George Saunders

So even if the role has declined, what am I going to do, you know?

I think so.

I think what they're obsessively trying to do, and I remember this myself as a student, is just...

where am I in all this?

Like, where do I sound like myself?

Where am I doing something that nobody else could do?

And that is such an obsessive pursuit.

And I think that's what they're after still, because when in my teaching, when I get on that, when I, for example, if I give them an edit,

that sort of reveals them to themselves.

I mean, it's such a good feeling between us, you know?

Or sometimes the best thing is when you notice that somebody has a habit, usually out of allegiance to some other writer or some previous incarnation of themselves, and then you just say, you know, seems like you have this habit.

And they go, oh, thank you, you know.

Or 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 on that and say, you know,

As an older person, this is really resonant to me.

This really is beautiful.

In order to give them permission to come out of the protectionism of being perma-edgy.

So it's a really beautiful job.

Do you ever get who they are wrong?

Um, I don't think... Only because I don't really enforce it much.