Podcast appearances and mentions of George Saunders

American writer of short stories and other literature

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KPBS Midday Edition
'Lincoln in the Bardo' author comes to San Diego for annual writer festival

KPBS Midday Edition

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2026 15:30 Transcription Available


Acclaimed writer George Saunders is one of the featured authors at this week's 31st annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea in Point Loma.Known for groundbreaking works like "Lincoln in the Bardo" and "Tenth of December," Saunders joined Midday Edition Wednesday to reflect on his writing process, and how he approaches teaching the art of writing to a new generation.Guest:George Saunders, author, "Vigil", "Lincoln in the Bardo"Link:31st Annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea event with George Saunders on Feb. 27

It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ
The KFGO Book Club - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders and a Book Tracking App!

It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2026 15:50


Get a recommendation from JJ and Tucker Lucas about "Lincoln in the Bardo" - which is soon to be a major motion picture! Plus, Abby Miller has a suggestion for a book reading app that helps track what you read, when you read and gives you a ton of data on your reading habits!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

book club bardo george saunders tracking apps lincoln in the bardo abby miller kfgo
Multiverse News
Sonyverse Reboot, Toy Story 5 Trailer, 2026 BAFTAs

Multiverse News

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2026 61:28


Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universesTrailers For AllCapitalizing on a week somewhat bereft on big news, several studios offered new and first looks at their upcoming tentpoles, both movies and TV alike; so, let's talk about what stood out:Toy Story 5House of the Dragon Season 3Lee Cronin's The MummyBAFTA Reality, Ope, There Goes GravitySunday night's 79th BAFTA Film Awards saw Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another dominate with six wins including Best Film and Best Director. Sinners and Frankenstein each took three awards, while the night's biggest surprise came in Best Leading Actor, where Robert Aramayo beat out Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Marty Supreme walked away from 11 nominations completely empty-handed, tying the record for most losses in a single year. So, with all that in mind, who got BAF-Ted?Oops Sony Does it AgainSony Pictures confirmed the studio's Spider-Man villain spin-off universe is getting a full reboot with new people and fresh creative direction, following the back-to-back commercial and critical failures of Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter; the last of which topped out at just $62 million worldwide. On a related note, Sony is also moving forward with an animated Venom film, tapping Final Destination: Bloodlines directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein to helm the project, with Tom Hardy attached as a producer. No writer or script is in place yet, but a writers room is being assembled at Sony Pictures Animation. With a live-action reboot on the horizon and Venom going animated, is Sony finally ready to stick the landing with its corner of the Spider-Man universe?Coming up in the Lightning Round: The Live-Action Scooby Doo Series Casts Daphne, Ming-Na Wen Joins Percy Jackson's Third Season, Kristen Bell Boards Sonic 4 and more! Don't go anywhere!Spotify PollDo you want Severance spin-offs?Yes - 34%No - 65%Lightning RoundMckenna Grace is joining the “Scooby-Doo” live-action series at Netflix in the role of Daphne, Variety has learned from sources.Kirsten Bell has closed a deal to voice the character Amy Rose in Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 4.Ming-Na Wen, Jennifer Beals and Hubert Smielecki have been cast as the Greek gods Hera, Demeter, and Apollo respectively in Season 3 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians" in guest star roles.Paramount has moved up the release date for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 to August 13, 2027. It was previously slated for Sept. 17, 2027. Winona Ryder has been cast in a guest role in Netflix's Wednesday season 3. The move reunites the Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands star with Wednesday director and executive producer Tim Burton, as well as with her Beetlejuice Beetlejuice co-star Jenna Ortega.Ryan Coogler‘s reboot of “The X-Files” is officially moving forward with a pilot order at Hulu. Danielle Deadwyler is officially set to play one of the lead roles in the pilot, while the other lead role has yet to be cast.Netflix has debuted the first teaser trailer for the upcoming six part Pride and Prejudice adaptation series. The series is expected to debut sometime this fall.Tom Hanks will play President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln in the Bardo, a live-action and stop-motion animation hybrid film based on George Saunders' 2017 Booker Prize-winning novel, marking the actor's first time portraying a U.S. president. The film, directed by Duke Johnson and currently in production in London, centers on Lincoln's relationship with his recently deceased 11-year-old son Willie and explores themes of love, empathy, and grief through an ensemble of living and dead characters.Ed Skrein has been cast as Baldur, the youngest son of Odin, in Prime Video's God of War live-action series currently in pre-production in VancouverMarvel announced the Wolverine game being developed by Insomniac will release September 15, 2026.

