I'm a control freak. I'm defensive. And I'm an egomaniac. That's true about me. George Saunders More Quotes by George Saunders More Quotes From George Saunders A work of art is something produced by a person, but is not that person — it is of her, but is not her. It’s a reach, really — the artist is trying to inhabit, temporarily, a more compact, distilled, efficient, wittier, more true-seeing, precise version of herself — one that she can’t replicate in so-called ‘real’ life, no matter how hard she tries. That’s why she writes: to try and briefly be more than she truly is. George Saunders realwritingart That luminous part of you that exists beyond personality - your soul, if you will - is as bright and shining as any that has ever been. Bright as Shakespeare’s, bright as Gandhi’s, bright as Mother Theresa’s. Clear away everything that keeps you separate from this secret luminous place. Believe it exists, come to know it better, nurture it, share its fruits tirelessly. George Saunders personalitymotherbelieve The generalizing writer is like the passionate drunk, stumbling into your house mumbling: I know I'm not being clear, exactly, but don't you kind of feel what I'm feeling? George Saunders drunkhousefeelings Developing our sympathetic compassion is not only possible but the only reason for us to be here on earth. George Saunders compassionearthreason Now I began to understand art as a kind of black box the reader enters. He enters in one state of mind and exits in another. The writer gets no points just because what's inside the box bears some linear resemblance to "real life" -- he can put whatever he wants in there. What's important is that something undeniable and nontrivial happens to the reader between entry and exit. George Saunders blackrealart The best thing we can bring to any fight is a calm and compassionate mind. George Saunders calmfightingmind Working with language is a means by which we can identify the bullshit within ourselves (and others). George Saunders bullshitlanguagemean My heart goes out to him. Sort of. Because empathy depends on how you've spent your day. George Saunders empathymy-heartheart I'm always nice when I do drugs. But, you know, I'm nicer on the drug called "writing." George Saunders drugnicewriting I always cheerfully say, "Well, you know, the species is adapting, and whatever it needs to do, it'll do," but I do think it's maybe a little bit alarming. Everybody knows that one thing we really have to do is to be more wherever we are, more present, that's just kind of a commonplace. And the whole mobile phone thing is completely 100% the opposite - to never be where you are because you can always be somewhere else; and yet it's so fun and addictive. George Saunders phonesfunthinking If you really think back to the great writers, there's a lot of happiness in Tolstoy; there's a lot of love, there's childbirth, and there's dances. And likewise in Shakespeare and even Cervantes, there's a lot of celebrations of the positive manifestations of life. Technically, I found it harder to do, so that's kind of a good late-life challenge - without getting sentimental or chirpy. George Saunders sentimentalchallengesthinking So here's something I know to be true, although it's a little corny, and I don't quite know what to do with it. George Saunders cornylittlesadvice I believe that, when [meeting of writer and reader] happens and the reader goes out into the world the next day, there's some alteration that might possibly inflect the person positively. George Saunders next-daybelieveworld There comes that phase in life when, tired of losing, you decide to stop losing, then continue losing. Then you decide to really stop losing, and continue losing. The losing goes on and on so long you begin to watch with curiosity, wondering how low you can go. George Saunders tiredcuriositylong When you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you. What I want is to have the reader come out just 6 percent more awake to the world. George Saunders storieswantworld The chances of a person breaking through their own habits and sloth and limited mind to actually write something that gets out there and matters to people are slim. George Saunders slothwritingpeople In the moment of reading, the writer comes up to the surface and the reader comes up to the surface and they kiss, like two fish. That actually does happen. George Saunders kissingreadingtwo It really strikes me how much of your energy in America, especially if you're from a working back-ground, is spent just keeping your head above water. It really saps your grace and your strength. George Saunders gracewateramerica The Bush administration is a paragon of wisdom. George Saunders paragonadministration The number of rooms in a fictional house should be inversely proportional to the years during which the couple living in that house enjoyed true happiness. George Saunders couplenumbersyears
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