Episode
George Saunders has no faith in Christian nationalism
- Published
- Apr 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2367
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- https://shows.acast.com/the-new-statesman-interview/episodes/george-saunders-has-no-faith-in-christian-nationalism
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Summary
For decades, George Saunders was known for his short stories. In 2013, in a Time Magazine 100 most influential people listing, he was described as “the best short-story writer in English". In 2017, he released his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, a reimagining of President Abraham Lincoln’s grief in the aftermath of his son Willie’s death. It’s a genre-defying piece of literature, narrated by no less than 166 ghosts. The bardo is a concept borrowed from Saunders ’ adopted faith, Buddhism—an "intermediate state" between death and reincarnation. In his latest novel, Vigil, Saunders returns to the in-between - this time through a dying oil barron, grappling with his morality at the 11th hour in a burning world. Tanjil Rashid sat down with George Saunders to discuss faith: in his writing, as a means of optimism, and as a political weapon in today’s world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.