Learn to Write by Breaking Your Heart

Recommended by Joe

George Saunders writes a book about his Russian short story seminar. He’s a great writer and teacher, and if you’re interested in storytelling that should be enough.

BUT the example stories he chooses are incredible and heartbreaking. The audiobook features moving performances for the example stories and a terrific performance from the author himself, trying to keep his advice practical and down to earth as the subject gets more and more complex and real and heartbreaking.

Cannot recommend this highly enough.

Artsy!Starter Pack

5 months ago

Comments

Lida Richardson

@lidarichardsonMay 11, 2026

I adore this book. I have certain issues with George, and his whole “it’s all in the revising” thing only goes so far for me, but it is just such a generous piece of writing and the stories he chooses are so lovely.

jmd

@jmduncanMay 11, 2026

I loved that a lot of it was just about noticing how a story makes you feel as you're reading it, and then trying to unpack how and why it's doing that (as opposed to the classic English Major thing of treating stories mainly as intellectual exercises in thematic explication). Also "The Nose" is one of the most bonkers things I've ever read, thank you George for bringing it to my attention. :)

A. H. Fischer

@ahfischerMay 12, 2026

Agree! I love this book so much. Incredibly inspiring. It was like getting to take his class, but for the price of a book. Made me a better writer, AND! a better reader. I rec this rec big time. Recrec

Katie

@katie2425rMay 21, 2026

I love this book so much. It felt like a one-on-one class with the best English teacher

Kaylan

@kaylanSep 17, 2026

I’ve not read it, but Lincoln in the Bardo is may favorite book, and I just finished Vigil.

Across Rec League

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

Joseph Shipp

“Brilliant and entertaining book on how to write better through the study of Russian short story”

Melanie Archer

“George's writing is a joy in any format, and he always gets great actors for his audiobooks. But this one is something special: Rainn Wilson reading Gogol's "The Nose," Glenn Close reading Chekhov's "The Darling," and then George himself coming in to talk about why each story works. It felt like sitting in on the best class I never took.”