George Saunders "Victory Lap": trusting yourself to ask the right questions

[@Palomides563]

Have you read Saunders’ most recent substack? He explicitly talks about trusting readers to ask the right questions: “The reader is reading along, even after just a page or two, waiting for something to matter. She wants the book to cohere, somehow - to lead her in a certain direction. Some questions will start to arise and the book will, sort of, answer them, or begin/pretend to. Now, often, those questions will involve a central character’s journey. But I see that as a subset of a greater thing - the story responding both to itself and to the reader’s constantly arising expectations. So, with Lincoln…let’s say that a certain reader, there around page 20, was thinking, “What in the hell is going on?” That’s good - there’s some energy there. (Even if a reader is slightly objecting, he’s engaged.) How do I use that? Well, I start to answer that question; I start to tell him what the hell’s going on…”

[@nateburrows1998]

I always thought the story was titled "Victory Lap" due to every character taking a said VL - the girl fantasizes about being a princess who sees the good in everyone, and even though has reservations about opening the door to a stranger, does so anyway to reinforce her beliefs/fantasy (she gets kidnapped) - the kidnapper takes a VL when he stops at the van after reminiscing about how he would prove to his abusive step dad (I presume its his step dad) that he's done something big for himself (he gets hit by Kyle) and lastly Kyle - who after neutralizing said kidnapper goes to finish him off which is probably from him bottling up all these emotions from having over bearing parents (VL in that this has him almost kill a man) This could be way off, sometimes I read into things very literally but did anyone else think that GS was trying to say something like that with the title?

[@diggydogdave9449]

I discovered your channel through your Left Hand of Darkness reader’s guide video. Really was illuminating to remember how many historical events occurred when that novel came out.

[@ThomasLewandowski]

Awesome! Thanks for sticking around!

[@TheMovingFingerWrites]

That’s exactly what happened to me about page 20! I felt so antagonised and energised.

[@thatrandomdude7008]

Nice video bro imma check out this short story

[@ThomasLewandowski]

uwyo.instructure.com/courses/449378/files/36321640

[@Thessabel]

Hello, can you please do a practice Oral for IB English A Literature using a global issue seen in Othello and the Chronicle of a Blood Merchant ? Thank you so much

[@ThomasLewandowski]

Hi, Thessabel! I don't think I'll have time to do that, but if you are interested in tutoring you can contact me here: kzbin.infoabout

[@edouardwidmaier3724]

ma g helped me with IO thank you

[@Andrew-lk2kh]

Is your name really lewandowski?

[@ThomasLewandowski]

Since 1978!