Bad at Sports
Bad at Sports Episode 929: Dan Attoe

Bad at Sports

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 54:42


Recorded on the fly during art fair week, live at NADA, this conversation with Dan Attoe moves from metal-kid origin stories to Zen meditation, daily practice, tattooing, landscape painting, and the unexpected turn toward writing a horror novel. Duncan opens with a personal note: a Dan Attoe painting has been hanging in his home for 22 years, a wedding gift that quietly embedded itself into the fabric of his life, which frames the conversation, and traces Attoe's arc from rural Idaho and northern Minnesota outsider to one of the most recognizable painters of his generation. Attoe talks about the seven-year run of making a painting every weekday, a discipline that functioned less as a productivity hack and more as a survival strategy. What began as wild, sex-and-drugs-and-rowdy-party imagery rooted in imagined social worlds gradually shifted toward the meditative landscapes he's now known for. These aren't observed sites but constructed psychic spaces, built from memory, attention, and what he calls a process of "composting" experience. Zen practice, daily drawing, and tattooing form a three-part studio structure that keeps the work in motion. Learning to tattoo on his own body sharpened his attention to contrast, permanence, and empathy, feeding directly back into the paintings. Along the way we get patches, skate culture, Methodist guilt, Barry McGee installations, Walker Art Center bookstore theory dives, and the long road from being told to abandon heavy-metal imagery to fully embracing it as the engine of a mature practice. The conversation closes on writing: how Stephen King, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and decades of accumulated art-world experience led Attoe to channel theory, narrative, and lived history into a horror novel. It's a talk about attention, energy, and letting the work tell you what it needs to become. Images courtesy of Western Exhibitions -  A party for children, 2019 India ink and graphite on paper 7h x 7w in   Fingertip Mountain, 2020 Oil on Canvas on Panel 24h x 24w in   Forest Path with Glowing Orb, 2021 Oil on Canvas on Panel 36h x 24w in   Dual Falls with Painted Arches, 2021 Oil on Canvas on Panel 36h x 24w in Names Dropped: Dan Attoe — https://www.danattoe.com Dan Attoe at Western Exhibitions — https://westernexhibitions.com/artists/dan-attoe Dan Attoe at PPOW — https://ppowgallery.com/artists/dan-attoe/ Clouds Tattoo (Attoe's shop) — https://www.cloudstattoo.com A Talking Tree — https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Tree-Dan-Attoe/dp/B0D4JGYR2F Barry McGee — https://www.ratio3.org/artists/barry-mcgee Chris Johanson — https://altman-siegel.com/artists/chris-johanson Jean-Michel Basquiat — https://gagosian.com/artists/jean-michel-basquiat/ Titian — https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/titian Giorgione — https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/giorgione Arthur Danto — https://www.columbia.edu/cu/philosophy/faculty/danto.html Dr. Woo — https://drwoo.com Natalie Goldberg — https://nataliegoldberg.com Stephen King — https://stephenking.com George Saunders — https://georgesaundersbooks.com Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance — https://www.harpercollins.com/products/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance-robert-m-pirsig Jean-François Lyotard — https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lyotard/ Jean Baudrillard — https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/baudrillard/ Walker Art Center — https://walkerart.org Iowa Writers' Workshop — https://writersworkshop.uiowa.edu Iron Maiden — https://www.ironmaiden.com Danzig — https://www.danzig-verotik.com Twin Peaks — https://www.sho.com/twin-peaks Dragonlance / Larry Elmore — https://larryelmore.com New Art Dealers Alliance –– https://www.newartdealers.org/

SongWriter
Unicorn-Level Positivity: Helen Cho + Alison Mosshart (The Kills)

SongWriter

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 40:39


Director Helen Cho shares a story that she wrote for SongWriter about learning to appreciate her mother's perspective on caregiving and life. Dr. Komal Patel Murali talks about the burdens and challenges of first generation immigrants, especially in their relationships with their parents. Songwriter Alison Mosshart of The Kills talks about her long friendship with Helen, and how she wrote a rocker about rebellion and joy.SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

To The Best Of Our Knowledge
George Saunders: Angels, Ghosts and the Moral Imagination

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2026 44:35 Transcription Available


What if dying is not an ending, but a moment of radical clarity? In his new novel "Vigil," George Saunders conjures a strange and often comic world of bickering angels visiting a dying, deeply flawed man—debating and waiting to see whether he can face the truth about himself before it's too late.In this conversation, Steve Paulson talks with Saunders about the evolution of his ideas about death and the possibility of an afterlife. Dying, he says, may be “the ultimate experience of wonder,” and he believes ghost stories can open powerful imaginative spaces for novelists. Saunders reflects on his own Buddhist practice as he considers these life-and-death questions, and he tells us why he thinks fiction is uniquely suited to grappling with complex moral issues and why Tolstoy and Chekhov are his personal sources of inspiration.Saunders is the author of such celebrated books as “Tenth of December,” “Pastoralia,” and the Booker Prize-winning “Lincoln in the Bardo.”  His nonfiction book about the great Russian writers is “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.”This interview was recorded at the Central Library in downtown Madison shortly before Saunders spoke at the Wisconsin Book Festival.— To the Best of Our Knowledge — On his short story collection “Tenth of December.  To the Best of Our Knowledge: Reflecting on “Lincoln in the Bardo.” Substack Story Club with George Saunders —00:00:00 Introduction and Reading from Vigil00:07:50 The Plane Crash and Death Obsession00:15:00 The Writing Process and Wonder00:24:30 Moral Accountability in Fiction00:32:20 Chekhov, Succession, and Accuracy00:40:00 Kindness, Criticism, and Final Thoughts Wonder Cabinet is hosted by Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson. Find out more about the show at https://wondercabinetproductions.com, where you can subscribe to the podcast and our newsletter.

Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy
‘We are being beaten into submission with lies' - writer George Saunders on Trump, truth and power

Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2026 42:18


“It's really a deep irony that this guy who has really never set foot in a normal American street was mistaken as a man of the people”, writer George Saunders says of the US President, Donald Trump. His work has long centred on the very people who live with the consequences of decisions made far above them, ordinary and fallible individuals navigating increasingly hostile conditions.In a world marked by political lies, climate denial and the erosion of shared reality, Saunders' fiction interrogates moral ambiguity, human weakness and the forces that draw individuals toward destructive choices.In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Saunders about the collapse of truth in public life, why satire no longer pierces political leaders who feel no shame, and whether storytelling can still help us understand one another in an age of polarisation.

