David Marchese

Boone, someone who was actually not only directly responsible for

downplaying the climate crisis, but also exacerbating it.

What you just described, how the

engagement with literature results in these positive side effects, a little more empathy, a little bit more understanding, maybe a little more patience, a little bit more interest in other people.

It's sort of a recurring theme.

theme in interviews with you and things you've written.

And I have questions about that.

So do I. Because on the one hand, I think we could point to countless examples of genius-level writers, presumably people who are as deeply engaged with literature as someone could possibly be who are giant jerks.

And then conversely, just an example from my life, the kindest,

sweetest, most empathetic person I ever knew was my paternal grandmother, who was illiterate her whole life.

So what makes you believe that your hopes that you have for what literature can achieve are true and not just sort of a nice thing to hope?

How does the world change?

That time in your life when you were in Rochester, you were working basically as a technical writer.

Right.

Do you ever think about, for yourself, whether it was, on some level, inevitable that you would choose a different life or write your way into a different life?

Is there a version of George Saunders' life where you do stay as a technical writer and

I also have seen you mention in passing a couple times about how when you were a younger man, you were sort of an Ayn Rand Republican.

Do you remember how you came to those beliefs and then how you...

wound up rejecting those beliefs.

Does that sound not how you're thought of now?