Colum McCann

You just, you take it out like this and then you lift out the manhole cover and you can actually see the cables coming in to the, carrying all that stuff.

You just, you take it out like this and then you lift out the manhole cover and you can actually see the cables coming in to the, carrying all that stuff.

Yeah. But you can also go out and you can dive underwater and you can see some of these cables. You know, we are actually, you know, we're quite vulnerable, even at deep sea, because if you take out a cable at deep sea, I'm talking like four or five, six kilometers down.

Yeah. But you can also go out and you can dive underwater and you can see some of these cables. You know, we are actually, you know, we're quite vulnerable, even at deep sea, because if you take out a cable at deep sea, I'm talking like four or five, six kilometers down.

If that goes out through, say, an underwater landslide or an earthquake or sabotage with a grappling hook, it will take up to six weeks to to get it fixed. Is that right? Yeah, because a boat has to go out. They have to find it. It's an extraordinary job. So if we had somebody trying to take out the world's internet for six weeks, what would that be like, by the way? Oh, my God.

If that goes out through, say, an underwater landslide or an earthquake or sabotage with a grappling hook, it will take up to six weeks to to get it fixed. Is that right? Yeah, because a boat has to go out. They have to find it. It's an extraordinary job. So if we had somebody trying to take out the world's internet for six weeks, what would that be like, by the way? Oh, my God.

We would talk to one another.

We would talk to one another.

Well, maybe we should organize some sort of sabotage, some sort of national sabotage.

Well, maybe we should organize some sort of sabotage, some sort of national sabotage.

The sea novels are always wonderful novels because, you know, when you go out to sea, you sort of lose everything, but you always want to go back home. So you meet these people who do go out to sea and they, you know, investigate these cables and repair them. They're on land. They really want a break to happen.

The sea novels are always wonderful novels because, you know, when you go out to sea, you sort of lose everything, but you always want to go back home. So you meet these people who do go out to sea and they, you know, investigate these cables and repair them. They're on land. They really want a break to happen.

But the minute they get out to sea, all they want to do is fix the brakes so they can go home again. And so this whole notion of home, belonging, not belonging, repair, I think repair is one of the great themes of our times.

But the minute they get out to sea, all they want to do is fix the brakes so they can go home again. And so this whole notion of home, belonging, not belonging, repair, I think repair is one of the great themes of our times.

Well, I mean, you talk a lot about certainty and I agree with you entirely. We're sort of diseased with certainty. Everybody has to be so certain they can only go in one direction and the others can only go in another direction. What I am interested in is the floodplains between those canals of certainty, because that's where all the interesting stuff happens.

Well, I mean, you talk a lot about certainty and I agree with you entirely. We're sort of diseased with certainty. Everybody has to be so certain they can only go in one direction and the others can only go in another direction. What I am interested in is the floodplains between those canals of certainty, because that's where all the interesting stuff happens.

That's where actually all the interesting people meet, because we're so much more interesting than we allow for others to think about ourselves.

That's where actually all the interesting people meet, because we're so much more interesting than we allow for others to think about ourselves.

Narrative 4 is a global nonprofit that brings young people together to exchange stories with one another. And one of the things we would do, for instance, believe this or not, we could bring kids from the South Bronx together with kids from Eastern Kentucky. And one might think in today's America... Right? Exactly. That they might not be able to get on.

Narrative 4 is a global nonprofit that brings young people together to exchange stories with one another. And one of the things we would do, for instance, believe this or not, we could bring kids from the South Bronx together with kids from Eastern Kentucky. And one might think in today's America... Right? Exactly. That they might not be able to get on.