The Next Big Idea
The Science of Change

The Next Big Idea

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2026 52:02


The only constant is change. You've heard it a thousand times. But here's what the cliche leaves out: Change may be inevitable, but how you respond to it — and who you become because of it — that part's up to you. Maya Shankar knows a thing or two about this. She's studied change as a cognitive scientist, explored it on her podcast “A Slight Change of Plans,” and now written a book — The Other Side of Change — about how the hardest moments of our lives can transform us … for the better. In the book, she tells remarkable stories of people overcoming colossal change — debilitating diagnoses, amnesia, incarceration — and extracts universal lessons grounded in the latest science. “When a big change happens to us,” she tells us in this episode, “it can feel like a personal apocalypse of sorts. And that the word apocalypse comes from the Greek word apokálypsis, which actually means revelation. That etymology is instructive. Change can upend us, yes. But it can also reveal things to us.” * * * Watch The Next Big Idea on YouTube! You can find our episodes ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Follow Rufus on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, subscribe to our ⁠Substack⁠, or send us an email at podcast@nextbigideaclub.com. We love getting fan mail. The best way to support the show is by becoming a Next Big Idea Club member. Learn more at ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠, and use code PODCAST for a super secret discount (spoiler: it's 20% off). That Tim Kreider essay we quoted is called “Reprieve,” and you can find it in his wonderful book We Learn Nothing. The George Saunders clip comes from his lovely conversation with David Marchese, co-host of “The Interview.” You can listen to it here. Sponsored By: Factor — Head to factormeals.com/idea50off and use code idea50off to get 50% off your first box Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠⁠shopify.com/nbi⁠⁠

Waterstones
George Saunders

Waterstones

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2026 22:57


Booker Prize-winner George Saunders takes us back to that space between life and death in his new novel, Vigil, leading to a fruitful conversation about providing comfort at the end of life, why repentance at the end might not make the difference and why he's always happiest raising questions and providing no answers.

Studio Sessions
66. Back to Square One

Studio Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2026 65:56 Transcription Available


We catch up on the gallery space that didn't come together — not because of conflict, but because the arrangement shifted enough that the original vision no longer fit. What stings isn't the logistics, it's the built-in community that came with that particular spot, and the version of things we'd already started imagining.From there the conversation turns inward. We're both feeling the gap between talking about making work and actually making it — the pull to get back out with a camera, the fatigue of looking at old sequences, and what it means when commerce brain starts crowding out everything else. We end up somewhere around the question of what art even is — Tolstoy's definition, the transcendentalist framing, Rick Rubin and George Saunders on process — and whether finding your own answer to that matters more than finding the right one. -Ai If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving us a rating and/or a review. We read and appreciate all of them. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Links To Everything: Video Version of The Podcast: https://geni.us/StudioSessionsYT Matt's YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/MatthewOBrienYT Matt's 2nd Channel: https://geni.us/PhotoVideosYT Alex's YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/AlexCarterYT Matt's Instagram: https://geni.us/MatthewIG Alex's Instagram: https://geni.us/AlexIG

Start the Week
Breakage and repair

Start the Week

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2026 41:39


When society, financial systems and human beings fall short, how can we repair the damage? Tom Sutcliffe hosts Radio 4's discussion programme which starts the week, exploring the social, moral and political contradictions of the world we face today, with US novelist George Saunders, Turkish writer Ece Temulkuran and investigative journalist Oliver Bullough, The Booker Prize winning novelist, George Saunders new book Vigil deals with the moral ambivalence of a greedy oil executive; the death bed reckoning of a man who resists facing his life and legacy. The Turkish writer, Ece Temulkuran's new book Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding a Home in the 21st Century explores the rising global displacement of people who will need to forge stronger connections amid political and social upheaval. In an investigation of money laundering, Oliver Bullough's Everybody Loves Our Dollars sets out the scale of the problem and why we are failing to tackle the global systems that allow illicit money to move freely using sites as varied as Bicester Shopping Village in Oxfordshire and a casino in Vancouver, Canada. Producer: Ruth Watts

Zero: The Climate Race
Do artists have a duty to be political? Imagine series

Zero: The Climate Race

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2026 32:37 Transcription Available


How can music be used to communicate the climate crisis and its solutions? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Pulitzer Prize winning composer Julia Wolfe about her recent work, unEarth, which explores climate change and habitat loss through orchestra, voice and poetry. Wolfe discusses how she did her research, captured the clash between humanity and nature, and what the piece means at a time when her home country of the US seems to be moving ever further from climate action. Listen to unEarth: If you'd like to listen to the full performance of Julia Wolfe’s unEarth, it will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Thursday, 12 February at 7.30pm UK time, and will be available on BBC Sounds, at least for those here in the UK, for the next month. Explore further: Julia Wolfe’s website: https://juliawolfemusic.com/ Past episodes in the Imagine series: George Saunders on Climate Guilt, AI and Critical Thinking Kim Stanley Robison on Abundance, Adequacy and Better Climate Futures Artist Monira Al Qadiri on the End of Oil Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything
Vigil (Part 2)

Everything

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2026 112:11


Everything is a spoiler-heavy podcast. We talk about all aspects of whatever we are discussing and do not announce or avoid spoilers in any way.In this episode of Everything, Justin and Keith finish up the new George Saunders book, “Vigil”.Music by Johnny Hawaii.

NPR's Book of the Day
George Saunders' 'Vigil' is a ghostly novel about an oil tycoon in his final hours

NPR's Book of the Day

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2026 9:12


In his latest novel, George Saunders continues to explore his interest in death and the afterlife. Vigil tells the story of an oil tycoon and climate change denier named K.J. Boone who's visited by a series of ghosts in his final hours. In today's episode, NPR's Scott Detrow asks Saunders about similarities between this novel and A Christmas Carol. They also discuss the author's Substack, his experience in the oil industry, and the role of storytelling in this political moment.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Ezra Klein Show
George Saunders on Anger, Ambition and Sin

