Joe Sexton is a senior editor at ProPublica and a former reporter and editor at the New York Times, where he led the team that produced "Snow Fall."

"My experience in a newspaper newsroom over the years has been: The word you hear least often, the word that's hardest for people to say in that environment, is the word yes. It's safer to say no. You get second-guessed less often if you say no. Your job's not on the line if you say no. But if you're willing to say yes and you're willing to face the consequences of having said yes, then quite amazing things can happen."

Thanks to Random House and TinyLetter for sponsoring this week's episode.

The Longform Guide to George Saunders

This guide is sponsored by George Saunders's Tenth of December, the acclaimed short story collection published this year by Random House. A National Book Award Finalist and one of The New York Times Book Review's Top 10 of 2013, Tenth of December has been hailed by critics as "an irresistible mix of humor and humanity," "a visceral and moving act of storytelling," and "a feat of inventiveness."</p>

It's really, really good. Makes for a great gift, too. Buy it today.

Should you need further convincing, here is a collection of classic Saunders stories, both fiction and non-fiction, from our archive:</em>

Read more

Buy Tenth of December today:</p>

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The Rhyme of History

On the echoes between the world leading up to World War I and our present international trajectory. Then, as globalization, nationalism, and radicalism converged, and tensions within the Balkans served as a spark. Today, conflicts in the Middle East, whose borders were mostly drawn in the wake of World War I, could play a similar role.

Show Dog

“If I were a bitch, I’d be in love with Biff Truesdale. Biff is perfect. He’s friendly, good-looking, rich, famous, and in excellent physical condition. He almost never drools.”