My go-to default is to try to be nice, which I feel does less harm in the long run than trying to be, say, assertive. If I am nice and maybe too passive, I find that easier to live with.
George SaundersFor me, things were either very sullied or very pure, very controlled or very under-controlled.
George SaundersWriting and reading and speaking with specificity and skill has never seen more important to me than it does at this moment. It's what's between us and chaos.
George SaundersI had an experience a few years ago where I was on a plane in which one of the engines went out. I couldn't even remember my name. I was just repeating the word no over and over.
George SaundersThere's also a way that you have of being precise but also allusive, that works well for me - it's something about the open-hearted way you frame your queries. Instead of feeling daunted or discouraged, I feel excited to give whatever it is a try. This takes a lot of editorial wisdom and confidence - to know just how to get the writer to take that extra chance.
George Saunders