Lincoln in the Bardo

If you ever feel despair about the lack of novelty in the world of the word, take a look at George Saunders. Lincoln in the Bardo takes place in limbo, in the cemetery where Willie Lincoln was buried after his early death. The chorus around Lincoln share their stories and the stories of others who have died, as they work together to get Willie out of that place and into the place his father, the president, would see him in. It's astonishing, it's powerful, it's mawkish, it's true, and, above all, it is surprising. I can't wait to see Saunders in person next month.