All language subtitles for Lucky.Hank.S01E02.WEB.x264-TG

Could you please, just
for once, say something?

You're here! At Realton College!

Mediocrity's capital!

I think I inspired myself
to work on my novel.

Well, I love it when you
start your second novel,

it's usually a wonderful
time in our marriage.

It should be painfully
clear to you by now,

your time, sir, it's up!

All right, let's all
be, uh, careful here.

I can't be canceled,
I have tenure.

This is Marni Cole from
your father's office.

♪ Some glad morning...

♪ ...When this old
life is over... ♪

♪ Oh, I...

♪ I'll fly away

♪ Listen!

♪ I want to hear...

♪ David play the horn...

Form, content,

both of these play a part,

but what do you think
is more important?

Well, I think form should
follow content, always,

but, you know,

sometimes, form can be
its own kind of content.

Right, right, so interesting.

Now, let me take a moment to
ask a more prosaic question.

How did you each get published?

Well, I slept with his father.

Ah!

Right there,

the secret to success,
ladies and gentlemen.

A more prosaic question.

How did you each get published?

Well, I slept with his father.

Ah!

Right there,

the secret to success,
ladies and gentlemen.

That's how you play the game.

♪ ...I'll fly away...

I'm not doing it.

Of course you are.

- No.
- Hank!

No, I don't see the value of it.

In having a live,
onstage conversation

with George Saunders?

No.

Booker Prize-winning
George Saunders?

British prize.
Very pretentious.

Also a finalist for the
National Book Award.

Mm...

Named one of the 100
most influential people

by Time magazine.

Time magazine isn't
what it used to be.

He had a MacArthur Fellowship.

I have kidney stones,
so we're even.

I'm sorry about
the kidney stones.

Take your pills. I
have some if you want.

But there are other issues.

With the impending budget cuts,

it's distasteful to be
paying this guy 10 grand

for a one-hour talk.

Ten grand, I wish.

What, 20 grand?

Thirty?

Fifty? For Christ sakes!

This was settled weeks ago.

Why are you bringing
this up now?

I'm concerned that I might
accidentally say something

really consistent
with my personality,

but inconsistent with a
modern college campus.

- That's valid.
- Yeah.

And I don't want to talk you

into doing anything that
you don't want to do.

He didn't want you either.

But the public at large does.

Wait, what did you just say?

He... he wants you
to be okay with this

because he's okay with this.

Why wouldn't he
be okay with this?

Look, Hank, I spoke
on the phone with him.

When he gets here,
you guys chat.

You're old friends, right?

I know that. What
did you tell him?

I told him you'd be honored.

I am honored, but
I still want out.

- No.
- Why not?

Because there's
thousands of posters

plastered all over campus,

and I know that you're
gonna be great at this

because there's not a fiction
writer within 50 miles

who's in your league,

and everyone knows that,
and you're our guy.

Get Finny to do it.

Finny will ask a
question for 45 minutes

and it won't even be a question.

- Well, who is it?
- What?

The writer within
50 miles of here?

Okay! Get out of here.

You
get to a certain age

and you lose all
faith in experts.

I know how well I do my job,

and to think others are
working at the same level...

That's completely
unacceptable...

Especially doctors.

I'm not denying your symptoms,

but their cause
isn't kidney stones.

...And as a teacher,

I see through guys like this.

I mean, he was right in
the middle of his class...

Maybe in the bottom third.

...in excruciating pain.

I'm looking at a
B-minus assessment

of my medical problems.

I mean, I'm sweating.

I almost pass out
during racquetball.

I think you're ignoring
some obvious facts.

My father had kidney stones.

You've mentioned.

And his father did.

You don't
want kidney stones.

Little monsters
with jagged edges

that can tear the
lining off your penis.

Jesus.

What... did you really need...

You know what?

If it's not too much trouble, I
think I want a second opinion.

- What about you?
- She's not a radiologist.

She's not allowed
to evaluate results.

It could be due to stress.

That's your go-to, right?

All doctors say that.

I rarely say that.

You have the floor.

She's not going
to contradict me.

Okay, I guess you've
thought of everything.

So you're saying

there's no way that
this could be stress?

It's embarrassing.

We started on the same level.

In fact, I think I
was better regarded,

for about 10 days.

