In his latest book, ‘Ailleurs, chez moi’, the most French of American novelists continues to explore a more than divided United States, this time based on his own experience. On 15 November, just a few days after the results of the American elections, Douglas Kennedy will be at Athenaeum for a book signing. Here’s a sneak preview of what to expect…
Your new book is difficult to classify, to say the least?
‘Ailleurs, chez moi’ traces the history of the United States since the 1960s. But it is also a novel, an autobiography and a road-trip, through which you will discover why this country is, in my eyes, as attractive as it is repulsive.
The starting point is a question: what does it mean to be American today?
As I explained in my previous novel, ‘Et c’est ainsi que nous vivrons’, the United States is fractured. Two countries coexist in one: on the one hand, a secular and progressive America; on the other, a Christian and very, very, very conservative America. This book shows both my deep love for this nation and, at the same time, all my fears about it…
Would you say that these last two books complete each other?
Like ‘Les hommes ont peur de la lumière’ and ‘Et c’est ainsi que nous vivrons’, ‘Ailleurs, chez moi’ faces the United States. But you don’t have to read all three, one after the other. Even if it’s a good idea (laughs)…
Does America still make people dream ?
Coming from a middle-class background, I grew up in New York. Today, that would be impossible. The middle class has been ruined all over the country, especially during the Reagan era. The ‘American dream’ that everyone talks about is a lie… But it’s still a hope also.
Do you feel more French or American?
Because I live half the year in France, a lot of people ask me the question: France or United States? It’s all bearable with a return ticket in your pocket!