megafires are “a reminder of what is happening to the entire planet”

Jean Hegland is not a great optimist. Whether it concerns the deadly fires in California, Donald Trump in the White House or the fate of the planet, the 68-year-old American writer looks at the future with eyes full of worry. Like many victims today, she too lost her house and her forest « beloved » after the powerful 2020 wildfires in California ; like many Americans, she is « terrified » by the return of the businessman to power ; and like many, she despairs of climate inaction. However, the author has not stopped hoping.

His fears and hopes largely fueled his latest science fiction novel. The Time Afterpublished in France on January 15 (ed. Gallmeister). In this book, which is the sequel to his best-seller In the forestit is a question of connection to others, of animal and plant sensitivity, but also of the fragile balance of ecosystems. From the leather sofa of the hotel in Paris, where Reporterre met her, she emphasizes her « responsibility » to put these issues at the heart of its stories and its power to create « stories that help us imagine a future more hopeful than the apocalypse ».

Reporterre – Do the fires in California remind you of painful times ?

Jean Hegland — I am sad for those who are going through these difficult times. My three granddaughters live in Southern California. One of them had to flee to her sister in Long Beach [dans le sud du comté de Los Angeles]. I think they will get through this, but it’s heavy not knowing. Wildfires are a risk we live with every day.

You too have lost a lot in 2020.

That year, when I heard that the fire season was going to be terrible, I decided to leave the forest [sa maison était au bord d’une forêt, qu’elle avait achetée] until the rains return. With my cat — because I love my cat very much (laughs) — we moved into a tiny house in my sister’s garden. Fortunately, my husband was away for the weekend. I was writing when we learned about the fires.

No one could return home. An exception was made for my neighbor who had to pick up his pet llama. He called us and told us that our house had suffered « some damage ». Which was a nice way of saying that it had been totally destroyed.

We lost more than 7,000 books: first editions, books signed by my friends… I still managed to save a few things, like my children’s drawings and those of my mother. But for me, the most devastating thing was seeing what happened to our forest.

« The sign of a capitalist world in its terminal phase »

What happened to the forest ?

It was shocking. I have been around this forest for almost thirty years. Each year I got to know and love her more. She is my source of inspiration for my books. When I returned there after the tragedy, I saw in tears everything that had disappeared. Only the redwoods had survived. But a friend, specialized in forest growth, told me: « Look, there’s a little bit of green there ! It will come back. » Yes, the forest will grow back, but it will take at least a hundred years before it becomes the same again.

It’s a reminder of what’s happening to the entire planet. Climate change is real, powerful. And we’re not doing anything about it.

After your house was destroyed, you chose to move to the city. For what ?

The forest had enough work to do to try to grow back and did not need to undergo a construction site on top of that. I miss life there a lot, but it was the right decision.

In California, are neighborhoods built too close to natural spaces? ?

Most Californians built their homes on cliffs overlooking the ocean or in the middle of forests, where it was not their place. There are obviously many ways to make our cohabitation with nature safer, such as creating better evacuation routes or making our homes fire-resistant. But it’s probably better if people live next to each other in the city.

Hollywood, Malibu, Pacific Palisades… The flames ravaged the neighborhoods of the ultra-rich in Southern California. Do these scenes demonstrate the fragility of capitalism? ?

For me, this is clearly a sign of a capitalist world in its terminal phase.

Can this catastrophe, fueled by the climate crisis, act as a wake-up call for the United States? ?

In California, there is some hope: the current governor is making courageous attempts to limit carbon emissions. It’s a start. But now that Trump is back in power, I’m terrified. He’s a monster and I still can’t understand why he was re-elected.

« One day it will stop, and it will either be a sweet goodbye or a rude awakening »

In your new book “ The Time After », climate change is very perceptible unlike your first work. In addition to the characters, nature is also in danger.

It’s true. I wrote In the forest almost thirty years ago. At the time, we were aware of the climate crisis, but it seemed like a distant problem. I was very lucky to be in denial. In The Time Afterthere is drought, lack of water, risk of fire. The seasons become unpredictable. As a writer, it’s interesting because it gives your characters problems — even if you love them a lot, you have to make their lives difficult (smile).

But above all, it seemed irresponsible to me not to include global warming in a science fiction novel, when it is so important and so omnipresent. It is a responsibility towards society and history. Finally, this would not make us credible in fiction.

Your novel is sensitive, magical and hard at the same time. Your characters have formed a close bond with non-humans, and imagined another way of living. Is this how you imagine the post-collapse ?

One of the things we have lost sight of in these wonderful worlds we have created is the connection with the rest of life. We have forgotten that everything we are surrounded by comes from nature. Recognizing it would allow us to be more honest about how we use the gifts (instead of resources) of nature, and would give meaning to our lives. We behave as if these gifts/resources are infinite even though we live on a finite planet. By preventing nature, we put ourselves in danger. One day it will stop, and it will either be a sweet goodbye or a rude awakening.

Try to demonstrate that it is possible to have a beautiful and complete life in the forest ?

Let’s say at least in a metaphorical sense. We can’t all go and live in the forest. Already, there isn’t enough, and it’s not really sustainable. But we can live closer to nature and more simply. I believe in the power of stories. We need stories that help us imagine a future more hopeful than the apocalypse.

Why did this dive into the heart of the woods seem important to you? ?

The story that interested me was that of this small group, Burl and his mothers. Everything is told from the point of view of Burl, child of the forest. He is very aware of the details, the specificities of this place. They are extremely meaningful to him. I wanted to share this experience, because the forest is a rich, full, fascinating world, of which we will never unravel all the mysteries.

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