Margaret Atwood

You know, I think you would say no to the bank robbery, Ezra. Because it's not helpful. You might say yes to it if we said, let's rob a bank and use the million dollars to help humankind and advance equality. You might do that. Yeah?

You know, I think you would say no to the bank robbery, Ezra. Because it's not helpful. You might say yes to it if we said, let's rob a bank and use the million dollars to help humankind and advance equality. You might do that. Yeah?

Supposing it was a foolproof plan, you might do it then, but only if it were for the greater good. So I think we're more likely to be sucked into doing stuff by people manipulating our good side than by people appealing to our greed and power-hungerness, although there are enough of us who are interested in the greed and power-hungerness, so it's a motif.

Supposing it was a foolproof plan, you might do it then, but only if it were for the greater good. So I think we're more likely to be sucked into doing stuff by people manipulating our good side than by people appealing to our greed and power-hungerness, although there are enough of us who are interested in the greed and power-hungerness, so it's a motif.

Well, stories by their very nature have central characters, unless they're history stories dealing just with statistics. But we know that we're much more likely to be able to remember a story that is about a person or people, not one that is just about numbers, unless we make the numbers themselves into actors in the story. I'm going to tell you a story about the number nine, a very heroic number.

Well, stories by their very nature have central characters, unless they're history stories dealing just with statistics. But we know that we're much more likely to be able to remember a story that is about a person or people, not one that is just about numbers, unless we make the numbers themselves into actors in the story. I'm going to tell you a story about the number nine, a very heroic number.

I can relate. Yeah, so you make the numbers into sort of entities, and then we can be interested in them. But if they're just numbers, not so much. We didn't develop math until pretty late in our human history, whereas we developed language and music very, very early. So stories come naturally to small kids. You know this yourself. So this happens, then this happens, and then this happens.

I can relate. Yeah, so you make the numbers into sort of entities, and then we can be interested in them. But if they're just numbers, not so much. We didn't develop math until pretty late in our human history, whereas we developed language and music very, very early. So stories come naturally to small kids. You know this yourself. So this happens, then this happens, and then this happens.

They understand that there's a plot and that there are actors in the plot like their teddy bear. So it's really built in. And I think what kids do before the age of two is pretty indicative of what comes with the toolkit. They already are doing little dances, they have a sense of rhythm, they're very interested in music, and they're very interested in words and facial expressions.

They understand that there's a plot and that there are actors in the plot like their teddy bear. So it's really built in. And I think what kids do before the age of two is pretty indicative of what comes with the toolkit. They already are doing little dances, they have a sense of rhythm, they're very interested in music, and they're very interested in words and facial expressions.

But they're not interested in nine times nine at that age, if ever.

But they're not interested in nine times nine at that age, if ever.

I mean, there's a lot of sex, death, blood, and violence in there, which is one of the reasons it's remained such a popular book. These are dramatic stories. When you get into the begets and the begats, maybe not so much, but what we would call these sort of key stories are very dramatic. And they often feature something that we really like, which is underdogs making good.

I mean, there's a lot of sex, death, blood, and violence in there, which is one of the reasons it's remained such a popular book. These are dramatic stories. When you get into the begets and the begats, maybe not so much, but what we would call these sort of key stories are very dramatic. And they often feature something that we really like, which is underdogs making good.

So a number of the key stories are like that. And some of them are about really cataclysmic events. And some of them that we didn't get in high school are about very bad behavior. So the one that I put into the Testaments, which is the concubine cut into 12 pieces, for some reason they didn't parade that in front of the eight-year-olds. I don't know why. So what's a concubine, Mom?

So a number of the key stories are like that. And some of them are about really cataclysmic events. And some of them that we didn't get in high school are about very bad behavior. So the one that I put into the Testaments, which is the concubine cut into 12 pieces, for some reason they didn't parade that in front of the eight-year-olds. I don't know why. So what's a concubine, Mom?

One kid writing a Sunday school essay said, King Solomon had 12 wives and 82 porcupines. It made me just... No. So yeah, it's very interesting to see what kind of bad behavior is actually condoned and permitted, but there isn't a lot of papering over in the Bible. If people are bad, they're bad, like it's right out there on the page. And even people who are favored quite frequently behave badly.

One kid writing a Sunday school essay said, King Solomon had 12 wives and 82 porcupines. It made me just... No. So yeah, it's very interesting to see what kind of bad behavior is actually condoned and permitted, but there isn't a lot of papering over in the Bible. If people are bad, they're bad, like it's right out there on the page. And even people who are favored quite frequently behave badly.

and get called on it.

and get called on it.