美国国家公共电台 NPR--Stacey Abrams follows her thriller 'While Justice Sleeps' with 'Rogue Justice'

Stacey Abrams follows her thriller¹ 'While Justice Sleeps' with 'Rogue² Justice'

Transcript³

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with former Georgia state legislator Stacey Abrams about her latest novel: Rogue Justice. She has a third Avery Keene novel in the works.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Former Georgia state representative Stacey Abrams has one of those resumes that makes you feel bad about yourself - world-class education, a distinguished⁴ career in the Georgia legislature, a national leader on voting rights, entrepreneur, professor, and she's a prolific⁵ author of both fiction and political strategy. Her most recent book, her 15th, is another novel, and it's out today. It's her second thriller that features Supreme⁶ Court clerk, amateur sleuth and all-around savior of democracy, Avery Keene. And Stacey Abrams is with us now to tell us more about it. Welcome. Thank you for joining us.

STACEY ABRAMS: Thank you for having me. It's always a delight.

MARTIN: I think people may remember your first thriller, which features Avery Keene. It's a - you know, a rogue president involved in international intrigue⁷, a Supreme Court justice who falls into a persistent⁸ vegetative state. It's my recollection that the first draft of this book - everybody passed on it because the president seemed too absurd, and nobody cares about the Supreme Court. I take it it was different this time around.

ABRAMS: Yes. So I wrote it, actually, in 2010. So there was turmoil⁹ but nothing quite as egregious¹⁰ as I portrayed¹¹ in "While Justice Sleeps." And so "Rogue Justice" picks up four months later and really looks at the consequences of confronting a president who's made some egregious mistakes but where the public is divided about what that means. We follow her through the political fallout. But she is contacted by someone who recognizes that one part of our court system is imperiled. And so Avery has to figure out how broken our systems are by understanding just how fragile our infrastructure¹² is in this nation.

MARTIN: One of the reasons I was curious about this is that your last book dealt with things that we subsequently had to worry about, like Big Pharma, bioengineering. This one deals with surveillance and things of that - how do you think of these things? The reason I ask is that, you know, some people who write about, like, science fiction - right? - what they'll do is they'll extrapolate forward. They'll think, well, what would it be like if we had no water or something like that? So, like, how do you come up with these things?

ABRAMS: I really like to understand where we are and where we go next. And, as much as I love science fiction, I'm trying to think 10, 20, 30 years in the future, not a thousand, 2,000, 3,000 years in the future. But the conversations about our infrastructure matter to me. I actually, at one point, had an infrastructure consulting firm, and so I'd spent some time thinking about the physical infrastructure of the country. My younger sister is a federal judge, and we were having lunch after she'd come back from a conference. And I was actually flipping¹³ through her conference program, and that gave me part of the idea for this book. But really, my ideas come from thinking about what we see in the world around us and then what could go slightly wrong or, more importantly, what questions aren't we asking about what's happening to us?

MARTIN: So could you give us a head's up? What's keeping you up at night now, just so, you know, we can get ready?

ABRAMS: I will say, I begin a conversation about cybersecurity in this book, and it continues to be an issue that I want to explore a bit more. I think about AI, and, yes, we have this sort of existential crisis conversation about AI, but I think there are more pedestrian issues for us to concern ourselves with. Assuming you can't stop it, let's think about what else could be done with it beyond - not just the future of it taking our jobs, but what does it mean for the nature of what work is?

MARTIN: You know, to that end, the subjects you deal with in these books are serious, but there is kind of a fun tone to it. They're not so dire¹⁴ that you can't kind of enjoy it as a ride. And I was just wondering how you arrive at that kind of tone.

ABRAMS: It's how I exist. My work is hard. The conversations we have to have, from Avery's grappling with her mother's - her addiction¹⁵ to drugs and her mental illness and what that means - there are dark and hard things we face. And my life, the way I was raised, the way I think about the world, it's not just how do we grapple in the dark, and how do we push through the dark? It's how do we bring the light?

