What do Doritos, Ding Dongs, Twinkies, barbers and oranges all have in common? George Saunders knows.

Saunders spoke last night in Foster Auditorium at Pattee Library to an enthused crowd. He read two short stories, "In Persuasion Nation" and "The Barber's Unhappiness." The satirical and comical works were highly amusing to his audience --most were cracking up as he read.

"I thought he was really funny and found just hearing his works were inspirational," Tony Clavelli (senior-English) said.

His first story, which appears in this month's Harper's Magazine, is inspired from a Coca-Cola commercial in which a lighted tractor-trailer drives through a dismal town, saving it from its mediocrity.

"In essence they were saying 'Coke is Christ,' " Saunders said.

Saunders said that he wanted to address this analogy by using Twinkies, Ding Dongs and more in his writing. In one story, snack foods ruin people's lives.

"His style and details he inserts are amazing," Mark Cooper (senior-film) said. "He has a good grasp of absurdist realism."

Saunders wrote and spoke by giving different voices to each of his characters that the audience seemed to enjoy.

"He really has insights into people," Seth Martin (senior-English, German and international studies) said. "He really got into [the character's] head."

Saunders demonstrated this ability in his second reading, "The Barber's Unhappiness."

He said he got the idea for the story while riding the bus to work and viewing a barber who continuously "ogled at women." Picking up on this, Saunders created an entire story based upon a barber and his romantic fantasies.

However, having two daughters, Saunders took a disliking to the barber's behavior.

"I wanted to crucify this man because I'm a writer, that's what I do," Saunders said.

Growing up in Chicago, Saunders was always in love with writing.

"I couldn't help writing; I just did it," Saunders said.

Saunders originally took a stab at writing serious fiction, but he found success when brought out his comic side.

"I decided to do in writing what I do in life, be funny," Saunders said. "That's when I started getting published."

When asked by an audience member how Saunders formulates a story, he had an interesting reply.

"I use the sea-crystal approach," he said, referring to his method of taking an idea and having it grow slowly from there.

When asked what he thinks about Penn State's writing program, he said that it was one of the best in the country.

Saunders has a fourth book coming out in April and a movie based on his book CivilWarLand with Ben Stiller is in production.