MARGARET ATWOOD: The Doyenne of Dystopia turns to creating climate utopias
Mar 7, 2023
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Margaret Atwood, bestselling author of dystopian fiction, discusses her new project Practical Utopia and the importance of finding solutions to global problems. They explore the impact of economic conditions on women, the fascination of uncertainty, creating sustainable solutions, challenging societal expectations, and the issues with Twitter. They also discuss alternative platforms and express admiration for each other.
Margaret Atwood has shifted her focus from dystopian fiction to practical utopias, leading an online program that develops solutions to global challenges.
Atwood believes that understanding history, analyzing current trends, and empowering individuals can shape a better future.
Deep dives
Margret Atwood's Practical Utopias: Creating Solutions for Global Challenges
Margaret Atwood, renowned Canadian author and visionary, has shifted her focus from dystopian fiction to practical utopias. Through her online program called Practical Utopias, Atwood leads participants in developing solutions to global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and democratic erosion. The program promotes the use of existing tools, materials, and processes to create carbon-neutral or carbon-negative solutions that are scalable, affordable, and appealing. Participants collaborate in teams to tackle material, governance, and social issues, guided by facilitators and conflict resolution techniques. The program aims to inspire action and engage people in creating a better future, emphasizing the importance of making sustainable living attractive and convenient. While achieving utopia for everyone is a complex task, Atwood believes that empowering individuals and fostering creativity can lead to significant progress.
History's Patterns: Why Margaret Atwood's Fiction Feels Eerily Prophetic
Margaret Atwood's fiction often feels prophetic because she pays close attention to history and the actions people take. While history does not repeat itself, it does not move in a straight line either. Atwood believes that paying attention to past events and studying human behavior allows us to anticipate future possibilities. Countries often found their present-day regimes on past actions, building upon existing structures rather than starting anew. Atwood's fiction, including "The Handmaid's Tale," offers warnings about potential authoritarianism and control. However, she remains hopeful that the presence of moderates and the ability to vote can prevent extreme outcomes. While the future is uncertain, Atwood's focus remains on understanding history, analyzing current trends, and empowering individuals to shape a better future.
The Challenges of Activism and Finding Hope
Margaret Atwood acknowledges the challenges of activism and the need for hope. She believes that practical actions, combined with optimism, can lead to positive change. Atwood emphasizes the importance of making environmentally friendly choices more convenient and affordable, appealing to people's self-interest. Additionally, she stresses the power of storytelling in making new ways of living more attractive than the status quo. At the same time, she recognizes the complexities of addressing global issues and the inequities that can arise. While not everyone may have the same resources or opportunities for change, Atwood believes that progress can be made by empowering individuals and making innovative tools and solutions accessible. She remains optimistic about the potential for positive transformation, urging people to think creatively and act collectively.
Margaret Atwood's Nuanced Approach to Current Debates
Margaret Atwood is known for her nuanced approach to controversial topics. She emphasizes the importance of reasonable discussions and warns against the dangers of cancel culture. Atwood believes that creating an atmosphere where genuine conversations can take place is crucial. She recognizes the potential for misuse of tools like cancel culture and cautions against the spread of misinformation. Atwood encourages people to critically assess information sources and engage in open dialogue. While acknowledging the essential role of activism, Atwood also highlights the need to avoid extremes and find common ground. Her inclusive and measured approach aims to foster understanding and positive change.
Margaret Atwood is best known for her mega-bestselling dystopian fiction, including the Booker Prize-winning novels “The Blind Assassin” and “The Testaments”, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and, most recently, the essay collection “Burning Questions”.
The Canadian firebrand imagines future societies, specifically the worst scenarios in these future societies, worlds of genetic modification, pharmaceutical and corporate control, human-made disasters and theocracies where women’s bodies are controlled by capitalist overlords. And this is the thing – her dark fantasies have a horrifying habit of coming true, Exhibit A: “The Handmaid’s Tale”, a portent for the new abortion laws in the US, the erosion of American democracy, even the January 6 insurrection.
However, at age 83 Margaret, dubbed “the prophet of dystopia”, is turning her vibrancy and wild care to creating… utopias. Or rather, she is trying to find a way to save the world via an online program where participants work with experts to develop solutions to all the wicked problems we’ve created.
Today we discuss how the subordination of women and theocracies follow particular economic cycles, why she’s not quitting Twitter (yet) and what hope will need to look like.
