Can a narrative covering a brief period of time encompass all the complexities of a historical era?
WM4. It’s not about compressing complexity, fitting it in a hole. We aim to open a gap, a passage that allows the reader to descend into an era and a context. It’s true we work with history; we use it as a mine where we find stories and bring them to light, but it’s only because we’re convinced that the past is not behind us, but on our shoulders. The past weighs on the present, it’s all still here. The portrait of George Washington is on the most circulated banknote on the planet, Canada still has a governor (actually, a governess) nominated by the English Crown and the Six Nations of the Iroquois are still struggling to regain their lands. Q. With regard to Q, you’ve said that the end and the beginning of an era resemble each other. Do you think this applies also to Manituana, which recounts the origins of the United States of America? WM4. Yes and no. The difference is that today the United States is suffering heavy blows on the fronts where they’re engaged militarily, while two cen
