Some roofers have no money and don’t know what to do with it.

(from In Persuasion Nation)

“Are you saying,” said Gary/Terry, “that his gambling, in terms of how much does it suck, sucks exactly as much as does suck his roofing?”

Excellent, heartbreaking little story. But isn’t it not actually a short story at all but an essay about things that actually happened in George Saunders’ actual life? That’s how it was presented in the New Yorker, under the name “Chicago Christmas, 1984.” Anyway, it’s re-written here somewhat (changed names, smoother sentences). Couple that with the verifiable fact that everything written down ever is fiction, at least a little, and we can let this little genre-hopping slide.
Read the New Yorker version here.

Rainer Maria, “A Better Version of Me”