My book review was
on a Wednesday,

and then the sales figures
came in the next Thursday,

so eight days.

Eight days.

Hank, you...

you're sharing the
stage with him.

Yeah. The last time I
did that, it sucked.

It's an honor.

There's a fine
line between honor

and "I wish I never
met that dickhead."

What
is it about writing

that attracts so many dickheads?

I mean, somehow,

the need to tell everyone
about your rich inner life

it's irresistible,

but why would anyone care

about somebody else's
rich inner life?

Have a rich outer life for
the rest of us to enjoy.

"The warm wood
on her forearms."

Oh!

Oh, yeah, I did use that.

I'm so sorry.

I plagiarized myself.

No, no, no, no, no.

No.

Don't pass judgement.

You just...

you have to press yourself.

You have to think past

the images that you
already own so that...

That's the way...

Why don't we take three minutes?

I swear I don't even
remember writing that.

Dickhead.

I don't understand
why you don't just talk to him.

Professor Rourke

is not the kind of man
who responds to reason,

especially not from
someone like me.

Hmm.

He's a misogynist, isn't he?

Sometimes, the male brain
isn't developed enough

to understand its cruelty.

He bullies you.

Right here.

- George.
- Hank.

Hey, man, thanks
for inviting me.

Yeah.

My students are so excited,

they've been talking about
nothing else for weeks.

I mean, they can't believe
that I actually know you.

Oh.

Well, my students can't
believe I know you.

Your students don't
know who I am, do they?

A couple do. You
know, I told them about you.

Oh, okay.

I gotta introduce
you to the department

or they'll kill me.

"I am not exactly dressed
for standing on the moon,

which, as I understand
it, is super cold."

That's from my New Yorker...

Your victory lap, yeah,
New Yorker, October 2009.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Well, thanks.

Oh...

Your editor's wife is
our friend's sister.

Oh. Well.

How's your hotel?

I take it they have you
at the Moderna Center?

No, it was all full.

There's a field hockey
team staying there.

Big game tonight.

Oh.

Yeah, they have me at The Drake,

which is really lovely.

Although there's a
crane outside my window,

and I had a dream last night

of a talking wrecking ball,

and it said I was going to
be late for the presentation,

that I suck, that
nobody likes me, like...

Grace DuBois.

Oh, nice to meet you.

You must leave there at
once. Come stay with me.

- We have a guest room.
- I have a guest house!

You do not.

It's above the garage.
You've seen it.

It sounds lovely, but I...

But there's no
lock strong enough

to make you feel secure.

It even has its own fridge...

And a hot plate if
you are a tea drinker.

I'm so sorry.

They have me on a
bit of a schedule,

but I hope to see you
all at the talk later.

Yes, yes.

I might make it.

I have stuff to do.

I hope you can come by.

I probably won't be there.

All right, well, I'll
just, I'll walk you out.

Yeah.

"Charming eagles
was a family trait.

He didn't know how he did it,

he just looked at them

and thought about them
crashing into a cliff's face.

The white-chested eagle,

commanded by a mysterious
force it didn't understand,

smashed itself."

Interesting.

Should I read more?

No, no.

- Go ahead.
- Uh, okay, thanks.

Um, yeah, you're
always escalating.

I love that.

That's a very rare thing,

and it seems to come
very naturally to you.

Yeah, yeah, it does.

So we want to
enforce escalation,

even on the line level.

If the eagle has a white chest,

we can assume the reader
already knows that, right?

Cut.

And if the force is mysterious,

do we need to say the
eagle didn't understand?

That's implied. Cut.

You know, and a lot of
this is just habitual.

Yeah, he's just
saying edit yourself.

Yes, but if you want
to be excellent,

you have to reject the habitual.

That is where mediocrity lives,

in the habitual.

That is how you will
distinguish yourself

from other writers

and start to sound
more like you.

Holy shit.

Uh, yeah, I kinda always knew

there was this
whole other level,

but just didn't know
how to get there

because no one ever really

taught me how to do
that before, but...

Okay, that's enough.

That's good from you...

We do have other...

You know, we're
almost out of time.

I have plenty of time, actually.

Well, we're running out of time.

Are you sure? I thought
you said we had...

Yeah, my watch...

I don't know if you...

It's earlier than
you said it would be.

I'd like a word, Paul.

