Margaret Atwood has been called prescient B次元官网网址� particularly when it comes to her famous 1985 dystopia B次元官网网址淭he HandmaidB次元官网网址檚 TaleB次元官网网址� and the recent rollback of reproductive rights in the United States B次元官网网址� but the renowned Canadian author says her predictive powers failed her ahead of last weekB次元官网网址檚 U.S. election, which delivered Donald Trump another White House win.

B次元官网网址淚 searched. I invoked, B次元官网网址極h God, let it be sun.B次元官网网址� But it was darkness all around,B次元官网网址� she said to laughter Tuesday night at a forum hosted by the Alberta TeachersB次元官网网址� Association, Calgary Catholic Local 55 and Calgary Public Local 38.

CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, with more than 2,500 seats, was nearly full for the discussion with Atwood about B次元官网网址渄emocracy, public education and the common good.B次元官网网址� She is to speak Wednesday at an event hosted by the Edmonton Public Library about B次元官网网址渢he importance of freedom of expression.B次元官网网址�

Atwood said she hesitates to make blanket statements about what drives the American people because there are starkly different histories and sensibilities in every region.

B次元官网网址淵ou have to get your mind around how other people think,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 think some people would shoot themselves rather than having a woman leader.B次元官网网址�

But she said the populace is also less polarized than many would think.

The presidential race was like a B次元官网网址渕ultiple choice questionnaire with only two choices,B次元官网网址� when most people have B次元官网网址渕ix-and-match sets of values.B次元官网网址� The Republicans were victorious in clinching the presidency, but at the same time ballot initiatives affirming abortion rights passed in several states.

Atwood may have drawn a blank on predicting the electionB次元官网网址檚 outcome, but she said she does have some prognostications now that itB次元官网网址檚 been decided.

B次元官网网址淲atch what goes on inside the White House B次元官网网址� We have several people with quite large egos backed by two billionaires who also have large egos and who donB次元官网网址檛 like each other,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚 think bookies are going to start making book on how long Donald Trump is going to last because is he really necessary for these billionaires anymore? On the other hand, are they necessary for him? Who shall win?B次元官网网址�

She also predicts B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e going to hear a lot more talk about class than weB次元官网网址檝e been having since the 1940s.B次元官网网址�

Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, undoing a half-century of federally protected abortion rights, Atwood wrote in B次元官网网址淭he AtlanticB次元官网网址� magazine that she did not mean for Gilead, the totalitarian state in B次元官网网址淭he HandmaidB次元官网网址檚 Tale,B次元官网网址� to become a reality.

B次元官网网址淭he HandmaidB次元官网网址檚 Tale,B次元官网网址� since adapted into a Hulu television series starring Elisabeth Moss, takes place in the near future in what is now the United States. It is governed by religious fundamentalists, and beset by environmental calamity and plummeting birthrates.

Women are treated as property and some are forced to be B次元官网网址渉andmaidsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� their sole purpose is to bear the children for wealthy, infertile, couples. Handmaids are marked by ultra-modest red garments and white conical bonnets that obscure their peripheral vision.

She told TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 forum that her ideas for B次元官网网址淭he HandmaidB次元官网网址檚 TaleB次元官网网址� didnB次元官网网址檛 come from her own mind, but were inspired by discussions the religious right had been having.

B次元官网网址淣ot the outfits, but the core principles,B次元官网网址� she quipped.

B次元官网网址淓verything in the book has either happened or was happening somewhere, sometime. Because otherwise, people would say, B次元官网网址楽heB次元官网网址檚 really weird.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Atwood was asked by the eventB次元官网网址檚 moderator whether people should be afraid.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think we should be afraid at all, by which I donB次元官网网址檛 mean that there isnB次元官网网址檛 something horrible happening,B次元官网网址� she replied.

B次元官网网址淚 mean that fear makes you feeble.B次元官网网址�

She was also asked whether there is any comfort to be found in the famous Martin Luther King Jr. quote: B次元官网网址淭he arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.B次元官网网址�

Atwood replied: B次元官网网址淭his is what makes people give up on vigilance B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址業tB次元官网网址檚 all going to be fine, I donB次元官网网址檛 have to do anything because itB次元官网网址檚 bending toward justice all on its own.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not real. There is no yellow brick road.B次元官网网址