Margaret Atwood has been called prescient 91裸聊视频� particularly when it comes to her famous 1985 dystopia 91裸聊视频淭he Handmaid91裸聊视频檚 Tale91裸聊视频� and the recent rollback of reproductive rights in the United States 91裸聊视频� but the renowned Canadian author says her predictive powers failed her ahead of last week91裸聊视频檚 U.S. election, which delivered Donald Trump another White House win.

91裸聊视频淚 searched. I invoked, 91裸聊视频極h God, let it be sun.91裸聊视频� But it was darkness all around,91裸聊视频� she said to laughter Tuesday night at a forum hosted by the Alberta Teachers91裸聊视频� Association, Calgary Catholic Local 55 and Calgary Public Local 38.

Calgary91裸聊视频檚 Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, with more than 2,500 seats, was nearly full for the discussion with Atwood about 91裸聊视频渄emocracy, public education and the common good.91裸聊视频� She is to speak Wednesday at an event hosted by the Edmonton Public Library about 91裸聊视频渢he importance of freedom of expression.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淵ou have to get your mind around how other people think,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚 think some people would shoot themselves rather than having a woman leader.91裸聊视频�

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

The presidential race was like a 91裸聊视频渕ultiple choice questionnaire with only two choices,91裸聊视频� when most people have 91裸聊视频渕ix-and-match sets of values.91裸聊视频� 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 election91裸聊视频檚 outcome, but she said she does have some prognostications now that it91裸聊视频檚 been decided.

91裸聊视频淲atch what goes on inside the White House 91裸聊视频� We have several people with quite large egos backed by two billionaires who also have large egos and who don91裸聊视频檛 like each other,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淚 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?91裸聊视频�

She also predicts 91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檙e going to hear a lot more talk about class than we91裸聊视频檝e been having since the 1940s.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频淭he Atlantic91裸聊视频� magazine that she did not mean for Gilead, the totalitarian state in 91裸聊视频淭he Handmaid91裸聊视频檚 Tale,91裸聊视频� to become a reality.

91裸聊视频淭he Handmaid91裸聊视频檚 Tale,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渉andmaids91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� 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 Tuesday91裸聊视频檚 forum that her ideas for 91裸聊视频淭he Handmaid91裸聊视频檚 Tale91裸聊视频� didn91裸聊视频檛 come from her own mind, but were inspired by discussions the religious right had been having.

91裸聊视频淣ot the outfits, but the core principles,91裸聊视频� she quipped.

91裸聊视频淓verything in the book has either happened or was happening somewhere, sometime. Because otherwise, people would say, 91裸聊视频楽he91裸聊视频檚 really weird.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

Atwood was asked by the event91裸聊视频檚 moderator whether people should be afraid.

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think we should be afraid at all, by which I don91裸聊视频檛 mean that there isn91裸聊视频檛 something horrible happening,91裸聊视频� she replied.

91裸聊视频淚 mean that fear makes you feeble.91裸聊视频�

She was also asked whether there is any comfort to be found in the famous Martin Luther King Jr. quote: 91裸聊视频淭he arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.91裸聊视频�

Atwood replied: 91裸聊视频淭his is what makes people give up on vigilance 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频業t91裸聊视频檚 all going to be fine, I don91裸聊视频檛 have to do anything because it91裸聊视频檚 bending toward justice all on its own.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 not real. There is no yellow brick road.91裸聊视频