Before 'Lincoln in the Bardo,' George Saunders wrote a short, essential book
With 鈥淟incoln in the Bardo,鈥� George Saunders has published his longest book to date 鈥� an extended fictional narrative that departs from his usual literary form, the short story.
But as 鈥淟incoln in the Bardo鈥� attracts widespread attention with its quirky story about Abraham Lincoln鈥檚 grief for his departed son amid the characters who inhabit a Buddhist-inspired afterlife, now might be a good time to remember Saunders鈥� shortest book 鈥� a tiny volume, published in 2014, called 鈥淐ongratulations, by the Way.鈥�
Even with some padding 鈥� large type, plenty of white space, alternating pages filled with art 鈥� 鈥淐ongratulations, by the Way鈥� spans only about 50 pages, which isn鈥檛 surprising, since it鈥檚 the text of a brief convocation speech Saunders gave at Syracuse University. Within days after the speech was posted online, it had been shared more than a million times.
The advice Saunders gave to students was simple, yet profound. He confessed that after reviewing his life, what he most regretted were the opportunities he missed to be kind.
鈥淚 can look back and see that I鈥檝e spent much of my life in a cloud of things that have pushed 鈥榖eing kind鈥� to the periphery,鈥� Saunders told students. 鈥淭hings like: Anxiety. Fear. Insecurity. Ambition. The mistaken belief that enough accomplishment will rid me of all that anxiety, fear, insecurity and ambition. The belief that if I can only accrue enough 鈥� enough accomplishment, money, fame 鈥� my neuroses will disappear....
Over the years I鈥檝e felt: Kindness, sure 鈥� but first let me finish this semester, this degree, this book; let me succeed at this job, and afford this house, and raise these kids, and then finally, when all is accomplished, I鈥檒l get started on the kindness. Except it never all gets accomplished. It鈥檚 a cycle that can go on ... well, forever.鈥�
In a season touched by so much division, Saunders鈥檚 call to kindness seems more timely than ever. Here鈥檚 hoping that his longest book, 鈥淟incoln in the Bardo,鈥� will renew a spotlight on the shortest 鈥� but perhaps most important 鈥� book he鈥檚 ever written.
Danny Heitman, a columnist for The Advocate newspaper in Louisiana, is the author of 鈥淎 Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House.鈥�
