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made out of whole cloth. they're always based on something that was there before. they change the outfits, the names, the flags and the slogans, but it's the same, um, infrastructure. so, what would the americans have? they'd go back to the puritans. that's my — that is certainly my theory. it was my theory in the 1980s and you can see it in action now. that's what they want. it's what the right wing wants. it wants a hierarchical puritan theocracy. which is why the handmaid's tale has taken on new resonance and relevance in recent years, but also... i didn't do it. chuckles. but it has also, of course, taken on new life in the form of a television series, so a whole new generation of viewers now. what was the biggest challenge for you in seeing that adapted for the screen? ok, you think i have any control or power, don't you? chuckles. maybe a bit. no, i don't.
tale again?" and we would have to say, "we don't know who's got the contract." we really didn't. wow! then, somebody opened a drawer at mgm and there was the contract. just when series television streaming started up, which is a perfect way of doing a longer novel. and that led to an led to an appetite for... that led to... ..serious, gritty drama? that led to the possibility of this happening. blessed be the fruit. may the lord open. and the showrunner was a guy called bruce miller who had read this in high school and he promised himself that when he grew up, he was going to make the handmaid's tale. so, he knew everything about it and talked himself into thejob. are you surprised, or maybe disturbed, at the continuing relevance 40 years after you wrote that book? well, it had periods
that is a big problem. writes that's not the problem. given the bare minimum that we're asking for here, which is the patients with serious potential complications be allowed to access abortion. we are asking for that because it's not happening under the exception. those who support abortion bans often televised exceptions as, don't worry. the patients that really need abortions are getting them. but that's simply not true. right? the problem is that you pair an extreme abortion ban, or talking about 99 years in prison, loss of license sure, hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, and then you use fake language that has no meaning and the medical profession. of course physicians are scared and don't know what abortions they can provide and which they can't. so our lawsuit asks for that's their minimum. i think what i really was shocked to see this last week, it was confronted by the states approach in this case. they didn't want our plaintiffs to testify at all. i think it's obvious why. but then they objected to the testimony, as a relevance to the lawsuit. and then they just went as hard
they're always based on something that was there before. they change the outfits, the names, the flags and the slogans, but it's — it's the same, um, infrastructure. so, what would the americans have? they'd go back to the puritans. that's my — that is certainly my theory. it was my theory in the 19805 and you can see it in action now. that's what they want. it's what the right—wing wants. it wants a hierarchical puritan theocracy. which is why the handmaid's tale has taken on new resonance and relevance in recent years, but also... i didn't do it. chuckles. but it has also, of course, taken on new life in the form of a television series, so a whole new generation of viewers now. what was the biggest challenge for you in seeing that adapted for the screen? ok, you think i have any control or power, don't you? chuckles. maybe a bit. no, i don't. i have maybe some influence. yeah. so, here's the actual story
know who's got the contract." we really didn't. wow! then, somebody opened a drawer at mgm and there was the contract. just when series television streaming started up, which is a perfect way of doing a longer novel. and that led to an led to an appetite for... that led to... ..serious, gritty drama...? that led to the possibility of this happening. blessed be the fruit. may the lord open. and the showrunner was a guy called bruce miller who had read this in high school and he promised himself that when he grew up, he was going to make the handmaid's tale. so, he knew everything about it and talked himself into the job. are you surprised, or maybe disturbed, at the continuing relevance 40 years after you wrote that book? well, it had periods of not being so relevant. so, its newly relevant because of political changes
unusually keen interest in the extraordinary powers of the presidency early on. namely pointed to the insurrection act. in the book, i recount this episode in february of 2019 where we had to rush to the white house because we got tipped off that the president was going to try to invoke the insurrection act in his state of the union address. that he wanted to deploy u.s. troops on u.s. soil. to deal with border security issues. and illegal migrants. and we didn't think that was going to be legal, and maybe borderline unconstitutional. so there is this pattern of interest in him deploying the military waste that were inappropriate, that i personally think has a great deal of relevance to what happened on january 6th. so like i said, my doors always open for that conversation, but i know that there are other officials who can speak to that too. >> in an excerpt of your book, you talked about presidential emergency action documents known as the doomsday book. these can allow the president to take extraordinary actions in the event of a crisis. such as unilaterally detaining
of the handmaid's tale again?" and we would have to say, "we don't know who's got the contract." we really didn't. wow! then, somebody opened a drawer at mgm and there was the contract. just when series television streaming started up, which is a perfect way of doing a longer novel. and that led to an led to an appetite for... that led to... ..serious, gritty drama...? that led to the possibility of this happening. blessed be the fruit. may the lord open. and the showrunner was a guy called bruce miller, who had read this in high school and he promised himself that when he grew up, he was going to make the handmaid's tale. so, he knew everything about it and talked himself into the job. are you surprised, or maybe disturbed, at the continuing relevance 40 years after you wrote that book? well, it had periods
well, these regimes are never made out of whole cloth. they're always based on something that was there before. they change the outfits, the names, the flags and the slogans, but it's the same infrastructure. so, what would the americans have? they'd go back to the puritans. that's my — that is certainly my theory. it was my theory in the 1980s, and you can see it in action now. that's what they want. it's what the right wing wants. it wants a hierarchical puritan theocracy. which is why the handmaid's tale has taken on new resonance and relevance in recent years, but also... i didn't do it. chuckles but it has also, of course, taken on new life in the form of a television series, so a whole new generation of viewers now. what was the biggest challenge for you in seeing that adapted for the screen? ok, you think i have any control or power, don't you? chuckles maybe a bit. no, i don't. i have maybe some influence.
to make the handmaid's tale. so, he knew everything about it and talked himself into thejob. are you surprised, or maybe disturbed, at the continuing relevance 40 years after you wrote that book? well, it had periods of not being so relevant. so, it's newly relevant because of political changes in the united states. we go everywhere in twos. supposed to be for our protection, for companionship. there are no friends here. can't be. the truth is we're watching each other. in terms of your life and your influence and what you've been discussing tonight, almost at odds with some of the themes of the novels, which explore, you know, the really dark aspects of humanity and the human experience — totalitarianism, rape and murder and all of these things. what — what compels you to immerse yourself? i don't particularly immerse myself, you know, ijust read the newspapers.
but it's interesting that you witness what's happening in germany, ronald reagan is elected, so you start imagining the possibilities of a future totalitarian american regime but then, you reach back. well, these regimes are never made out of whole cloth. they're always based on something that was there before. they change the outfits, the names, the flags and the slogans, but it's — it's the same, um, infrastructure. so, what would the americans have? they'd go back to the puritans. that's my — that is certainly my theory. it was my theory in the 1980s and you can see it in action 110w. that's what they want. it's what the right wing wants. it wants a hierarchical puritan theocracy. which is why the handmaid's tale has taken on new resonance and relevance in recent years, but also... i didn't do it. chuckles. but it has also, of course, taken on new life in the form