July 24, 2006

Saunders on England

The inimitable George Saunders, whose The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil is out in the UK, describes his first visit in England, a place he finds somewhat confusing:

"One finds oneself longing for the simplicity of America, where, for example, everyone understands that New York City is a city, that Cleveland is a state in either Ohio or Indiana, and that the Mississippi River, I'm pretty sure, does not run in any state other than Mississippi. Or city. I can't remember if Mississippi is a city or a ... Anyway, the point is, the American visitor to Britain can avoid all confusion by simply referring to his hosts and hostesses as "you guys."
More here.

posted by Laila Lalami at 12:00 AM