This is the writer's voice, new fiction from the New Yorker. I'm Deborah Treisman,

fiction editor at the New Yorker. On this episode of the writer's

voice, we'll hear George Saunders read his story, Elliot Spencer, from the August 19th, 2019 issue of the magazine.

Saunders won the Man Booker Prize in 2017 for his novel Lincoln in the Bardo.

He's the author of four story collections, including In Persuasion Nation and 10th of December.

Now here's George Saunders.

Elliot Spencer.

Today is to be parts of the parts of my sure jier please do point at parts of me while

saying the name of it off our list of words worth knowing.

Age spot, finger, wrist.

At wrist, Jair says, this one's been broken, seems like.

Then pokes.

Ouch, he says.

Yes, I say.

Groin. Waste.

You are no spring chicken, says Jerry.

I do not understand what you just said.

Please explain. I say you were not young

Jerry says your body is not the body of a young person oh that's cool I say that's cool dear.

Jer shakes his head his certain way meaning 89 you cracked my ass up.

Long ago, perhaps one week,

we had explained time due to figure of speech,

...