George Saunders

Date of Birth: December 2, 1958

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Biography

George Saunders is an acclaimed American writer known for his short stories, essays, novellas, and children’s books. Born in Amarillo, Texas, and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, he graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a degree in geophysics. Saunders worked as a field geophysicist in Sumatra before shifting his career towards writing. He earned an MFA in creative writing from Syracuse University, where he later became a professor. Saunders’ work is known for its satirical and often dystopian elements, exploring themes of consumerism, corporate culture, and the human condition. He gained widespread recognition with his short story collections, including “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” (1996), “Pastoralia” (2000), and “Tenth of December” (2013). The latter was a National Book Award finalist and won the Folio Prize. In 2017, Saunders released his first novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo,” which won the prestigious Man Booker Prize. Saunders’ unique voice and innovative storytelling continue to influence contemporary literature.

5 Interesting Facts about George Saunders

1. George Saunders worked as a technical writer and geophysical engineer before establishing his writing career.

2. He has been awarded the MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.”

3. Saunders is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and Harper’s Magazine.

4. His first novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo,” was inspired by the death of Abraham Lincoln’s son, Willie Lincoln.

5. Saunders has been a professor at Syracuse University since 1997, where he teaches creative writing.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from George Saunders

1. “Humor is what happens when we’re told the truth quicker and more directly than we’re used to.”

2. “The mind, it occurs to me, is like a phalanx of ants: one set comes, then another, and another.”

3. “Kindness, it turns out, is hard. And it’s also the thing that makes the most difference.”

4. “In the end, it is our kindness, our decency, that matters most, not the grand gestures or the heroic acts.”

5. “I think if you take a person’s life and make a book out of it, the book ends up being a thousand pages long because a life is a very complex thing.”