George Saunders

I had one guy who, he sent me an email about a talk I'd given, and he used a word.

I don't know if I can use it here, but it's a great word.

Okay.

Well, he said,

that talk was truly cocksuck worthy.

And so I wrote him back and I said, you know, I'm a person, I'm sitting here in my pajamas.

You just ruined my day.

And you have the advantage of me.

You know, my name, I don't know your name.

Let's talk.

And so there was a two- or three-day silence, and then he said, I won't apologize.

I was drunk, and I didn't think you would read that.

Okay, okay, I understand.

And we went back and forth for a few rounds.

So I think the number of interactions a day that we now have that have that kind of strange –

conditionality of impersonality it it skyrocketed and i think it it's corrosive that to me is the major through line of my life actually not just the last few years but from 1958 to now i think somehow we're devaluing human to human contact which is really the only thing that there is thank you so much for taking all the time i really i really enjoyed it and i'm looking forward to you to speaking to you again on friday sounds good a few days

Sometimes even like there'll be a student who has a shining moment of real sincerity or earnestness or something in the story that the sort of hipster in them has been keeping out.

And just slightly put your hand and go on that and say, you know, as an older person, this is really resonant to me.

This really is beautiful.

Hi, George.