This is the definitive Web site for fans of George Saunders, author of the essay collection The Braindead Megaphone, the short story collections CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, Pastoralia and In Persuasion Nation, the children's book The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip, and the novella The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil. He teaches Creative Writing at Syracuse University.
Note on spelling: the actor from "All About Eve" and "Rebecca" is George SANDERS.
A Note from George to Readers of this Site
June 2008
Dear Readers,
Sorry for the silence from this end. Am really just working hard on some new fiction, so have put myself into a kind of a low-reading, low-interview period, after a busy fall promoting “The Braindead Megaphone.” So the summer plan is: hide out and write. It was interesting to be so busy and so public, and now the pendulum has swung the other way, and even going out to buy eggs seems dangerous.
I’m still writing my weekly humor column for The Guardian and had pieces in last two issues of The New Yorker. In the fall I’ll be teaching two graduate courses at Syracuse – one is a fiction workshop for our third-year students, and the other is a course in the intersection of film and books. I haven’t taught that one before, so it should be fun.
Thanks for all of your support and interest. One of the best parts of all the traveling I did in the fall was the chance to get out and meet the people who are kind enough to read my work, and be reminded of all the decency and good energy that’s out there in our country, in spite of what Our Country might be doing. I’ll try to write here again soon(er). Best wishes for a great summer to all of you.
George
THE LATEST NEWS
In April 2008, George participated in a fundraiser for the victims of the Dunbar Village tragedy by offering a short story critique and an autographed set of his books.
George is still writing a weekly column called "American Psyche" for the U.K. paper The Guardian.
(more 2008 forthcoming)
FROM 2007:
For videos of a puppet show version of "Ask the Optimist" by The Sound of Young America, George on The Colbert Report and on Late Show with David Letterman, plus a movie of The Braindead Megaphone, and MUCH more fun stuff, see SaundersSaundersSaunders.com , his publisher's web site.
Frank Bures talks to George about Dubai and the Buddha Boy at World Hum on 9/28/07.
(more 2007 news forthcoming)
FROM 2006:
On October 13, 2006, George read the story "Three Trees" at The New Yorker Festival and spoke on a panel with Gary Shteyngart. Here is the video. Thanks to John Charpentier for this link.
In October 2006, George guest edited an edition of the online magazine Guernica .
In September 2006, George Saunders was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, the "genius" grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Along with scientists and physicians, the grant also recognizes painters, writers, sculptors, and musicians with a cool $500,000 over 5 years. Congratulations!!
A piece at The Huffington Post on 8/25/06 called The Cats of 9/11.
Article in The Guardian 07/22/06 called "Just who is this Magna Carta fellow?". This led to George writing a regular Saturday column called "American Psyche" in The Guardian starting September 30, 2006. Find them all here.
You can watch an interview with George by Boaz Frankel at ClipsQuips.com.
George was interviewed by Deborah Solomon in the April 9, 2006 New York Times magazine.
Totally hilarious 5-part interview "120 Questions for George Saunders" at AOL "The Feed". Note that the Finale, Part 5 is not linked to at the end of part 4.
Contact Info
I had to get rid of the Guest Book because I couldn't keep up with deleting all the spam. Sigh. Anyway, if you want to write to me, send an email to sFAKEtarspangledgirl@yahoo.com but take out the word FAKE beforehand.
NOTE: This is NOT GEORGE'S EMAIL ADDRESS!!! Please do not write to George via my email address.
If you want to contact George, write to him at Syracuse University
English Dept.
Syracuse, NY 13244.
Thanks!
This fansite was created in October 2002 and is maintained by Carol Magary Carpenter, an admirer of George Saunders' work. I am fortunate enough to have Mr. Saunders' blessing on this
site, but I am responsible for its content.
Main logo photo by Caitlin Saunders.
Last updated April 28, 2008.
More interesting stuff...
Images on this page (from top): latest Saunders pic (by Hal Silverman for the New York Times), Pastoralia cover from Europe, Gapper of Frip cover from Germany, Pastoralia cover from U.K.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUPPORT THIS SITE?
Option 1: Purchase a CD of The Beat Circus, the house band of George Saunders Land. Their NEW album is called Dreamland! You can order it on their web site or through Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The first in a weird American Gothic trilogy, this album is named after the Coney Island amusement park that burned down, with songs about saloons, rough riders, murder, freak shows, and ghosts; a song based on Paul Celan's poem Death Fugue, Morricone-inspired instrumentals, Tom Waits-inspired vocals, and much more!!
Option 2:
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