Jennifer Egan understands the escapism a good novel can offer. But equally she values fiction as a place to explore our darkest hours. “There’s so much dread and worry in our make-up,” explains the literary star over video call from her home in New York. “This sense we’re going to be smote from above is part of the human experience. I tend to think that, if we can figure out how to make the f***ing planet stop heating, we’ll be OK!” A pause. “At the same time, maybe our dread comes from the deep knowledge that we won’t stop until we’ve destroyed ourselves. So much for optimism, right!?”
Egan’s pitch-black humour permeates her fiction, and peppers conversation. Elegantly attired, she’s lively and erudite. A gracious listener, too. She cares vehemently about the climate crisis, social justice, the future of democracy, and those suffering under the turbulent whims of capitalism. Once talk turns to her novel-writing process, she’s an open book.
