from LINCOLN IN THE BARDO

[bronze_ribbons]

As quoted by Michiko Kakutani in her review back in February (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/06/books/review-george-saunders-lincoln-in-the-bardo.html):

“His mind was freshly inclined toward sorrow,” Saunders writes of Lincoln, “toward the fact that the world was full of sorrow, that everyone labored under some burden of sorrow; that all were suffering; that whatever way one took in this world, one must try to remember that all were suffering (none content; all wronged, neglected, overlooked, misunderstood), and therefore one must do what one could to lighten the load of those with whom one came into contact; that his current state of sorrow was not uniquely his, not at all, but, rather, its like had been felt, would yet be felt, by scores of others, in all times, in every time, and must not be prolonged or exaggerated, because, in this state, he could be of no help to anyone and, given that his position in the world situated him to be either of great help or great harm, it would not do to stay low, if he could help it.”

[Looked it up because Chris Thile's show rebroadcast the segment with the author today, with an unexpectedly funny intro (on figuring out who would narrate the novel, and then "I was raised Catholic, and to me, Purgatory is, like, the DMV..."). Haven't listened or watched to the whole reading yet, but I want to be able to find both it and this quote again.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2yA4TI1kS4