Marilynne Robinson on writing, metaphysics, and the Donald Trump dilemma

President Barack Obama presents a 2012 National Humanities Medal to novelist Marilynne Robinson during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on July 10, 2013. | Pete Marovich/Getty Images

The award-winning author joins The Ezra Klein Show.

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 time — race, religion, education, geography, 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 conversation on The Ezra Klein Show was a joy 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.

My conversation with Robinson can be heard on The Ezra Klein Show.

Subscribe to The Ezra Klein Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

---

Help keep Vox free for all

Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what’s happening in the news, from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is, quite possibly, the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower you through understanding. But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources. Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers, your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work. If you have already contributed, thank you. If you haven’t, please consider helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world: Contribute today from as little as $3.