[Courtesy of the MTV Book Club: http://blog.mtvmusic.com/2010/02/08/mtv-music-book-club-ok-gos-damian-kulash-on-george-saunders-pastoralia/]
Book: Pastoralia by George Saunders Riverhead Books/2000
It shouldn’t be surprising that American contemporary author George Saunders, who has written five books of fictional stories and one book of collected essays, is beloved by many musicians. His stories are bizarre, comical and poignant, the perfect antidote for mundane reality. Damian Kulash, frontman for rock band OK Go, whose third album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky came out on January 12, is one such musician. For the first edition in a weekly series of literary picks by musicians, Kulash recommends Saunders’ second book Pastoralia.
Describe this book in one sentence.
It is a book of short stories by George Saunders, who is a spectacularly inventive and articulate and often very funny writer.
How did you first come across this book?
I’m a huge fan of David Foster Wallace and I was in a discussion with a friend about David Foster Wallace and he said “Well if you like Infinite Jest you definitely have to read George Saunders.” And there is definitely a very similar wit and joyous bitterness and sarcastic take on the world in both.
When did you first read it?
I read everything that I could find by George Saunders in one manic month and a half, which was last January and February. It was while we were recording the new record.
Has the book influenced your music, especially since you were reading while in the studio?
It may have. It appealed to me because of the fact that I was writing a record. I hate writing lyrics. I love the music part of songwriting because I’m an overthinker to the point of paralysis. So I need to read things that are fantastic and surreal so I can stop worrying about logic. What’s amazing about George Saunders in general and Pastoralia in specific is the universes he creates are so relatable but are also spectacular. So I’m sure this affected my writing in some way, even if just to keep my brain from overthinking.
Can you accurately judge this book by its cover?
If you paid a lot of attention to it, then yes the cover is perfect. The cover that I have in front of me has a photograph of a stuffed deer and has a very simple white band across with the title. But over the photograph in transparent but reflective ink are five-pointed stars. You don’t see them unless you turn the book a little bit. It’s a mundane photograph but it has a secret sparkle—it’s one added thing you don’t see at first that’s shocking and hilarious when you notice, just like in the stories.
What emotion do you associate with this book?
Wonderment. It makes me giddy. There’s something about Saunders’ books that tastes tangy to me, almost lemony. There’s a tartness to the whole thing where they are so dry in their sense of humor but so saturated in their willingness to bend the rules of reality.
Who should read this book?
There’s two reasons to recommend this book. One is to people with the same sense of humor and the high premium on imagination that I have. Someone who values intelligent absurdity will enjoy this book. Secondly, I’ve also recommended it to people who only read non-fiction and feel like the purpose of reading is to learn more. The book is a truth of why people need fiction.
Do you think a song or album can tell a story in the same way a book like this does?
Sort of. This book comes close to being musical. But in general, no, songs don’t tell very good stories. They tell great emotions. Stories go through your brain first and then they can go to your emotions. But music goes right to your gut and your heart. It’s almost magic. You can write lyrics that tell a good story, but those lyrics won’t matter unless the music goes to your gut.
