A swim in a pond in the rain In which four Russians give a master class on writing, reading, and life
Book - 2021
"In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders guides the reader through seven classic Russian short stories he's been teaching for twenty years as a professor in the prestigious Syracuse University graduate MFA creative writing program. Paired with stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, these essays are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it's more relevant than ever in these turbulent times. Saunders approaches each of these stories technically yet accessibly, and through them explains how narrative functions; why we stay immersed in a story and why we resist it; and the bedrock virtues a writer must foster. For the process of writing, Saunders reminds us, is as much a craft as it is a ...quality of openness and a willingness to see the world through new eyes. Funny, frank, and rigorous, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain ultimately shows how great fiction can change a person's life and become a benchmark of one's moral and ethical beliefs"--
- Subjects
- Genres
- Literary criticism
- Published
-
New York :
Random House
2021.
- Language
- English
Russian - Main Author
- Other Authors
- , , ,
- Item Description
- Includes texts of seven short stories.
- Physical Description
- xii, 410 pages ; 25 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 409-410).
- ISBN
- 9781984856029
- We Begin
- In the Cart
- A Page at a Time: Thoughts on "In the Cart"
- Afterthought #1
- The Singers
- The Heart of the Story: Thoughts on "The Singers"
- Afterthought #2
- The Darling
- A Pattern Story: Thoughts on "The Darling "
- Afterthought #3
- Master and Man
- And Yet They Drove On: Thoughts on "Master and Man"
- Afterthought #4
- The Nose
- The Door to the Truth Might Be Strangeness: Thoughts on "The Nose"
- Afterthought #5
- Gooseberries
- A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: Thoughts on "Gooseberries"
- Afterthought #6
- Alyosha the Pot
- The Wisdom of Omission: Thoughtson "Alyosha the Pot"
- Afterthought #7
- We End
- Appendices
- Appendix A. A Cutting Exercise
- Appendix B. An Escalation Exercise
- Appendix C. A Translation Exercise
- Acknowledgments
- List of Texts
- Additional Resources
- Credits