คำบรรยาย (176)
0:01>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODY.
0:03LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
0:09MY NEXT GUEST IS THE NUMBER
ONE NEW YORK TIMES
0:12BESTSELLING, BOOKER
PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF
0:16HIS LATEST IS "VIGIL."
0:18PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE
LATE SHOW," GEORGE SAUNDERS.
0:24[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] ♪ ♪
HI, GEORGE.
0:38>> George: SO NICE TO BE
HERE.
0:40THIS PICTURE RIGHT HERE, I
WANT TO HAVE THIS IN MY MIND
0:44>> Stephen: I WOULDN'T MIND
HAVING THIS ONE IN MY MIND
0:48>> George: IT'S THE FOURTH
TIME I'VE BEEN ON, FIFTH
0:50TIME MAYBE I WANT TO SAY ONE
THING.
0:52YOU COME HERE NERVOUS, I DO,
A WRITER DOES.
0:56THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE ON THE
SHOW, THE PRODUCERS,
0:59EVERYBODY, SO SWEET AND IT
MAKES A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE
1:03I KNOW IT COMES FROM THE TOP
DOWN SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
1:06>> Stephen: THAT'S LOVELY TO
SAY AND I COMPLETELY AGREE.
1:09VERY LUCKY TO WORK WITH HIS
AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE.
1:14IN NOVEMBER YOU WERE AWARDED
THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION
1:17-- I'M GOING TO GET THIS
RIGHT, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
1:21YOUR WRITING GIVES ME SO
MUCH, GIVES THE WORLD SO
1:25WHAT DOES WRITING GIVE YOU?
1:27>> George: YOU KNOW, MY
PROCESS IS REALLY
1:30REVISION-HEAV PROCESS IS
REALLY REVISION-
1:33OVER AND OVER, DAY AFTER DAY
AND IN THAT PROCESS WHAT
1:36WORKS FOR ME IS TO IMAGINE
THE READER AS BEING KIND OF
1:40BETTER THAN ME, SMARTER AND
MORE WORLDLY AND MORE
1:44COMPASSIONATE AND FUNNIER SO
YOU ARE ALWAYS WRITING UP TO
1:47THAT PERSON SO THAT'S A
REVISION STRATEGY.
1:49YOU READ SOMETHING AND GO
"THAT'S KIND OF DULL."
1:54SO AFTER THE YEARS OF DOING
THAT, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS A
1:57BETTER VERSION OF ME WILL
APPEAR ON THE PAGE WHICH IS
2:03I'M NOT THE USUAL DUMMY.
2:05>> Stephen: DOES THAT MAKE
YOU WANT TO EDIT EVERYTHING
2:08YOU DO AND SAY IN YOUR LIFE?
2:13>> Stephen: YOU CAN ANSWER
THAT QUESTION DIFFERENTLY IF
2:16>> George: WHAT HAPPENS IS,
I'M OVER HERE TRYING TO BE
2:19MY BEST SELF AND HOPEFULLY
THE READER FEELS THAT.
2:22THEN WE BOTH KIND OF COME
OUT OF THE USUAL KIND OF
2:25HABITUAL SELF AND HAVE A
LITTLE MOMENT OF HIGH-LEVEL
2:29THAT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
2:30>> Stephen: RIGHT NOW FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE IS A TIME OF
2:34ENORMOUS STRESS AND TURMOIL.
2:36I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOU
THINK THE ROLE OF ART IS IN
2:43>> George: A LOT OF WRITERS
ARE WORRIED ABOUT THIS.
2:47I THINK SOMETIMES YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU'RE DOING, KIND OF
2:49PAINTING THE BASEBOARDS AND
THEN THE CEILING COMES DOWN.
2:52IT CAN FEEL LIKE THAT.
2:54BUT FOR ME, SO I WANT THE
READER TO FEEL THAT I'M
3:00THE WAY YOU DO THAT IS IN
REVISION YOU TRY TO GET IN
3:02TOUCH WITH SOME TRUTH THAT
YOU SHARE.
3:05SO I THINK NOW IT'S NOT A
HUGE THING BUT IT'S NOT
3:09WE CAN LOOK AT A TEXT AND BY
DOING THAT WE CAN
3:12RECALIBRATE OUR RELATIONSHIP
TO TRUTH.
3:15THIS ADMINISTRATION SEEMS TO
BE WORKING AT A TASK OF
3:19LYING SO OFTEN THAT WE GET
USED TO IT.
3:23IT'S LIKE IF YOU'RE IN A
REALLY FANCY RESTAURANT AND
3:25THE WAITER BRINGS IN THREE
TURDS ON A TRAY.
3:28>> Stephen: UNDER A SILVER
DOME.
3:31>> George: BASIC SANITY IS
TO SAY "WAITER, TAKE THIS
3:39BUT THE IDEA IS IF YOU KEEP
BRINGING THE TURDS ON A
3:42TRAY, YOU'RE LIKE, LEAVE IT.
3:45>> Stephen: EVERYBODY ELSE
SEEMS TO BE ENJOYING IT.
3:50>> George: SO IN A SMALL WAY
I FEEL LIKE THINGS ARE SO
3:54CONFUSING AND SO SAD AND SO
CRUEL, THIS CRUELTY.
3:59FOR A COUPLE MINUTES A DAY,
I AM LIKE YEAH, I DON'T KNOW
4:01WHAT I CAN DO BUT I CAN
RECALIBRATE MY RELATION TO
4:05[APPLAUSE] >> Stephen: WHAT
IS THE ROLE OF FICTION IN
4:08SOME PEOPLE, I DON'T
NECESSARILY AGREE, SOME
4:12PEOPLE SAY FICTION IS NOT
GOOD AT A TIME LIKE THIS
4:15BECAUSE IT'S A FORM OF
ESCAPISM.
