George Saunders on ghosts, mortality and Trump's America is not really about telling the truth about this moment. It's more like getting out of this moment. We all spend most of our time in these shallow states, where we're just trying to get through our daily lives without too much trouble. But death forces us to confront what's real, by stripping away all the distractions and making us face our own mortality.
We can't even begin to understand ourselves until we've understood death - that it is inevitable, waiting for each of us with its cold, unforgiving arms. It is a reminder that life is precious. Yet, even in facing death, there's still an element of uncertainty about the nature of this reality and what lies beyond.
When I was on that plane hit by geese, I experienced pure terror, as if all my elements of identity were being rolled back. But then, something unexpected happened - a teenage boy asked me if we should be here. It sounds trivial now but in the moment it felt like bravery to respond with such conviction - "Yes, of course". In that instant, time seemed to have slowed down and I realized how fleeting life is.
If you're really trying to tell the truth about this moment, you wouldn't want to limit yourself to just today. It's a different kind of story when ghosts are involved - stories in which everyone has their own unique experiences and perspectives.
Writing is one way for me to confront my own mortality and try to make sense of it. By visualizing compassion for others, I can expand that feeling outward, towards all people. It pushes me to see everything as just a different version of myself on a particular day or in a particular life.
In Vigil, an oil tycoon who spent his life covering up climate change is visited by the spirits of those affected and forced to confront the consequences of his actions. The story invites us to consider whether such an action can seem good to someone who committed it, and how we can make sense of this moral complexity without getting caught in simplistic sympathy or outrage.
For me as a writer, it's about exploring multiple perspectives, challenging my own assumptions and fostering compassion - not just for others but also for myself. In the face of such overwhelming uncertainty, all we can really do is keep moving forward by making our thoughts and emotions more reflective.
We can't even begin to understand ourselves until we've understood death - that it is inevitable, waiting for each of us with its cold, unforgiving arms. It is a reminder that life is precious. Yet, even in facing death, there's still an element of uncertainty about the nature of this reality and what lies beyond.
When I was on that plane hit by geese, I experienced pure terror, as if all my elements of identity were being rolled back. But then, something unexpected happened - a teenage boy asked me if we should be here. It sounds trivial now but in the moment it felt like bravery to respond with such conviction - "Yes, of course". In that instant, time seemed to have slowed down and I realized how fleeting life is.
If you're really trying to tell the truth about this moment, you wouldn't want to limit yourself to just today. It's a different kind of story when ghosts are involved - stories in which everyone has their own unique experiences and perspectives.
Writing is one way for me to confront my own mortality and try to make sense of it. By visualizing compassion for others, I can expand that feeling outward, towards all people. It pushes me to see everything as just a different version of myself on a particular day or in a particular life.
In Vigil, an oil tycoon who spent his life covering up climate change is visited by the spirits of those affected and forced to confront the consequences of his actions. The story invites us to consider whether such an action can seem good to someone who committed it, and how we can make sense of this moral complexity without getting caught in simplistic sympathy or outrage.
For me as a writer, it's about exploring multiple perspectives, challenging my own assumptions and fostering compassion - not just for others but also for myself. In the face of such overwhelming uncertainty, all we can really do is keep moving forward by making our thoughts and emotions more reflective.
. What I find really interesting about his approach to storytelling is that it's not just about telling the truth in the present moment (although, of course, that's part of it), but also about acknowledging our own mortality and the uncertainty of life.
), I know how that feeling of pure terror can be all-consuming, but also somehow liberating.
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i totally get what george saunders is saying about writing as a way to confront mortality & try to make sense of it! i think it's so cool that you've found this outlet to express yourself & connect with others through your stories 
i mean, the whole idea of exploring different perspectives & challenging our own assumptions is SO IMPORTANT 
i love how the story you mentioned sounds - it's like, who hasn't felt caught between sympathy & outrage when faced with moral complexity? 
anyway, keep on writing & sharing your thoughts - we need more of that kind of stuff in the world! 
. I mean, let's get real, most stories are just about people trying to avoid the harsh realities of life, rather than facing them head-on. George Saunders is all about confronting mortality and the uncertainty that comes with it - I love that! It's like he's saying, "Hey, we can't just focus on today, we gotta think about what really matters." 
I'm also loving his take on climate change in Vigil... it's like, yeah, even if you don't agree with someone's actions, there's still room for compassion and understanding. 
. It's just a euphemism for "feeling sorry for yourself". I'm not saying we shouldn't be kind or empathetic, but let's not pretend like it's some magical solution to our problems.
. It's like we're all just sitting around twiddling our thumbs, waiting for someone else to come along and fix everything.
. We've got to take responsibility for ourselves and stop making excuses. Writing might be a way to process your emotions or whatever, but it's not going to solve the world's problems on its own 
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. It makes sense that death forces us to be honest with ourselves about what's real & precious life is 
. But I'm not sure I buy into the idea that all we need to do is face our fears head-on or something like that 
. Don't get me wrong, understanding our own mortality can be a game-changer, but it's also super uncomfortable 
. For me, that's where the real magic happens - when we can put ourselves in others' shoes (or should I say, spirits' 
). It's all about being more reflective & compassionate towards ourselves too 
. But death is like, a wake-up call, right? It forces us to confront what's real and make us face our own mortality 
and it was wild - all my senses were turned off but then this teenager asks if we should be there and I'm like "Yessss" 
. When you're trying to tell truth about this moment, don't just focus on today, man - include the ghosts too 
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. As a writer, I'm all about exploring multiple perspectives and challenging my own assumptions 
. #MortalityMatters #GhostsOfOurPasts #WritingAsTherapy
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but then this teenager asks if we should be there and like, bravo to that kid 
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I just wanna explore these feelings and perspectives in my writing and not get caught up in being too judgmental or sympathetic. We're all just human beings with our own experiences and stuff, you know?!
. But instead of just pitting him against simplistic good/evil narratives, Saunders is like, "Hey, let's try to get inside his head and figure out what makes him tick." And that's where the real storytelling happens – in the gray areas, where we're all just trying to find our footing.
. I mean, what about Trump's America right now? Are people really gonna just 'get out of' it that easily? 
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. And stories like Vigil remind us that there are no simple answers, we gotta navigate the gray areas and figure it out ourselves 
Life can be super shallow, right? We're just trying to get through each day without too much drama 
. But death... that's a whole different story. It makes us face the music and realize how precious life actually is 
. But then this teen asked if we should be there 
. It was like, 'yeah, of course'... you know? 
... we gotta keep exploring those gray areas without getting too caught up in emotions 