Writers Jhumpa Lahiri and George Saunders discuss the art of writing dialogue that carries weight beneath the surface—what characters say, what they mean, and the gap between the two.

In this conversation, Rebecca Chen discusses her practice of deliberate slowness, the influence of traditional craft on her work, and why rushing diminishes both the process and the result.

Rebecca Chen’s studio practice is deliberately out of step with contemporary culture. While most of us move faster, she moves slower. While productivity culture celebrates efficiency, she celebrates duration. In her recent book The Long Now, she argues that our obsession with speed has impoverished both our work and our lives.

We began our conversation by discussing her morning routine—a two-hour ritual of tea preparation and contemplation that many would consider impractical, if not wasteful. For Chen, it’s essential.

Topics Discussed

• The philosophy of slowness in creative practice
• Traditional Chinese tea ceremony as meditation
• Why rushing diminishes quality
• The relationship between time and attention
• Resisting the culture of productivity
• Finding rhythm in unhurried work
• The ethics of taking time