Hi everyone, welcome to thanks for being here, a short weekly pod to remind us of the many essential

and beautiful ways we affect one another. Every Sunday I'll read a submission from a listener,

Kelly Corrigan Wonders, could be wedding vows or about

mitzvah toast, a eulogy or retirement speech.

We believe this is probably the loveliest way to tap into our better selves and remember our highest values.

We encourage you to share this podcast each week with one person you love,

maybe someone you miss and need to bring closer,

someone you want to feel your appreciation or admiration or both.

This is thanks for being here. And

today's thanks for being here is a letter that George Saunders, the great writer, he's just brilliant and he's about the nicest guy in publishing, well, maybe not quite the nicest guy because this note that he has shared

is written to our mutual editor, a guy named Andy Ward, who, if you

know anyone in publishing, will tell you.

He is Be loved.

So when one of George's books was coming out, he posted this note about Andy to his

newsletter community and I might say this newsletter is so fun to get. So this is George Saunders thanking Andy Ward for his guidance as his editor all these

years.

Hi everyone, one of the parts of publishing a new book that I always look forward to.

I often get a chance to sit down publicly with my editor Andy Ward and talk about what we've done.

Andy and I have been working together since he, then editing at GQ, sent me to

Dubai back in 2005. After that he had me drive the entire length of the Mexican

border and then I went to Nepal to look in on the young man there the entire length of the Mexican border.

And then I went to Nepal to look in on the young man they were calling Buda Boy,

...