4:18>> George: MY EXPERIENCE
WITH FICTION AS IT FREES UP
4:22YOU HAVE TO BE ACCURATE TO
ANYTHING EXCEPT THE SOUL
4:26SO IN THAT SENSE IT'S SO
FREE.
4:31I THINK THAT IN ITSELF IS
REALLY POWERFUL.
4:34I HAVE THE FEELING WITH
FICTION,
4:37A WRITER CAN REACH OUT AND
EVEN IF THE PERSON IS VERY
4:40DIFFERENT FROM YOU, YOU CAN
HIT SOMETHING ESSENTIAL.
4:43I TALKED TO A COUPLE
SOMEWHERE IN MY TRAVELS.
4:46THEY WERE LIKE MEDIATION
PEOPLE.
4:49DIVORCES, CORPORATE PROBLEMS
AND STUFF.
4:51THEY SAID IN THE MOST
DIFFICULT CASES WHAT THEY
4:54WOULD DO IS TAKE A CHECK OF
THE STORY AND ASKED THE
4:58DIFFERENT PARTIES TO READ IT
AND THEY SAID IT WAS SO
5:00AMAZING BECAUSE WHATEVER THE
REAL PROBLEM WAS, THEY
5:03DIDN'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT
IT.
5:04THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT
THESE IMAGINARY PEOPLE IN A
5:08AND IN THE PROCESS THEY SAID
PEOPLE WOULD BECOME WEIRDLY
5:11THEY WOULD CONFESS THINGS.
5:16I THINK THAT'S FROM THE TIME
WE ARE LITTLE OUR PARENTS
5:20ARE TELLING US A STORY AND
WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SENSE
5:22OF THE UNIVERSE THROUGH
MADE-UP THINGS WHICH FREES
5:25US FROM THE CONSTRAINT OF
EVERY DAY THE INDIVIDUAL.
5:28SKU AND YOU AND I CAN SPEAK
AT EACH OTHER BUT LET'S SAY
5:34WE ARE BOTH READING THE SAME
BOOK FOR .
5:37LET'S SAY WE WERE ALL
READING "VIGIL."
5:39>> George: LET'S SAY THAT.
5:40I THINK IT'S GOOD TO BUY TWO
OR THREE COPIES.
5:44>> Stephen: OBVIOUSLY BUY
TWO OR THREE COPY SO YOU
5:47HAVE ONE EVERYWHERE YOU GO.
5:48BUT WE ARE SIDE-BY-SIDE
FACING THE STORY TOGETHER
5:53AND EXPERIENCING IT IN A
SIMILAR WAY WHICH IS ONE OF
5:56THE REASONS WHY EVEN THOUGH
YOU WON THE BOOKER PRIZE IN
5:58NATIONAL BOOK AWARD, RIGHT
NOW I'M ABOUT TO BESTOW ON
6:01YOU THE HIGHEST PRICE IN THE
BOOK COULD POSSIBLY GET
6:04BECAUSE I'M EXCITED TO
ANNOUNCE THAT "VIGIL" WILL
6:07BE "THE LATE SHOW" BOOK
CLUBS FEBRUARY PICK.
6:10WE ARE ALL GOING TO READ
"VIGIL."
6:16IT COMES WITH A MUG WHICH I
DON'T THINK THE BOOKER PRIZE
6:19AND IT COMES WITH A
BOOKMARK.
6:23>> George: I APPRECIATE IT.
6:31>> Stephen: I LOVE LINCOLN
AT THE BARDO.
6:33IT ALSO DEALS WITH DEATH IN
THE AFTERLIFE.
6:39DID YOU MEAN TO WRITE ABOUT
GHOSTS OR THE AFTERLIFE
6:43AGAIN OR DID YOU START
WRITING IN A GHOST JUST
6:45>> George: IT'S MORE LIKE
THAT.
6:47I THINK THE WRITER IS LIKE A
ROLLER COASTER DESIGNER.
6:52IN THE BEGINNING I DON'T YOU
SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
6:56BUT YOU'RE TRYING TO THRILL
THE READER.
6:59I THINK YOU LOVE FLANNERY
O'CONNOR.
7:01SAYING A WRITER CAN CHOOSE
WHAT HE WRITES BUT HE CAN'T
7:07CHOOSE WHAT HE MAKES LIVE.
7:10YOU MIGHT HAVE MADE YEAH I
AM THIS KIND OF WRITER BUT
7:12IF YOU DO IT AND IT'S BORING
YOU'RE NOT THAT KIND OF
7:16SO IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING
TO BE A STRING QUARTET
7:18WRITER LIKE SHOSTAKOVICH AND
YOU'RE RIGHT WHEN EVERYONE
7:21FALLS ASLEEP, THAT'S NOT IT
BUT IF YOU PLAY A POLKA AND
7:25THEY DANCE, THEN IT'S GOOD.
7:27FOR ME IF I HAVE A REAL
STORY LIKE A COUPLE HAVING A
7:31SERIOUS DISCUSSION ABOUT
THEIR MARRIAGE, I CAN'T DO
7:36BUT IF I LET HER DEAD MOM
DRIFT IN AND THE DEAD MOM
7:40DOESN'T LIKE THE HUSBAND,
THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING.
7:44>> Stephen GEORGE, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
7:49"VIGIL" IS AVAILABLE NOW.
7:51IT'S A "LATE SHOW" FEBRUARY
BOOK CLUB PICK.
7:54GEORGE SAUNDERS, EVERYBODY.
