A very special, final Master Series episode for Season 5! Kate was THRILLED to have the opportunity to speak to literary legend George Saunders. They discuss his early writing life, his model for revising, advice to writers, why he loves teaching and his Story Club community and his latest collection Liberation Day.

George Saunders is the author of eleven 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. 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). 

He has received MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, the PEN/Malamud Prize for excellence in the short story, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2013, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. 

Saunders has taught, since 1997, in the Creative Writing Program at Syracuse University. His book based on the fiction course he teaches -  A Swim in the Pond in the Rain is MUCH discussed on this podcast, and combined with his very popular Story Club newsletter and community has made him one of THE most lauded writers on writing. His latest book is the short story collection Liberation Day.

Check out show notes for this episode on our website www.thefirsttimepodcast.com or get in touch via Twitter (@thefirsttimepod) or Instagram (@thefirsttimepod).

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