Paul.

You don't have to say my name
every time you talk to me.

I've spoken to you about
the loudness of your car...

There's nothing
wrong with my car.

- -before... And
nothing has changed.

Or ever will change.

It disrupts my class.

Huh.

Not more than your teaching.

How did you get like this?

What mis-turn did you take?

I am allowed to drive
the car that I want.

I'm allowed to take care of it,

and it likes to be revved.

It's good at it.

What I don't understand

is how anyone has come to think

that they have the right not
to be impacted by others.

How about that wrong turn?

Basic consideration
wouldn't kill you.

Well, it so happens

that I am an at-risk individual

with regards to
basic consideration.

I can't risk it.

"Paul..."

"Paul..."

Why'd you say that to George?

Do you think he noticed?

Yeah.

Oh...

I don't know why I do this.

It's only people I
admire, you know.

Rude stuff just comes out.

Mm.

You want some advice?

From you, no?

Ah! Sorry.

I'm like a freight train
that can't stop with insults.

Excuse me, is Myrna here?

Myrna.

Professor Du-Boise.

Green Subaru Outback,
RBG bumper sticker.

Green Outback, RBG
bumper sticker.

If I remember correctly, Myrna,

you...

are a top-shelf tequila gal,

am I right?

Flannery O'Connor said,

"If you live till
you're 10 years old,

you'll have enough to write
about for a lifetime."

Do you think that's true?

Uh, I think it's true,

but it would not be
a very good story.

Does art have to be so painful?

I mean, do we all have to end up

like "van Goch"...

with an ear missing?

Uh, it's van Gogh in this room.

So, Jack Kerouac
wrote "On the Road"

on this long, continuous,
teletype scroll.

What sort of paper
do you write on?

Uh...

I just use a computer.

Well, I guess we have time
for one last question.

Yep.

Yeah, Mr. Saunders,

if there was one piece of advice
that stood out above others

to help us become the
writers that we want to be,

what...

what would it be?

Well, I'd say trust
that your taste is good.

Have that good taste exert
itself onto your prose.

Then just write every day.

Just write.

Maybe that's my problem.

I've been doing the
once-every-decade method.

No, actually,
thank you for that,

'cause that's awesome.

Even great writers get stuck.

That's just part of it.

I hate my first draft,

but I love it

because it leads
to my second draft

and my third draft.

It's all part of the process.

Hank?

What keeps you from writing?

Lunch.

We have that lunch...

- Oh, right.
- Lunch.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, guys.

You're all amazing.

So exciting.

I think I learned
more in that one hour

than I have all year.

It's... it's just
frustrating, you know?

'Cause, like, now I know

what it's like to
sit in a classroom

with a great teacher who's...

Who's totally engaged,

and, like, really...

Really trying with me,

and, like, putting in
effort and listening and...

and after I've experienced that,

it's like...

I don't want to go back
to Devereaux's class.

I don't want to go
back without you.

Well, I'm going to be
going back, Lester.

That's not my point.

Maybe if you spent
more time on your writing

than fighting with
your teachers,

your stories
wouldn't suck so bad.

The fact that you
don't understand them

just proves their value to me.

I heard your family donated
a building to Notre Dame

and you still didn't get in.

Everyone's heard that
story, Solange, okay?

It's boring.

Just like your stories.

Oh, next time, I'll
add necrophilia.

"You'll know when true
excellence presents itself

because the mediocre

will be in confederacy
against that person."

I'm paraphrasing the
Confederacy of Dunces

to make a point
about excellence,

something I think we
should all be entitled to,

no matter who we are
or where we're from.

Is this a club or something?

I'm just trying to eat my lunch.

This is not a club.

Maybe it is.

You're right, maybe it is.

That was interesting.

It's a public space,

I can be as
interesting as I want.

I'm Ellen's roommate, Ava.

Okay, Ellen's roommate, Ava.

And, um, you went to
East Lake Country Day

with my brother, but
he was a year younger.

Brooks Noon?

Uh, yeah, sure, Brooksy, yeah.

- I'm Bartow.
- I know.

So what do we do now?

No, I'm certain it
was at Bread Loaf,

and we went into
town to get dinner,

and at the bar,

Colum McCann was singing
songs with the locals...

I'm sorry, what was
that back there?

What?

