George Saunders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Saunders
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Saunders in 2023
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| Born | December 2, 1958 Amarillo, Texas, U.S. |
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| Language | English |
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| Period | 1986–present |
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| Spouse | Paula Redick |
| Children | 2 |
George Saunders (born December 2, 1958) is an American writer. He is known for his short stories, essays, and novels. His stories often appear in famous magazines like The New Yorker and Harper's. He also wrote a weekly column for The Guardian from 2006 to 2008.
Saunders teaches at Syracuse University. He has won many awards for his writing. These include the National Magazine Award for fiction multiple times. In 2006, he received a special grant called the MacArthur Fellowship. He also won the World Fantasy Award for his short story "CommComm".
His book Tenth of December: Stories won The Story Prize in 2013. It also won the first ever Folio Prize in 2014. His novel Lincoln in the Bardo won the important Booker Prize in 2017.
Contents
Early Life and School
George Saunders was born in Amarillo, Texas. He grew up in Oak Forest, Illinois, near Chicago. He went to St. Damian Catholic School. Later, he graduated from Oak Forest High School.
Before becoming a writer, he had many interesting jobs. He worked as a roofer in Chicago. He was also a doorman in Beverly Hills. For a time, he even worked in a slaughterhouse.
In 1981, he earned a science degree. It was in geophysical engineering from Colorado School of Mines. This means he studied the Earth's physical processes. Saunders says his science background helps his writing. He feels it makes his stories unique.
In 1988, he earned a master's degree in creative writing. This was from Syracuse University. There, he met Paula Redick, who was also a writer. They got married very quickly!
Saunders loves Russian writers like Nikolai Gogol and Leo Tolstoy. He also enjoys funny writers. These include Mark Twain and Monty Python. He is also inspired by simple American fiction.
Writing Career
From 1989 to 1996, Saunders worked as a technical writer. He was also a geophysical engineer for a company called Radian International. This company focused on environmental engineering. He also worked on an oil exploration team in Sumatra in the early 1980s.
Since 1997, Saunders has taught at Syracuse University. He teaches creative writing to students. In 2006, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship. This is another special grant for talented people.
Saunders's stories often make fun of consumerism. This is when people buy too many things. He also writes about corporate culture. This means how big companies work. His writing can be funny and sad at the same time. This style is called tragicomic. People often compare his work to writer Kurt Vonnegut.
The actor Ben Stiller bought the rights to Saunders's book CivilWarLand in Bad Decline. This means Stiller might make it into a movie someday. Saunders has also written a screenplay for his short story "Sea Oak".
Awards and Honors
George Saunders has won many important awards. He won the National Magazine Award for Fiction four times. These wins were in 1994, 1996, 2000, and 2004. He also won second prize in the O. Henry Awards in 1997.
His first collection of short stories, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award in 1996.
In 2006, he received a MacArthur Fellowship. This is often called a "genius grant." It gives money to very talented people. That same year, he won the World Fantasy Award for his story "CommComm."
In 2013, Saunders won the PEN/Malamud Award. This award celebrates excellence in short stories. His book Tenth of December: Stories won The Story Prize in 2013. It also won the first ever Folio Prize in 2014. The New York Times Magazine called Tenth of December "the best book you'll read this year."
In 2017, Saunders published his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. This book won the famous Booker Prize. It also became a New York Times bestseller.
Other honors include:
- Lannan Foundation – Lannan Literary Fellowship, 2001
- Guggenheim Fellowship, 2006
- American Academy of Arts and Letters, Academy Award, 2009
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Elected as Member, 2014
- American Academy of Arts and Letters, Inducted as Member, 2018
Selected Works
Story Collections
- CivilWarLand in Bad Decline (1996)
- Pastoralia (2000)
- In Persuasion Nation (2006)
- Tenth of December: Stories (2013)
- Liberation Day: Stories (2022)
Novels
- The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil (2005, a short novel)
- Lincoln in the Bardo (2017)
Children's Books
See also
In Spanish: George Saunders para niños
