So I have this wonderful mentor, the writer George Saunders. He's the author of so many beautiful books.

Lincoln and the Bardo is his most recent one. 10th of December, Civil Warland in Bad Decline,

Pastoralia, and several others.

He was my professor when I was getting my MFA

at Syracuse University.

Now it was more than 20 years ago that I met George.

And I didn't really even read his writing before I applied there. I mean what's interesting about it is so many people were applying there because they wanted to work with George and I didn't I hadn't read work, but what happened is he called me up and he accepted me into the program.

And we had these long conversations. And I was so struck by how wonderful he was that I went and read his books and I was like oh he is a

great writer you know and I'd love to work with him so I did that I accepted and I met him that there was this like graduate school picnic this sort of opening

picnic and I met him and his wife Paula and their two daughters who were really little

kids at the time just, I have this vivid image of George

like putting his hand on top of one of their heads

and now they're like in their 20s and all grown up.

But, you know, I knew that I was meeting somebody who was really, you know, at

essence like a really wonderful person. I think he's an extraordinary, great, great writer, but he's an even

more extraordinary man. So I was thinking about George in this moment because he has been such a guiding light to me and is so many.

His humor, his compassion, his generosity, and his ability to take the long view.

I feel like that that is the voice I need to hear right now on the phone.

So I'm going to give him a call. So, the the the

the the

the and

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