When you put me on the
spot about not writing.

No...

Wait, you brought it up, so I...

It just seemed a little hostile.

Hostile?

I mean...

Hank, maybe you're being
a little sensitive?

I...

I'm fine, just...

Jacob Rose told me

that you said that this
might be a problem here.

What? No. No, I...

no, that's not...

I didn't want to impose on you.

I didn't know if
you wanted to do it.

I am thrilled to be here.

I haven't seen you in 30 years,

and I'm just...

I'm really glad you're doing it.

Okay.

I'm... I'm excited, too.

This... this is going to be fun.

What is this guy up to?

I'm pretty sure it's
short-story writing.

Yeah, well, he's
acting really weird.

Oh, no, let's not add salmon

because it's the only thing
that you like at Nora's.

We're eating there tonight?

Tomorrow night. We are.

Because...

Because?

Julie and Russell want
to have dinner with us

because, in their
words, they have news.

They have news?

- They have news.
- That's code for...?

I missed the window.

What window?

The window.

Young dependent grown,
before new dependent arrives.

You know, a
distractionless window

in which to write.

Maybe just try the window

between waking
and going to work.

And you're happy about this?

Mm.

I'm adjusting to the
idea, with modification.

I looked up how to say "grandma"

in every single language.

Swahili is "Bibi",
which is pretty cute.

I mean, I think George
just hit a nerve.

Why you don't write?

You ask me why I don't write?

Hey, hey, 'cause I
got two jobs, okay?

I'm a teacher and I
run that department,

and you know my co-workers
are pains in the ass, right?

Also, I actively raised our
daughter with you, right?

And now I'm going
to be a grandfather.

Knowing Julie,

that's going to be a
third full-time job.

She's gonna want me there...

You think they're gonna
want you to raise the baby?

I've been waiting
for this. Stop it.

You're spinning out
of... Just stop it.

Stop exaggerating.

You do write.

You started something
a few weeks ago.

Go write that.

Hello. Hi, Mr. Nerhand.

Thank you for
getting back to me.

That table's reserved.

For who?

For guests.

Don't you have an
office or something?

Oh, yeah.

My office is not for work.

It's to gather with friends,

where all my cares
and responsibilities

can slip away.

Why is
it to fun to draw a dick?

I mean, am I wrong to
think we all like doing it?

I know I do.

Yeah, you can come,

just don't stuff your
pockets with cheese.

Okay.

Maybe because
there's no wrong way to do it.

I mean, all dicks are different.

That's how we should
identify each other.

Forget face recognition.

Unlock your phone
with your dick.

I mean, you've already
got it in your pocket,

so it's right there.

So...

when's the last
time you saw him?

This morning.

He's obviously very
featured in my dissertation.

He was?

You jerk, you didn't read it.

I skimmed it.

Fair enough, boss.

I only skimmed your novel.

In light
of the conflict

that I've been having
with Professor Devereaux,

we want to form the
Excellence Committee.

It's a group of
students, like us,

that aim to both
celebrate excellence

where we find it,

and discourage everything
that is less than.

Look, there's a process
for starting new clubs

that usually does not
involve me in any way.

I'm sure my assistant, Jill,

could steer you all in
the right direction.

I am the Dean of Faculty.

Right, well, this
concerns the faculty,

that's why we chose you.

Some of the faculty

are intentionally
resisting being better,

and it's affecting
us as students.

We want to create

a system of incentives
and deterrents

to hold them accountable.

Bartow...

I understand

that it's difficult

to move on

from this incident that you
had with Professor Devereaux.

No, it's not,
because I am past it.

I'm over it.

It's over.

He's the one who
won't apologize to me.

Needing an apology is
really not moving past it.

If we had the
Excellence Committee,

I wouldn't need the apology.

I can give you a common room
twice a week for an hour,

I'll buy the pizza,

and you can have access
to the photocopy machine.

Yes!

Hey! What are you doing!

Put her back down!

Put her down!

Hey, you! You!
Stop doing that!

Get away from there!

Do you know how many
professors had to die

for me to get this spot?

Four! Four professors!

And two of them suffered!

Here you go.

I was thinking about

the 92nd Street Y
thing that we did.

Kinda jogged a memory.

Oh, I loved that night.

That was the first night
that I met your father,

at the reception after.

