A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life

George Saunders teaches Fiction Writing in the MFA program at Syracuse University, and is the author of five short story collections, one novel (Lincoln in the Bardo), and one collection of essays (The Braindead Megaphone). He has received numerous awards for his work, including the MacArthur Fellowship in 2006 and the Man Booker Prize for Lincoln in the Bardo in 2017.

Saunders has long taught the stories in this collection to students in the MFA program. He regards them as the highest examples of the short story form, and believes that reading such stories closely will make aspiring writers better. In addition to his teaching experience and close reading skills, Saunders brings his experience as a writer to his commentary on these stories, sharing his struggles with composition and speculating about what these stories can teach in terms of craft, work ethic, and artistic faith.

Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) was a Russian-Ukrainian novelist, playwright, and short story writer. His notable works include the 1842 novel Dead Souls, the satirical play The Government Inspector (1836), and short stories like “The Overcoat” (1842). His surrealist story “The Nose” appears in this collection.

“The Nose” allows Saunders to discuss the Russian skaz-