George Saunders Interviews

Earlier this month, I read George Saunders' In Persuasion Nation. I am a big fan of Saunders, and like each of his previous collections, this newest was entertaining, smart, and delivered incisive and resonant critiques of American culture through the vehicle of laugh-out-loud funny short stories. I am sure to rave about it, although I am waiting to finish Woody Allen's collection Insanity Defense, which through part brilliance and part happenstance I have managed to pair with Saunders on my monthly reading list.

So while I finish that up, I spent a few hours skimming over interviews with George Saunders, for which I've collected a set of links below. I highly recommend these interviews, if you've got some time to kill at your desk, for two reasons: first, Saunders comes across as a smart, genuine, and likeable person in each of the interviews, and second, perhaps because he is a teacher of creative writing, Saunders is able to speak directly, intelligently, and humbly about his writing process - which I find to be very useful.

Without further adieu:

Brief interview in the GutCult online journal
Interview from Maud Newton, one of my favorite literary blogs
Sprawling conversation in Identity Theory
2005 interview from Gothamist

And, if you want, visit GeorgeSaundersLand.com because, well, it exists.