Yeah, we kept in
touch for years.

We wrote letters.

You did?

Yeah. Yeah, it was so
illuminating and stimulating,

and it pushed me.

I don't think I'd
be the writer I am

without his influence.

Me neither.

Where's Gracie?

Gracie! Are you here, Gracie?

Or are you too
chickenshit to face me?

I'm standing right here, Paul.

You took my parking spot?

I took nothing.

You should have paid
your parking tickets.

I am a tenured professor
of the English Department

of Railton College.

I deserve a parking spot

and the freedom

to rev my car's engine
whenever I see fit!

Are you done, Paul?

Not even close.

You have no right.

You are a cruel, petty,
vindictive woman.

I liked "Tenth of December".

Come on, come on.

Maybe
all my father's cheating

was an attempt to ejaculate
out his kidney stones.

It seems like it's
the same tube.

Phew, that was something.

Oh, trust me, that was nothing.

You know, I do write.

To-do lists, grocery lists.

Important texts.

Yeah, very important.

Meaningful. Moving, even.

I just haven't written
a second novel.

Look, Hank, I...

I shouldn't have asked you
that question in class.

That was... that was stupid.

Don't worry about it.

No, actually, it's not okay.

You know, I get into
this teacher mode,

and I forget that
everyone's not my student,

and I put you on the spot
in front of your class,

and I am sorry.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Yeah, I mean, it's
just writing, right?

It's not like everyone has
to write their whole life.

Harper Lee only wrote one book.

Second one was just a draft.

Man, I hope nobody publishes
my unfinished books

down the road for a quick buck.

Yeah, that would be the worst.

I mean, maybe somebody has
said all they have to say.

Big deal.

Hey, Hank, this has been great.

I really enjoyed
hanging out with you.

Yeah.

Hey, I'm looking forward
to tomorrow night.

How is 19th-century poetry

different than
21st-century poetry?

It's difficult to really see

without a side-by-side
comparison,

so let's do that.

Let's compare Walt Whitman

to say, oh...

Professor DuBois,

our own poet in residence.

On the left

is Whitman's "Song
of the Open Road",

and on the right

is Gracie DuBois's
"Follow the Lilac Sheet".

Now, let's start with
the titles themselves.

"Song of the Open Road"...

has a mythic quality
to it, does it not?

"Follow
the Lilac Sheet".

"Follow
the Lilac Sheet".

All right, Whitman,
one, DuBois, zero.

Go ahead.

Wonderful! I can see again.

What is that?

Is that a stain on your shirt?

Honestly, Hank...

you cannot teach classes
in stained shirts.

It debases our profession.

It's not a stain, Mom.

It's a reminder of a
sauce that I loved once.

Did you see this?

Yeah.

Your father's
retirement is big news.

He's done quite
well for himself.

You know, without you and I

dragging him down for
the past 40 years.

He always did have
extreme focus.

Here it is.

My first, and maybe
last, book review.

That was a very positive review,

as I recall,

though a tad poorly written.

Too much plot
summary for my taste.

They always do that

when they can't form a
clear opinion on their own.

I always wonder if I
got this positive review

because Dad called in a favor.

I find it hard to believe

that a reviewer would
give a positive review

without really meaning it.

Unless they really
loved your father.

And that reviewer
loved your father.

I mean, really loved him.

So, you're right,
can't be discounted.

Maybe the second
novel's the charm.

Still working on it.

You made
family choices, dear.

Family choices.

Hey, Mom...

I think Julie's pregnant.

Really?

- Oh!
- Yeah.

Oh, my goodness.

Oh! Goodness, hold on.

It's not like she's going
to go into labor right now.

You don't have to pack for
the hospital or anything.

Here.

This was given to me
by your grandmother

when I was pregnant with you.

It was given to her.

I don't know how long
it's been in the family.

And now it's for Julie.

Why didn't you give it to Lily?

You look...

not unhappy.

Yeah, I'm a smidge up
from neutral, so...

- Hello!
- Oh, hey.

All right, babe.

- Hi, baby.
- Hi.

- Hi.
- Hey.

Everybody good?

- You look radiant.
- Oh, thank you, Dad.

How are you guys doing today?
Did you have a good day?

- Yeah, pretty good.
- Yeah. yeah.

Great!

