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Growing up, George Saunders was the eldest boy with younger sisters, in a family full of women who gave him praise and special treatment. That created the confidence that fueled his ambition to become a great writer.
In this lively interview, George talks about why that dream took decades to realize and what was essential to making it happen – including a karmic, three-week romance, a pivotal trip to the Afghanistan border during the Soviet war, and witnessing a “colossal fuck up” working in the oil fields of Indonesia.
George’s newest novel, “Vigil,” is out now and his substack is called Story Club.
Podcast production by Andrew Dunn.
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And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
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In this Money Talks: Emily Peck is joined by Andrew Biggs, author of The Real Retirement Crisis, to talk about how the data contradicts the so-called "retirement crisis” in the US, what we misunderstand about the system, and what we should be thinking about when it comes to retirement savings.

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Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh kick things off by picking their favorite (and the most horrifying) events to watch at the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Then the panel digs into Bill Belichick’s bizarre Hall of Fame snub. They finish with a conversation with the Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn about the Buffalo Sabres, the NHL’s most playoff-averse team that might actually make the postseason this year.
Ben delivers an Afterball on Jordan Smith, the amateur tennis player who stunned the field at the Australian Open’s 1 Point Slam and walked away with one million dollars.
On the bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel discusses Novak Djokovic's Grand Slam dreams being dashed once again.

Olympics Preview (4:38): Get ready for ‘Skimo’ fever
Bill Belichick (27:19): The Spygate punishment
Buffalo Sabres (41:05): Can the city shake its playoff malaise?

(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.)

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Podcast production and editing by Kevin Bendis, with production assistance from Patrick Fort.

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Congress is supposed to have a legal right to tour ICE detention centers and provide oversight on these facilities, where 32 people died in 2025. But this representative’s attempt to tour a facility in her New Jersey district led to her being charged with assaulting a federal officer and facing a 17-year prison sentence.

Guest: LaMonica McIver is the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 10th congressional district.

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.
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When we think of rituals, we tend to think of face masks and wellness trends. But there are actually ways to use rituals to help heal grief and deal with stressful times. On this episode, Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen are joined by ritual expert Betty Ray to talk about creative ways to help children process grief and big emotions, how to use ritual to create safety and expression, and much more.
Later in the show, they share their Triumphs and Fails. Lucy reveals that her kid is happily trolling a family member, Zak shares a beautiful family ritual, and Elizabeth is in the thick of it medically.
Mentioned in the Episode
Pandora’s Way - A daily ritual app
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Video production by Micah Phillips.
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