Today, we’re sharing an excerpt from a new Times audio series called “Sugar Calling,” hosted by the best-selling author Cheryl Strayed. Each week, Cheryl will call a writer she admires in search of insight and courage. She’s turning to some of the most prolific writers of our time — all over the age of 60 — to ask the questions on all our minds: How do we stay calm when everything has been upended? How do we muster courage when fear is all around us?

To start, Cheryl reaches out to the author George Saunders, her old friend and mentor.

"Sugar Calling" is a new podcast by The New York Times. You can listen to the full version of the first episode here.

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