Okay, okay,

I bet you're wondering
what this is all about,

what the news is.

The thought had
crossed our minds.

All right, but first,

Russell has something
he wants to tell you.

Yeah, um,

so, as you both know,

our yard has a flat area
before the hill starts.

Yeah.

Yeah, and as you
probably remember,

my old roommate
installs swimming pools.

I don't... I don't
remember that,

but go on, go on.

Yeah. Um...

Show them the...
Show them the thing.

It's pre-fab. He's
got a company.

You don't have to put
any money up front.

It's actually a really
cool business model.

You put five percent down,

you pay the rest over time.

Right? So the pools
start at 6,000,

but the one we want is 10.

You can go up to 15,
but we're only doing 10.

Yeah.

So, uh, five
percent of 10,000...

- $500.
- Yeah!

So who wouldn't want
a pool for $500?

Could we just cut to the news?

No, yeah, that's what
we're trying to tell you.

- We're building a pool!
- We're building a pool.

A baby pool?

No, just
a regular pool.

Um, but we're
not just building a pool.

No, we have a whole
business model.

And the business model
will pay for the pool.

Okay, let me just
stop you there.

No, listen, Dad, let
me just stop you there,

'cause here's the best part.

There's three groups
of people out there

that can't communicate, right?

Swim students,

swim teachers,

and people with pools.

Our app connects
those three groups...

For a percentage...

And we get part of the
whole of that percentage.

Hank, will you, um,

run up to the bar
and get me a martini?

And get one for yourself, too.

Oh, I'll have a beer.

Yeah.

- Hey.
- Hey.

Can I get a martini

and another martini

and a shot, while I'm waiting?

And I guess, a beer.

All right, just give me a sec
because I am down a bartender.

Oh, yeah? You're hiring?

Yeah.

Can he be an idiot?

Sure.

It was horrible!
He humiliated you...

In front of the whole class!

That man is an effing monster.

Now, now, Solange.

We have to be tough.

Tougher then they.

We have to have
skins like rhinos

and souls like children.

What he does, it's
just not important.

But in front of everyone...

What is important is the work.

The word.

Okay.

Okay, everyone,
let's settle down.

Come on, come on.

How come you always
drag out that old chair?

It doesn't even look ergonomic.

This chair...

has a personal history.

It was in my family growing up.

It was part of our
dining-room collection.

Um...

my father,

the lieutenant colonel,

he always sat at the head.

Now, no one else

was permitted to sit

until my father
entered the room,

and my brothers,

four of them,

they would try to
elbow each other out

for the chair next to my father.

But I had a different strategy.

"Sir," I would say,

when he entered the room,

and he would acknowledge me,

"I've written another poem."

And he would say,

"Please recite it for me."

And then, for those moments,

and...

well, only those moments,

which would last for the
duration of the poem,

I would have my father's
undivided attention,

and then he would nod,

and he put me in the
seat next to him,

which was this chair.

Wow.

That's messed up.

What... what do you mean?

Like shooting the bird

perched on the
end of your rifle,

but what hunter could resist?

John Barth.

This is so exciting.

I just wish you would
have read him first.

I'm just going to introduce him,

and when he starts yapping,

I'm gonna lean over

and quietly fart
in his direction.

You're really
wound up right now,

so you going to be able
to hold it together?

I'm fine. Why... Why...

Why do they have to have
so many pictures of him?

He's sitting right there.
He's wearing the same jacket.

That's a slightly
different jacket.

It's not
slightly different.

It's not slightly different.

Come on, honey.

Don't ever let me sit under
three pictures of myself

in my favorite stupid old coat.

Okay. So now, I think you
have to get out of here.

- What? No, I'm the moderator.
- Take that.

I'm going to tell them
that you have GI issues

and I'm going to
get Finny to do it.

No! Finny can't do it!

He's going to do
a beautiful job.

You're a crazy man right now.

Do you want another
headline in the newspaper?

Okay. All right,
get Finny to do it.

Get out of here.

Where's he going?

Just...

you just have to trust me.

This is better for everyone.

Where's Finny?

Ah, field hockey.

It's one of my
favorite distractions.

I hope no one confuses
my presence here

with school spirit,

which I find pointless.

There's so much wasted effort
that goes into manufactured pep.

For what?

