Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin George Saunders
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Feb 4, 2026 
George Saunders, acclaimed author and teacher known for inventive short stories and the Booker Prize–winning Lincoln in the Bardo. He talks about discovering ideas through writing, using small seed images to let stories grow, treating editing as ongoing creation, improvisation and rhythm in prose, spiritual practice influencing empathy, and teaching craft through close listening.
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A Dream Launched His Career
- Saunders's first published story came from a vivid dream about a gravity‑suspended theme park.
- That dream voice differed from his previous work and helped him gain admission to Syracuse.
Use Silent Rhythm To Shape Sentences
- Focus on how the words sound in your head and the rhythm more than reading aloud; silent rapid reading reveals sonic inefficiencies.
- Let rhythm present the correct sentence shape and then fill with words.
Watch Your Reading Mind Daily
- Track your 'reading mind' daily: if you're skim‑reading, note it and be cautious about major changes.
- Favor days when the text reads like it's fresh and capitalize on those writing sessions.
