Marilynne Robinson is one of the greatest American novelists alive today. She’s the author of the Pulitzer-prize winning Gilead — one of my favorite books, ever — as well as Housekeeping, Home, Lila, and her latest, Jack. She’s also produced four brilliant collections of nonfiction essays. 

But Robinson is not simply a beautiful writer; her work is inextricably bound up with the most important issues of our times: race, religion, education, geography, and democracy — so much so that in 2015, Barack Obama chose to interview her on the state of the country while he was still the sitting president. This was a joy of a conversation to have right now, and it covers vast amounts of ground, including:

• Robinson’s obsession with the doctrine of predestination 

• What we know -- and all we don’t know -- about the nature of reality 

• The power of loneliness

• How, for all the talk of polarization, there are certain ideas that Americans widely, quietly share

• How the logic of efficiency and growth has come to invade every aspect of our lives

• The differences between writing fiction and nonfiction 

• How to train yourself to notice the world around you

• The sobering purpose of studying history

• What it will take to keep American democracy alive and well  

• The particular problem that Donald Trump poses

• The baseline assumptions and practices a democracy demands we share

And much more. I found this conversation a tonic to have in this moment. I hope it’s the same for you.

Book recommendations:

Birdman of Alcatraz by Thomas E. Gaddis

Credits:

Producer - Jeff Geld

Audio engineer - Jackson Bierfeldt

Researcher - Roge Karma

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