable.
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Posted by: reuther on April 27, 2009 12:02PM CST
I almost have to imagine a movie based on Saunders' work would be something along the lines of , say, "Big Fish," which was based on David Foster Wallace, right?
Or Woody Allen, maybe? Sleeper?
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I'm unable to find a copy nearby on prairiecat. The one at Bettendorf is checked out. I checked Borders, they don't have that particular book. I'm going to check other sources...
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Posted by: marismom on April 27, 2009 2:48PM CST
Kat I've got the Bett copy. I'll return it tonight (Monday) so you can check it out. It'll be after 6pm when my girl scout meeting is over. There are a couple of stories I haven't read yet, but I'll probably buy the book later. I've got some time to make notes on the story before I return it.
If either of you need to get a hold of me you can message me through Quadsville and I get it as an email on my cell phone. I always have my cell phone.
You can read the story on the Harper's website but then you have to pay for a subscription. I like that he puts some of his stuff up for free on his website.
After reading The Bounty I'm thinking a movie based on his work would be best served by Quentin Tarantino. It has the weird quirkiness like Pulp Fiction. It's just familiar enough to invite you in, yet so bizarre you are left shaking your head and saying ....What???
Thanks for the compliment on the writing...as you can see I had a late night yesterday and now I'm paying for it. I just wrote conversationally because I was so tired.
Have either of you seen Tropic Thunder? I thought the satire in that movie was well done, but they went over the top with all the potty humor. It was definitely written for men!!! Robert Downey Jr. was amazing.
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That'd be fine but I can't be sure I'll get back to Bett in the next couple of days(meaning I'll undoubtedly get their before Friday, but which day is unsure). I'll try, but I can't place a hold on the book. Do you know anyone at the library...that way they could hold it and I could have them check it in and I'll check it right back out. Either that or perhaps I could pick it up from some local? I have a card which allows me to check out, but not place holds.
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Made it to BPL today, no Saunders on the shelf(checked out) nor any leads on a possible copy. I was in town anyway, but I'm beginning to just figure I might have to sit this one out, without having any other sure leads on how to find a copy.
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Posted by: reuther on April 28, 2009 9:18PM CST
Let me try.
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Posted by: reuther on April 29, 2009 11:55AM CST
Sven - I have obtained a paperback copy of CivilWarLand by Saunders. I can leave it at the Information Desk at BPL around noon tomorrow with Judi if that works for her and you.
- Reu
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Posted by: marismom on April 29, 2009 12:50PM CST
Kat you can read Puppy, it's on his website. We could discuss them both. My apologies I didn't return it until 2pm on Tuesday. I've been working more this week which is great for my wallet...it'll pay for all those summer camps my kids want to do.
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Posted by: reuther on April 29, 2009 1:19PM CST
MarisMom - This guy is awesome - I read "Isabelle" and am starting "Bounty." The "innocent stars," "Norris's soul blowing in the high grass." Beautiful lines. The biographical note says he's won three O'Henry awards. Do you know which stories won? Surely "Isabelle" was a winner.
I cannot find "Puppy in the collections.
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Posted by: reuther on April 29, 2009 2:32PM CST
The winners were "The Falls," "Winky," and "Pastoralia." The first two were published in the New Yorker in 1996 and 1997 and only "Pastoralia" has been collected in book form.
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Posted by: reuther on April 29, 2009 6:31PM CST
Actually Saunders won four O'Henrys, three National Magazine Awards, two of which are included in CivilWarLand.
That "Winky" and "The Falls" could have been included in one of the collections and weren't probably indicates plans to publish a "new and selected stories" volume in the future, since "In Persuasion Nation" just recently went into paper, maybe any time now.
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Posted by: reuther on April 29, 2009 6:34PM CST
Sven - Are you OK with my dropping the book off at BPL tomorrow for your pick-up? If the Information Desk doesn't want the trouble, I'll entrust it to the lady at the desk just as you come in the door, marked "Svenska Kat."
"Ask, and it shall be given unto you." :-)
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That'll work. Thanks very much!
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Posted by: reuther on April 30, 2009 6:38AM CST
I don't mind. I can imagine MarisMom has a plate full with the activities and needs of three youngsters to coordinate and facilitate.
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Posted by: reuther on April 30, 2009 7:00AM CST
Not only do I "not mind" but I am happy to do it.
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If you haven't done it yet, dont' worry about it. Although I am currently at the BPL and will probably be here for another little bit. I'm at internet station 18, wearing a purple camoflage hat...if you're interested in meeting me.
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Well, gotta go! You sorry Reuther, I hope you got my message before you wasted a trip. Thanks though! I appreciate it!
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Posted by: reuther on April 30, 2009 3:19PM CST
I left the book at the desk as you come in the door with a very nice senior citizen lady and she handed it off to her "relief" at 1230. It's in a manila envelope marked "Svenska Kat" with the book's title and author below the name. They had it leaning against the interior wall of the cubicle on the desk.
Maybe tomorrow you can pick it up.
I went with my retired buddy to Rudy's Tacos in the Village on the advice of Stephanie DePasquale's eat-for-less-than-ten-bucks blog. Good chow. My friend complained about his burrito but ate the whole thing. Reminded me of the Woody Allen joke where one of two diners at a table in a restaurant complains about the food and the other agrees heartily and complains also about the size of the portions. He ate it up like it was his last meal.
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Posted by: reuther on April 30, 2009 4:44PM CST
If SVEN can't pick up the book, perhaps MARISMOM would be interested. It's only slightly used with just three stories read, the rest untouched. ;-) It is in the words of the online used booksellers "Like New."
And it's FREE.
And MarisMom mentioned plans to buy it. If one of you guys doesn't pick it up, it will go into the back room to await the next Friends of the BPL book sale.
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I asked for Judi and she didn't have it. I was there at about 1. At any rate though I talked to different staff, they didn't know where your copy was. I'm home now, as I said, I appreciate the effort sorry for the miscue..
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Posted by: reuther on April 30, 2009 10:09PM CST
I'm sorry you missed it. I dropped it off before noon.
Judi was so busy answering questions I went with option 2, the lady at the desk by the gates.
I hope you can pick it up. It is a good read but very black humor.
Saunders won a $500,000 "genius grant," and the writing reflects his extraordinary imagination.
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