The Ezra Klein Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 87:05


George Saunders is tired of being the “kindness guy.”Saunders is one of my favorite fiction writers, and a friend of the pod; I talked to him back in 2021 and 2022. He also has a reputation as a kind of guru of kindness, thanks to a viral commencement speech he gave back in 2013. We talked about kindness on the show before.But with the publication of his new novel, “Vigil,” I noticed that something about Saunders seemed to have shifted. He was pushing back against that public persona, and wrestling with darker themes.“Vigil” follows an oil tycoon who, on his deathbed, is visited by angels and people from his past asking him to reassess his life. And you can feel a tension in that book that is also very alive in Saunders himself — between recognizing how much of our lives are conditioned by our circumstances and the need to pass judgment to reckon with the truth.In this conversation, I discuss that tension with Saunders. I ask him about his relationship not just to kindness but also to anger; how he defines sin; whether he believes in free will; and what he thinks lies beyond kindness.This episode contains strong language.Mentioned:Vigil by George Saunders“What It Means to Be Kind in a Cruel World” by The Ezra Klein Show“George Saunders Convocation Speech 2013”“A Tough Question Indeed” by George SaundersEast West Street by Philippe Sands“When Is It Genocide?” by The Ezra Klein ShowBook Recommendations:I Will Bear Witness, Volume 1 by Victor KlempererRed Cavalry and Other Stories by Isaac BabelThe Place of Tides by James RebanksThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota, Efim Shapiro and Isaac Jones. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Marie Cascione, Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin, Emma Kehlbeck, Jack McCordick, Marina King and Jan Kobal. Original music by Aman Sahota and Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SongWriter
Caregiving and Reconciliation: Silas Howard + Dorian Wood

SongWriter

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 46:33


Filmmaker and director Silas Howard reads a story about caring for his mother in the years before her death. Dr. Fayron Epps speaks about her research in caregiving,  and about caregivers who struggle with complicated and often painful family memories. Songwriter and performer Dorian Wood speaks about rejecting  “chrono-normativity,” and shares a song called “Winooski (Time-Shifting Waltz).”Chapters00:05:31Silas Howard reads a piece about his mother's struggle with addiction and dementia00:21:12Dr. Epps speaks about her work in the faith community and with the families struggling with the challenges of caring for people experiencing dementia00:30:05Dorian Wood talks about her work and practiceSongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

RNZ: Saturday Morning
George Saunders: Life, death and what comes next

RNZ: Saturday Morning

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2026 37:13


The Booker prize winner confronts the biggest issues of our time: corporate greed, the environmental consequences of progress and the question of absolution.

Full Release with Samantha Bee
Secular Saint or Church Guitarist? (with George Saunders)

Full Release with Samantha Bee

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2026 59:34


Author George Saunders joins Sam to talk about his new book Vigil and why people are so obsessed with turning him into a secular saint (and his childhood role of church guitarist). George explains that even though he’s not on social media he still finds ways to doom scroll, how the current government could have learned empathy if they bothered to read a few books, and how he found inspiration for Vigil without sounding too preachy. They talk about the importance of “vomit drafts” and the process of revisions, how his writing approach is about minimizing his anxiety, the choice to turn on or off some of the voices in your head, early rejection from The New Yorker, and choosing not to get killed just to be a great writer. They explain how they both put their choices up against the deathbed test, and how being compassionate doesn’t always mean being nice. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Open Source with Christopher Lydon
George Saunders on Life and the Afterlife

Open Source with Christopher Lydon

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2026 31:54


We’re going off script out here in the afterlife, in the imagination of the triple-threat novelist George Saunders. He’s eminent as a writer of stories and novels, as a critical reader, and as a teacher ... The post George Saunders on Life and the Afterlife appeared first on Open Source with Christopher Lydon.

Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin

George Saunders is an author known for his inventive short stories and the Booker Prize–winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo. His works include the collections Tenth of December and Liberation Day and the craft book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. Named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people, he has received numerous honors, from a MacArthur Fellowship to the National Book Foundation's 2025 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Saunders teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University, where he has mentored generations of emerging authors. ------ Thank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team: AG1 https://drinkag1.com/tetra ------ Athletic Nicotine https://www.athleticnicotine.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ LMNT Electrolytes https://drinklmnt.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Squarespace https://squarespace.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Sign up to receive Tetragrammaton Transmissions https://www.tetragrammaton.com/join-newsletter

Shakespeare and Company
George Saunders: Fiction, Free Will, and the Question of Redemption

Shakespeare and Company

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2026 45:03


George Saunders returns to the Shakespeare and Company Podcast to talk with host Adam Biles about Vigil, his long-awaited new novel. Set on the threshold between life and death, Vigil follows a dying oil executive and the ghost tasked with comforting him, unfolding as a darkly comic, morally urgent meditation on guilt, responsibility, and free will in the age of climate collapse.Saunders discusses his fascination with liminal spaces and afterlives, the technical challenges of writing beyond realism, and how revision allows fiction to think more deeply than polemic ever could. Drawing on his own past in the oil industry, he reflects on writing characters implicated in environmental harm with both empathy and moral seriousness. The conversation ranges across Dickens, Tolstoy, Buddhism, and the novel's central question: whether redemption is possible when action is no longer an option. As ever, Saunders brings humor, generosity, and intellectual daring to a discussion that embraces complexity rather than easy answers.*George Saunders is the author of thirteen books, including the novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Booker Prize in 2017, and five collections of stories including Tenth of December, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the recent collection Liberation Day (selected by former President Obama has one of his ten favourite books of 2021). Three of Saunders' books –Pastoralia, Tenth of December, and Lincoln in the Bardo – were chosen for the New York Times' list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. Saunders hosts the popular Story Club on Substack, which grew out of his book on the Russian short story, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. In 2013, he was named one of the world's 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University.Adam Biles is Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company.Listen to Alex Freiman's latest EP, In The Beginning: https://open.spotify.com/album/5iZYPMCUnG7xiCtsFCBlVa?si=h5x3FK1URq6SwH9Kb_SO3w Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything
Vigil (Part 1)

Everything

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2026 101:23


Everything is a spoiler-heavy podcast. We talk about all aspects of whatever we are discussing and do not announce or avoid spoilers in any way.In this episode of Everything, Justin and Keith talk about the new George Saunders book, “Vigil”.Music by Johnny Hawaii.

