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George Saunders uses analogies to explain why he prefers short stories to novels

Published January 30, 2013 12:33PM (EST)

MacArthur Grant Fellow George Saunders visits "The Colbert Report" to discuss the short story format and his new collection, "Tenth of December," deemed by New York Times Magazine as the "Best Book You’ll Read This Year." Saunders illustrates the power of short stories by using brief analogies, but Colbert remains unmoved: "I'm sure it's very good," he says, "But I like to pay by the pound. That's why I love Ayn Rand. It's just two covers and she just shovels words in between."


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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