MARTIN: Your Washington-based books are animated¹⁶ by a concern about the fragility of and I might even say corruption¹⁷ of our democratic systems. So I do have to ask you about what you make of the recent reporting by ProPublica and other outlets¹⁸ regarding the financial ties between Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and this Republican megadonor Harlan Crow.

ABRAMS: We should all be held to the highest ethical¹⁹ standard, particularly those who have been both privileged with and burdened with the responsibility for guarding our legal system. And irrespective of who it is, what we should all be demanding as Americans is the highest responsibility. My hope is that what is being revealed in these conversations also exposes a weakness in our structure. And when there are concerns about the ethics²⁰ of those who we have to trust to mete²¹ out justice, then it is the obligation of those in power to satisfy those concerns.

MARTIN: And to that end, though, the whole question of the fitness for office of people in these high positions - there are Democrats²² who do have concern about President Biden, who are worried about whether he is up to the job or, at least, if he's up to another four years. And I want to know if you share those concerns.

ABRAMS: I believe in the leadership of President Biden, and I look forward to four more years.

MARTIN: OK. So what's next for you? You've just accepted an endowed chair at Howard University. Congratulations on that. What's next for you?

ABRAMS: I have a third Avery Keene novel in the offing that I need to get to sometime this summer. But I am actually focused on both my entrepreneurial ventures. I have done a lot of work with small businesses. I am working with Rewiring America, making certain that consumers have access to the resources that are coming through the Inflation Reduction Act for electrifying²³ our homes and helping²⁴ address climate action. And I'm excited about the work I'm going to be doing at Howard University.

MARTIN: Are you having any fun?

ABRAMS: I am. I'm having a great time. I get to wake up every morning and do things I believe in and things I love. And I am pleased by my ability to navigate²⁵ all of the facets²⁶ of who I am. And I think it can be a bit disconcerting to some, but I'm never defined by one moment or one idea because we have a lot of work to do, and I'm grateful to have a chance to try to tackle it from a number of different perspectives.

MARTIN: Or maybe just making the rest of us feel inadequate²⁷.

ABRAMS: I'm trying to entertain.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: Stacey Abrams' latest book - it's a novel - is "Rogue Justice," and it is out today. Stacey Abrams, thanks so much for talking with us.

ABRAMS: Michel, thank you so much. It's been a delight.

(SOUNDBITE OF WAX STAG'S "NIGHT TREK (BIBIO REMIX)")

1 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

2 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

5 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 intrigue   

vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋

参考例句：

• Court officials will intrigue against the royal family.法院官员将密谋反对皇室。
• The royal palace was filled with intrigue.皇宫中充满了勾心斗角。

8 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

9 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

10 egregious   

adj.非常的，过分的

参考例句：

• When it comes to blatant lies,there are none more egregious than budget figures.谈到公众谎言，没有比预算数字更令人震惊的。
• What an egregious example was here!现摆着一个多么触目惊心的例子啊。

11 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

13 flipping   

讨厌之极的

参考例句：

• I hate this flipping hotel! 我讨厌这个该死的旅馆！
• Don't go flipping your lid. 别发火。

14 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

15 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

16 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

17 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

18 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

20 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

21 mete   

v.分配；给予

参考例句：

• Schools should not mete out physical punishment to children.学校不应该体罚学生。
• Duly mete out rewards and punishments.有赏有罚。

22 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 electrifying   

v.使电气化( electrify的现在分词 )；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The dancers gave an electrifying performance. 舞蹈演员们的表演激动人心。
• The national orchestra gave an electrifying performance of classic music. 国家交响乐团举行了一次古典音乐的震撼性演出。 来自辞典例句

24 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

25 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

26 facets   

n.（宝石或首饰的）小平面( facet的名词复数 )；（事物的）面；方面

参考例句：

• The question had many facets. 这个问题是多方面的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A fully cut brilliant diamond has 68 facets. 经过充分切刻的光彩夺目的钻石有68个小平面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。