Death, Sex & Money
The Women Who Made George Saunders A Wife Guy

Death, Sex & Money

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 59:35


Growing up, George Saunders was the eldest boy with younger sisters, in a family full of women who gave him praise and special treatment. That created the confidence that fueled his ambition to become a great writer. In this lively interview, George talks about why that dream took decades to realize and what was essential to making it happen – including a karmic, three-week romance, a pivotal trip to the Afghanistan border during the Soviet war, and witnessing a “colossal fuck up” working in the oil fields of Indonesia. George's newest novel, “Vigil,” is out now and his substack is called Story Club.Podcast production by Andrew Dunn.Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.And if you're new to the show, welcome. We're so glad you're here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna's newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Culture
Death, Sex & Money - The Women Who Made George Saunders A Wife Guy

Slate Culture

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 59:35


Growing up, George Saunders was the eldest boy with younger sisters, in a family full of women who gave him praise and special treatment. That created the confidence that fueled his ambition to become a great writer. In this lively interview, George talks about why that dream took decades to realize and what was essential to making it happen – including a karmic, three-week romance, a pivotal trip to the Afghanistan border during the Soviet war, and witnessing a “colossal fuck up” working in the oil fields of Indonesia. George's newest novel, “Vigil,” is out now and his substack is called Story Club.Podcast production by Andrew Dunn.Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.And if you're new to the show, welcome. We're so glad you're here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna's newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Daily Feed
Death, Sex & Money - The Women Who Made George Saunders A Wife Guy

Slate Daily Feed

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 59:35


Growing up, George Saunders was the eldest boy with younger sisters, in a family full of women who gave him praise and special treatment. That created the confidence that fueled his ambition to become a great writer. In this lively interview, George talks about why that dream took decades to realize and what was essential to making it happen – including a karmic, three-week romance, a pivotal trip to the Afghanistan border during the Soviet war, and witnessing a “colossal fuck up” working in the oil fields of Indonesia. George's newest novel, “Vigil,” is out now and his substack is called Story Club.Podcast production by Andrew Dunn.Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.And if you're new to the show, welcome. We're so glad you're here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna's newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

KQED’s Forum
George Saunders Takes on Mortality, Morality and Climate, Comically, in New Novel ‘Vigil'

KQED’s Forum

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 54:47


George Saunders is one of America's most celebrated writers. His worlds and characters often live in a reality just beyond or behind our own, and his latest novel “Vigil,” is no exception. The novel opens with an angel falling to earth with the task of comforting an unrepentant oil tycoon in his final hours alive. What spills forth from this zany setup is a comic novel about climate change, personal responsibility, and the kind of honesty that matters most. Guests: George Saunders, author, "Vigil"; MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow; his previous books include "Lincoln in the Bardo," "Tenth of December" and "Liberation Day; English professor, Syracuse University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Poured Over
George Saunders on VIGIL

Poured Over

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 53:32


Vigil by George Saunders is an imaginative new story about the pivotal moment between life and death. George joined us live from Philadelphia to talk about format, keeping a sense of play, voice, language, ghosts, dialogue, short stories and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.                     New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Vigil by George Saunders CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders Liberation Day by George Saunders Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Beloved by Toni Morrison A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Master and Man and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy  

First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing
First Draft - George Saunders (Back Again)

First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2026 68:51


George Saunders is the author of twelve books, including Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for best work of fiction in English, and was a finalist for the Golden Man Booker, in which one Booker winner was selected to represent each decade, from the fifty years since the Prize's inception. His stories have appeared regularly in The New Yorker since 1992. The short story collection Tenth of December was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the inaugural Folio Prize in 2013 (for the best work of fiction in English) and the Story Prize (best short story collection). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sunday Magazine
ICE backlash, Booker Prize-winner George Saunders, Polar war, That's Puzzling!

The Sunday Magazine

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2026 94:00


Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with The New Yorker's Emily Witt and Ted Hesson of Reuters about how backlash to immigration enforcement in Minnesota is affecting the Trump administration's strategyBooker-Prize winning author George Saunders discusses his new novel, Vigil, and how its themes resonate with the United States' tumultuous political landscapeJournalist Kenneth Rosen shares his experience travelling in the Arctic to explore the forces tilting the region toward conflictOur monthly challenge That's Puzzling! returns with special guest Anastasia Bucsis, a former speed skater and co-host of CBC's primetime coverage of the Milan-Cortina OlympicsDiscover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Fresh Air
Best Of: Novelists Liz Moore & Julian Barnes

Fresh Air

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2026 48:47


Liz Moore's bestselling book, ‘Long Bright River,' was set in a troubled Philadelphia neighborhood where she'd worked on a photo essay. “My own family has a long history of addiction. I was kind of emotionally drawn back to the neighborhood over and over again because of that,” she tells Dave Davies. The resulting thriller about a policewoman searching for her missing sister was made into a series on Peacock. Moore's latest book, ‘The God of the Woods,' where a child goes missing from a remote children's camp, will be adapted to a Netflix series.Also, we hear from one of England's most acclaimed writers, Julian Barnes. He has a new book, which he says will be his last. It's called ‘Departures.' He spoke with Terry Gross. Maureen Corrigan reviews George Saunders' new novel, ‘Vigil.'Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

10% Happier with Dan Harris
George Saunders On: Getting Un-Stuck, Calming the Inner Critic, and Building Empathy Without Becoming a Chump

