Q: Did you learn anything while writing World Enough & Time that surprised you?

A: When I came to write World Enough, I felt as if I had been preparing to write it for most of my adult life—so much of what I’d read and thought seemed to find its way into the manuscript. I’d had no idea that this would be so. That was a surprise—and a delightful one!

I was startled too, once it was out in the world, by how many people responded—with such relief and gratitude—to what I had to say.

Q: What was the most difficult part of writing World Enough & Time?

A: The hardest thing about writing World Enough & Time was continuing to fund my ordinary daily life whilst making time to do the writing. I was teaching for Lesley University at the time, and that required a lot of traveling.

Q: How does the physical place where you write influence your work? What did setting contribute to World Enough & Time as you wrote?

A: I lived in three or four different places while I was working on World Enough. My favorite was the two months I spent at the MacDowell Colony in the spring of 2007. I had a spacious workroom looking out onto the snowy landscape, a private bedroom and kitchen and plenty of room for all my books. Lunch was brought in a basket to my door. What could be more luxurious!

But in general, all that really matters to me is a window looking out (ideally) onto something green, and a measure of uninterrupted silence.

Q: What is the most important message in World Enough & Time?

A: That “slowing down” is not some kind of luxury available only to the very rich or very wise or very old. That any of us can choose to “slow down” at intervals throughout the day, and that such moments can be nourishing, sustaining—and the basis for creative work.

Q: You are such a multifaceted creative who’s been involved in all kinds of different projects: books, audiobooks, interviews, plays, documentaries, and more. What has been your favorite project so far?

A: World Enough is the project I am proudest of—it is by far my longest book, and likely my “greatest accomplishment.” But I very much enjoy the book I am currently working on, a sister-manuscript, called In Praise of Listening. 

Q: How has your life changed since you learned the importance of “slowing down”? What impact has this had on your creativity?

A: It’s an ongoing challenge for all of us to “walk our talk.” There’s no question I can still get caught up in mental entanglements! But I do believe that what I learned in writing World Enough has stood me in good stead in the years since. Making time to meditate, to rest, to exercise, putting in the hours at the desk—a simple, reliable daily schedule can be a great help. And yes, I have completed several other books since then.

Q: What are you reading right now?

A: Portraits: John Berger on Artists, edited by Tom Overton. The Art of Solitude by Stephen Batchelor. And We Came Outside and Saw the Stars Again: Writers from Around the World on the COVID-19 Pandemic, edited by Ilan Stavans. An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz.