Always trying for balance between Appreciating Life and Criticizing the World

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The speaker expresses their enjoyment of being alive and their affection for life. However, they also have a negative mindset and believe that things are messed up in the world. They strive to find the right balance in their writing, to portray both the beauty of the world and its cruelty. They haven't achieved this aspiration yet, but believe in the idea of failing better. Success and recognition alleviate some of their anxiety, but they find the essence of the writing process to be an interesting cycle.

George Saunders is the author of eleven books. His latest is A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life.

”I really have so much affection for being alive. I really enjoy it. And yet, I’m a little negative minded in a lot of ways too, like I really think things tend to be fucked up. ... To get that on the page—to sufficiently praise the loveliness of the world without being a sap, and also lacerate the world for being so goddamn mean—to do those in the same story would be a great aspiration. And I haven’t gotten there yet.”

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