10% Happier with Dan Harris

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2026 66:07


A conversation with celebrated author George Saunders about his new novel, Vigil, and what fiction can teach us about empathy, self-awareness, and mortality. George Saunders is the bestselling, award-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, Tenth of December, and many other books. His new novel, Vigil, tells the story of a woman who died in 1976 and has spent the decades since comforting the dying—until she encounters a former oil executive responsible for early climate change denial. In this conversation, Dan and George talk about: Why George keeps writing about ghosts and the afterlife (hint: it's not just about mortality dread) The lavish empathy at the heart of Vigil—and whether we should extend that empathy even to people doing civilizational damage What George calls "warm metacognition"—the practice of dropping back out of your thought loops to examine what kind of goggles you're wearing How fiction can turn your mind into a "reconsideration machine" (and why that matters in real life) The difference between kindness and niceness George's relationship with death anxiety, which he's had since childhood and which has only intensified with age What George has learned about listening from teaching and hosting his Substack, Story Club Why the older he gets, the more important it is to stretch himself creatively His advice for dealing with stuckness (in writing and in life): curiosity over self-accusation George's new novel Vigil is out January 27th from Random House. Check out his Substack, Story Club, where he discusses classic short stories with an incredibly thoughtful community.   Related Episodes: George Saunders on "Holy Befuddlement" and How to Be Less of a "Turd"   Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel   To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris  

RTÉ - Arena Podcast
Arena Encore - John Bishop, George Saunders, Kathryn Ferguson & John Butler

RTÉ - Arena Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2026 69:14


The best of Arena's week with comedian John Bishop, novelist George Saunders, filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson and writer-director John Butler.

Little Atoms
Little Atoms 984 - George Saunders' Vigil

Little Atoms

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2026 27:48


George Saunders is the author of thirteen books, including the novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Booker Prize in 2017, and five collections of stories including Tenth of December, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the recent collection Liberation Day (selected by former President Obama has one of his ten favourite books of 2021). Three of Saunders' books - Pastoralia, Tenth of December, and Lincoln in the Bardo - were chosen for the New York Times' list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. Saunders hosts the popular Story Club on Substack, which grew out of his book on the Russian short story, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. In 2013, he was named one of the world's 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University. On this episode of Little Atoms he talks to Neil Denny about his latest novel Vigil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh Air
Former NBC producer on silence, shame and finding words after #MeToo

Fresh Air

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2026 43:58


Brooke Nevils was a young NBC producer working the 2014 Sochi Olympics when, she says, ‘Today Show' host Matt Lauer sexually assaulted her. Lauer has denied her account, calling their relationship consensual. Now, in her new memoir, ‘Unspeakable Things,' Nevils doesn't just revisit what happened – she interrogates why it took years to understand it. She spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley. Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews George Saunders' new novel, ‘Vigil,' and Ken Tucker reviews music from country artist Stephen Wilson Jr.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

silence shame nbc metoo today show vigil matt lauer lauer george saunders sochi olympics tonya mosley ken tucker unspeakable things maureen corrigan
The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
283 | The Art of the Character Introduction

The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2026 40:02


In this special craft supercut, we gather wisdom from recent guests on one essential question: how do you introduce a character? From subtle entrances to defining first actions, writers including Sharon Horgan, George Saunders, Dana Fox, and Akiva Goldsman share how they think about character, voice, and point of view from the very first moment. Featured writers: Sharon Horgan (Episode 225) Clint Bentley (Episode 230) Malcolm Washington & Virgil Williams (Episode 237) Dana Fox (Episode 239) George Saunders (Episode 240) John Henion (Episode 242) Carla Banks-Waddles (Episode 245) Rob Spera (Episode 247) Sheila Hanahan Taylor (Episode 253) Sylvia Batey Alcalá & Mac Smullen (Episode 255) Kaz Firpo (Episode 261) Akiva Goldsman (Episode 264) --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- use code HOLIDAY25 for 50% off your first month. Episode Links: Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TSL on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Hurwitz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kate Mishkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and audio engineered and mixed by ⁠⁠Urban Olsson⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zero: The Climate Race
George Saunders goes inside the mind of a climate denier: Imagine series

Zero: The Climate Race

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2026 43:22 Transcription Available


What is the best way to tell a climate story? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Booker Prize-winning novelist George Saunders. His new novel Vigil is an exploration of guilt, told on the deathbed of an oil executive haunted by ghosts. Rathi asks Saunders what he learned about climate change, his thoughts on whether AI complements or compromises human creativity, and why literature still matters in the era of TikTok. Explore further: In ‘Vigil,’ George Saunders Asks: Can An Oil CEO Repent? — Bloomberg The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable — Amitav Ghosh Other episodes in the Imagine series: Building Monuments to the End of Oil — Kuwaiti artist Monira Al Qadiri Abundance or Adequacy? Search for Better Climate Solutions — Sci-fi bestseller Kim Stanley Robinson Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Gautam Naik, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Front Row
Reviewing Is This Thing On? Guess How Much I Love You? and George Saunders

Front Row

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2026 42:33


Tom Sutcliffe and guests Viv Groskop and Dorian Lynskey, review Bradley Cooper's film Is This Thing On? - about a marriage in crisis and a comedian on the rise. Guess How Much I Love You? is the new play by Luke Norris at London's Royal Court Theatre, which deals with starting a family, enduring love and impossible choices And George Saunders' new book, Vigil, set in the living world and the world of the dead and the in-between. Also how successful is British soft power in China?Presenter Tom Sutcliffe

Book Riot - The Podcast
VIGIL by George Saunders

Book Riot - The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2026 51:01


Jeff and Rebecca talk about George Saunders' new novel, Vigil. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read and its brand new companion newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The Book Riot Podcast Patreon This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All Of It
George Saunders on His New Novel, 'Vigil'

All Of It

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2026 19:51


Booker Prize-winning writer George Saunders returns with his first novel since Lincoln in the Bardo. Vigil follows an oil CEO on his death bed, and the spirit of a woman who had descended to help guide him through death. Saunders discusses the novel, out now.