It benefits no one,

except, well,
maybe cheerleaders,

who feel, you know,
less alone and stupid.

Hey, your talk over already?

Nah, I just left.

How can a moderator leave?

- Where's Smith?
- Oh, ankle.

She limped off the field.

Yeah.

I don't know why I
love this game so much.

Yeah, I started smiling
when I came over the hill

just at the sound of
the wood on the ball.

It's just the hustle, the
elegance of a perfect pass.

Still, I wish our school had
one other half-decent team.

All our banners
are field hockey.

It's a little sad.

What? She tripped her!

Come on! You gotta call that!

Head in the game.

Why'd you leave?

Turns out, George
Saunders is an asshole.

Oh, that's too bad.

Yeah. He plays with people.

Meaning you?

Well, he messes with
other writers' heads.

It's demeaning.

He demeans people.

Meaning you?

Yeah.

Did you tell him that?

No, I just walked out.

You should've said something.

People love to hear
when they're A-holes.

Oh, good dig!

You know I was kidding, right?

It is my honor to welcome you
to tonight's very special event.

I'd like to start
with your childhood,

if there's been any
abuse or trauma,

that would be great,

and then I'll ask you

about your real relationship
with your mother.

What?

"O human race,
born to fly upward,

wherefore at a little
wind dost thou so fall?"

Dante.

Yeah, I know.

Enter Prospero, here
to conjure a storm.

Funny. You had me
there for a minute.

Admit it.

You don't respect me.

You think I'm a hack whose
father got him published.

You didn't even read my book.

What? Of course, I did.

Paula and I both read it on
Block Island with the girls.

We read it and we loved it,

and we sent you a bottle
of wine with a note.

Because I remember shipping
was a pain in the ass.

And I read it again last night.

It's really good.

I mean, it really
holds up, Hank.

I mean, that scene by the bus,

where he's trying to tell her...

George Saunders

in conversation with
Hank Devereaux, Jr.

For someone with
that kind of talent

to quit writing,

I'm against it.

Um...

you, uh...

Before you wrote,

you were an engineer, right?

Are you a little drunk?

Um...

can I get a little drunk?

Yeah. Can we make
that two, please?

Um...

the chronological order
of "Tenth of December",

is that something that
you planned beforehand,

or after you wrote them,

you decided they should
be presented that way,

because I think that

that order really affects
how those stories land.

Yes, and that is a question

that only a great
writer could ask.

All right, stop patronizing
me. They're paying for you.

is part of the impact.

Most writers start with an
ending or a beginning...

Feeding the story into the...

The majority.

You're getting paid,
but I'm in charge here.

- Yeah, okay.
- All right?

I'm not against e.e. cummings,

but I feel like that's
where it should have been...

♪ ...So it seems...

The big letters, gotcha.

♪ ...The nightmares...

So I'm glad you're here.

Ladies and gentlemen,
George Saunders.

♪ ...Lift me up

♪ By my hand

♪ Lift me up if you can

♪ Lift me up, be my friend

♪ Through a random
act of kindness ♪

♪ One that's done
from blindness ♪

♪ Sun came up

♪ Sun came up

♪ Sun came up

♪ Sun came up

♪ Sun came up

♪ Sun came up

♪ Sun came up

♪ Sun came up

- I should have known.
- Known what?

I could have been
as good as Saunders.

It wouldn't have mattered.

What wouldn't
have mattered?

I would never have
gotten my father's...

you know...

♪ On s'est connus
on s'est reconnus ♪

♪ On s'est perdus de vue

♪ On s'est reperdus de vue

♪ On s'est retrouvés
on s'est séparés ♪

♪ Puis on s'est réchauffés

♪ Chacun pour soi est reparti

♪ Dans le tourbillon de la vie

♪ Je l'ai revue
un soir ah-la-la ♪

♪ Elle est retombée
dans mes bras... ♪

♪ Elle est retombée
dans mes bras ♪

What's wrong with
you? I was too happy.

I'm trying to bring myself down.

Hey! This isn't my stuff!

Have a nice day.

Your ex-husband abandoned us.

He abandoned you.

Jason!

I'm going to New York to
interview at the Arlyle School.

My friend in history said
there were gonna be cuts.

Can you not be yourself and be
straight with us for one minute?

Do you hate it here?

I take the fifth.