We at Daytrotter have made a nice weekend of George Saunders touting and loving and to conclude our fest, Mr. Saunders—he of “CivilWarLand In Bad Decline,” “Pastoralia” and of newest “In Persuasion Nation” has provided us with a loaded essay question that allows you, our readers and his, a chance to tell us who he really is. Riverhead Books was kind enough to provide us with five copies of “In Persuasion Nation”—which was released April 20th—to give away to the finest and most thought-provoking essayists who choose to play along with us. The deadline for all entries is May 7. Mr. Saunders, the question please: “Critics have characterized Saunders’ books as “dark” and “dystopic” and “depressing” and “bleak” and “miserable” and “sad” and “depressing” and “dark.”  His work has also been described as “negative,” “vexing,” “blah,” “annoying,” “anxiety-producing,” and as “stress-inducing roughrides into the dark sad depressing negative side of human existence, sure to make you want to blow out your brains, due to being so dystopically dark and depressing, for God’s sake.”  In your reading of Saunders’ work, is there any cause for hope?  Is he, indeed, a “dark sad depressed little man, trying to ruin everything for anybody with his relentlessly negative whining?”  Or is there a more hopeful message buried in this “abysmal malodorous post-modern dreck?”

Send all entries to info@daytrotter.com and visit www.inpersuasionnation.com

Winner of the Boris Yeltsin Hoodie Essay Contest…