Kelly Corrigan Wonders
Deep Dive with George Saunders on Creativity

Kelly Corrigan Wonders

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 58:02


In the 4th episode of our Super Traits series, Kelly sits down with her favorite writer George Saunders—author of 12 books including Lincoln in the Bardo and his latest novel Vigil—to explore creativity as a practice of staying open. They talk about how precise language changes the way we receive the world, why specificity lowers reactivity, and what it means that neurologically speaking, we're always writing and revising. George reflects on empathy as a gateway to creativity, why foreclosure is death to the creative process, and the dream of repair—which might be the whole job of fiction. He also shares why he never decides what his books mean before he writes them and why he considers constraints to be essential. This episode was made possible by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. To learn more, visit www.templeton.org. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gays Reading
George Saunders, Vigil

Gays Reading

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 52:15


Host Jason Blitman is joined by acclaimed author George Saunders who talks about his new novel, Vigil. Conversation highlights include:

RTÉ - Arena Podcast
George Saunders - The films of Jean-Luc Godard - Cello Concerto No. 1 – Hostile Summits

RTÉ - Arena Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 51:24


George Saunders - The films of Jean-Luc Godard - Cello Concerto No. 1 – Hostile Summits

SongWriter
Flourishing After Disaster: Patrice Francis + Selah Moonie

SongWriter

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 46:18


Bahamian playwright and teacher Patrice Francis performs a dramatic piece about recovering from Hurricane Dorian, live at the Fuze Art Fair at Bahamar. Patrice wrote the piece based on the research of Dr. Stephanie Hutcheson, who describes what she learned about post-traumatic growth. Songwriter Selah Moonie talks about holding on to her inspiration and artistry in an economic environment that prizes cover songs, and plays a brand new song with her band.SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Heart Haven Meditations
Author George Saunders on the Power of a Quiet Mind in Writing and in Life

Heart Haven Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 50:18


In this special episode of Heart Haven Meditations, Tess Callahan speaks with author George Saunders abou the intersection of meditation, writing, and his Buddhist practice. Drawing from his new novel Vigil, Saunders reflects on attention, revision as a form of meditation, and the challenge of inhabiting another person's consciousness with honesty and care. Saunders emphasizes the value of cultivating “a quiet mind” in writing and in life. George Saunders is the author of thirteen books, including the novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Man Booker Prize, and five collections of stories, including Tenth of December, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the recent collection Liberation Day. Saunders hosts the popular Story Club on Substack, which grew out of his book on the Russian short story, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. In 2013, he was named one of the world's 100 Most Influential People by Time. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University.Support the showHost: Tess CallahanSubstack: Writers at the WellInterview Podcast: Writers at the WellMeditations on Insight TimerMeditations on YouTubeTess's novels: https://tesscallahan.com/Music (unless otherwise noted above): Christopher Lloyd ClarkAudio Editing: Eric Fischer By tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening!DISCLAIMER: Meditation is not a substitute for professional psychological or medical healthcare or therapy. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to this recording. Use the material provided at your own risk. Do not drive or operate dangerous equipment while listening. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network
RWH065: Joyful Excellence w/ Brad Stulberg

We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2026 98:59


William Green welcomes back bestselling author Brad Stulberg to chat about his new book, The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness & Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:27 - How Brad Stulberg became obsessed with the pursuit of excellence 00:18:49 - Why excellence requires a combination of guts & vulnerability 00:22:51 - How “algorithmic mass distraction” blocks us from a life of excellence 00:30:10 - Why the best performers lead lives that often look mundane & boring 00:38:00 - How to identify your core values & align your career with them 00:42:22 - How we drive ourselves crazy pursuing the illusion of balance 00:53:18 - Why periods of rest & renewal are integral to success & creativity 01:07:30 - Why the key to greatness is consistency—especially on bad days 01:13:43 - Why excelling at hard things requires “fierce self-kindness” 01:21:19 - How Brad structures his daily, weekly & monthly routines 01:25:33 - What he's learned about deep work from his friend Cal Newport 01:28:51 - How to create a physical environment that supports good habits 01:37:36 - How to work with intensity & joy & to become a “humble badass” Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Mastermind Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. Inquire about William Green's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richer, Wiser, Happier Masterclass⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Brad's website.  Brad's podcast. Brad's The Way of Excellence. Brad's Master of Change & The Practice of Groundedness. Robert Pirsig's Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Lila & On Quality. Cal Newport's Deep Work. George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo. William Green's previous podcast with Brad Stulberg. William Green's book, ⁠Richer, Wiser, Happier⁠. Follow William Green on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Related ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠books⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ mentioned in the podcast. Ad-free episodes on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium Feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. NEW TO THE SHOW? Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Intrinsic Value Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We Study Billionaires Starter Packs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow our official social media accounts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Browse through all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Finance Tool⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Enjoy exclusive perks from our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠favorite Apps and Services⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠best business podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our ⁠sponsors⁠: HardBlock⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Linkedin Talent Solutions⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Human Rights Foundation⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Simple Mining⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Netsuite⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Fundrise⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Masterworks⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Shopify⁠⁠⁠ References to any third-party products, services, or advertisers do not constitute endorsements, and The Investors Podcast Network is not responsible for any claims made by them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

There Will Be Books
Episode 188 "Victory Lap by George Saunders, and New TBR Addition"

There Will Be Books

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2026 76:32


We're back this week to discuss the George Saunders short story, "Victory Lap." (But not before a long intro on the NFL playoffs) We discuss the nuance of the story and give our thoughts on what Saunders is going for with this odd but powerful story. We end the episode with adding a new book to our TBR, this time we selected a favorite of ours, P.G. Wodehouse.*Also, I apologize for the coughing, and I never claimed to be a pro with the mute button.TBR Additions- Right ho, Jeeves by P.G. WodehouseContact Us:Instagram @therewillbbooksTwitter @therewillbbooksEmail ⁠willbebooks@gmail.com⁠Goodreads: Therewillbebooksko-fi.com/therewillbbookspatreon.com/therewillbbooks

Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen
Pulling The Thread Presents: Super Traits from Kelly Corrigan Wonders

Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2026 2:50


Kelly Corrigan Wonders recently launched a 6-part series called Super Traits, featuring conversations with people like NBA coach Steve Kerr, writer George Saunders, and do-gooder Father Greg Boyle, all masters of the super traits. These deep dives are one part inspiration and one part How To guide on how to get yourself in the right headspace for a great 2026. Tune in to hear fantastic conversations on wonder, humility, and curiosity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Daily
'The Interview': George Saunders Is No Saint (Despite What You May Have Heard)

The Daily

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2026 52:16


The celebrated author on the challenges of being kind, the benefits of meditation and the reality check of death.Thoughts? Email us at theinterview@nytimes.comWatch our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcastFor transcripts and more, visit: nytimes.com/theinterview  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Poured Over
Emma Pattee on TILT

Poured Over

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2026 47:41


Tilt by Emma Pattee is a breathtaking exploration of humanity, desperation, love and survival in the midst of a catastrophe. Emma joins us to talk about natural disasters, control, motherhood, research, grief and more with guest host Brenda Allison. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Brenda Allison and mixed by Harry Liang.                     New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Tilt by Emma Pattee I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell Colored Television by Danzy Senna Liberation Day by George Saunders  

Sarah's Book Shelves Live
Winter 2026 Book Preview with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 214

Sarah's Book Shelves Live

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2026 54:10


Welcome to the Winter 2026 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!   Today, Catherine and Sarah share 16 of their most anticipated books releasing from January through March.   This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Announcement The 2026 Reading Tracker is out! This year brings upgraded features across the board — including NEW average star rating and 5-star book tracking for every stat on the Dashboard — plus an updated Lite Tracker for those who prefer a streamlined version. Both Trackers are ONLY available to paid Patreon or Substack subscribers ($7/month) and is no longer sold separately. To avoid Apple's 30% fee, be sure to join directly from the Patreon website (mobile or desktop). Join our Patreon Community (here) OR become a Substack Paid Member (here)!   One of the many benefits to supporting the podcast through either our Patreon Community or our Substack Community (both for just $7/mo) is that you get access to several bonus podcast episode series, including Book Preview Extras! In these episodes, Catherine and Sarah share at least 4 bonus books we are excited about that we did not share in the big show preview episode. Get more details about all the goodies available and sign up here for Patreon and here for Substack! Highlights A lightning round of some big releases coming this winter that we're not featuring in today's preview. Catherine chose books by authors she knows and trusts. This year, Sarah dug deep into the publisher's catalog for potential hidden gems. Sarah's books cover literary suspense, literary fiction, brain candy, nonfiction, and a thriller from 2 debut authors and 3 repeat authors. Sarah has already read one of her picks — and it was 4.5 stars! Plus, their #1 picks for winter. Big Winter Releases The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave (January 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [2:39] The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead (January 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [2:43] My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney (January 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [2:46] Once and Again by Rebecca Serle (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [2:49] Crux by Gabriel Tallent (January 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [2:53] Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (March 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [2:56] Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh (March 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:00] Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (March 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:03] Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict (March 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:21]  Missing Sam by Thrity Umrigar (January 27) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:24]  This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman (February 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:28]  Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy (January 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [3:31]  Other Books Mentioned I'm Glad My Mother Died by Jennette McCurdy (2022) [3:35]  Winter 2026 Book Preview [6:57] January Catherine's Picks Skylark by Paula McLain (January 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:53] Vigil by George Saunders (January 27)  | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [16:48]  Other Books Mentioned Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (2015) [11:04] When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain (2021) [13:12]  Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (2017) [17:39]  February Sarah's Picks Good People by Patmeena Sabit (February 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [7:59] Royal Spin by Omid Scobie and Robin Benway (February 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:14] Kin by Tayari Jones (February 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [24:01]  Catherine's Picks Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise (February 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [22:19] More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen (February 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [28:05] Other Books Mentioned Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (2014) [9:37]  Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (2023) [9:40]  Real Americans by Rachel Khong (2024) [9:42]  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003) [9:50]  Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019) [14:04]  Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand (2020) [14:53]  Endgame by Omid Scobie (2023) [14:57]  Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden (2019) [19:20]  An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (2018) [24:11] Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones (2011) [24:13]   Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones (2002) [26:48]  Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen (2018) [29:43]  After Annie by Anna Quindlen (2024) [29:51]  March Sarah's Picks No One's Coming by Kevin Hazzard (March 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [30:07]  Whidbey by T Kira Madden (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:50] All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[35:31] She Fell Away by Lenore Nash (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [41:01]  The Complex by Karan Mahajan (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [46:35]  Catherine's Picks Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton (March 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [33:02]  No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes (US Release March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:44] Son of Nobody by Yann Martel (March 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [43:11]  How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson (March 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:15]  Other Books Mentioned A Thousand Naked Strangers by Kevin Hazzard (2016) [30:48]  The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton (2022) [33:06]  Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton (2016) [33:13]  Shelter by Jung Yun (2016) [35:41]  Medium Rare by A. Natasha Joukovsky (March 3, 2026) [40:39]  Red Widow by Alma Katsu (2021) [41:45]  Red London by Alma Katsu (2023) [41:46]  Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2001) [43:38]  The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel (2016) [46:16]  The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan (2016) [47:17]  Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (2012) [50:04]  Other Links The New Yorker | "The True Margaret," by Karan Mahajan