Rachel Kushner Discusses Her Booker-Listed Novel

Writing her latest novel, Creation Lake, was “the most fun I’ve ever had doing anything in my life,” says Rachel Kushner. She recalls feeling like she was “digging a hole to the center of the Earth,” unable to stop until she reached her goal. This passion comes from a novelist who used to ride motorbikes at 142mph for thrills. Even her mentor, Don DeLillo, burst out laughing upon hearing the first line: “Neanderthals were prone to depression. They were prone to addiction, too, and especially smoking.”

Creation Lake might seem like an unusual mix, combining prehistory with a noirish contemporary plot. It’s “the ultimate love story of the coming together of the Homo sapiens and the Neanderthal,” Kushner explains. Interwoven with this narrative is a story set in modern-day south-west France. A former government operative infiltrates a group of suspected eco-terrorists. The book jumps between the musings of Bruno Lacombe, the group leader living in a Dordogne cave, and a first-person narrative from Sadie Smith, a spy tasked with shaking things up.

“I wanted to write an ideas novel that’s not boring,” Kushner says. The central theme explores humanity’s origins and its future, a topic she finds increasingly urgent. Bruno captures this sentiment: “Currently, we are headed toward extinction in a shiny, driverless car, and the question is: how do we exit the car?”

Writing an engaging “page-turner with long disquisitions on the nature of human history” was a challenge that Kushner feels she has mastered. The judges for this year’s Booker Prize seem to agree, as Creation Lake has been longlisted.

The title, Creation Lake, took inspiration from a 17th-century French novel and a song by the 1970s rock band the Movies. Her husband, writer Jason Smith, has connections with the band members, adding a personal touch to the title.

Although her publishers describe the novel as “Killing Eve meets Sapiens,” Kushner dismisses the comparison. She hasn’t seen the TV series and while she acknowledges reading Yuval Noah Harari’s bestseller, her real influences came from scientists mapping the Neanderthal genome.

Often described as American literature’s favorite “gearhead,” Kushner loves vintage cars and motorcycles. Her essays, like Girl on a Motorcycle, document this passion. She admires glamorous female writers like Marguerite Duras and Clarice Lispector, and her husband humorously calls her “Spinoza with lipstick.”

The day we meet, she’s dressed in a Bella Freud trouser suit for her book tour. Coincidentally, she’s meeting the designer for dinner later. “I’m hoping this novel reveals a different side and I don’t always have to be the car-motorcycle lady,” she jokes. When we speak via video call in LA, she’s in a casual black T-shirt and motorcycle cap borrowed from her son. She toggles between eras and perspectives with ease, much like her multifaceted works.

Though she’s seen as a quintessentially American writer, Kushner offers an outsider’s perspective on her country. Her first novel, Telex from Cuba, explored US expats and Cuban revolutionaries. The Flamethrowers, her next, divided its narrative between 1970s New York and Italy’s Red Brigades. The Mars Room delved into California’s prison system, hitting closer to home. Her focus remains on political radicals and rebels, immersing the reader into closed communities with their own codes.

Kushner has often been compared to Joan Didion, known for her incisive portrayals of California. A nod to this comparison is a photo on the cover of Kushner’s collected essays, The Hard Crowd, showing her leaning against a car, reminiscent of Didion’s iconic photo.

Now 55, Kushner has handed over her car keys to her son Remy, who got a 1969 Dodge Charger and spent a summer restoring it. The family spends summers in the Vézère valley, the novel’s fictionalized setting. Kushner’s husband and son are bilingual, and she’s learning French with the aim of reading Proust in the original language.

Her son’s knowledge of local caves led Kushner both literally and metaphorically underground for her novel. “There is a whole world inside the world that my son gave me access to,” she says proudly.

Sadie, one of the main characters, draws from real-life espionage stories, though Kushner maintains it is purely fictional. “Sadie is my invention,” she asserts.

The novel’s emotional core lies with Bruno, a character born from Kushner’s extensive research into the genetic mapping of early man. This scientific curiosity is new for her, despite her parents’ backgrounds in molecular biology and neurobiology.

Growing up in Eugene, Oregon, Kushner’s childhood was split between the idyllic Willamette valley and the streets of San Francisco. The latter shaped her rebellious spirit, reflected in her work. She later attended Berkeley at 16, diving into political economy, and eventually earned an MFA in creative writing from Columbia.

After working as an editor in New York, she moved to Los Angeles where she met her husband. “LA is a great place for a novelist because I can remain invisible. I’m just a watcher,” she says.

From her study in Elysian Park, she can see Dodger Stadium, enjoying fireworks on game nights. Her office is a thrift store-filled version of Freud’s therapy room, representing her eclectic inspirations.

Writing Creation Lake involved long days, starting at five in the morning. Now, she’s working on a long essay for Harper’s Magazine, exploring drag racing and societal themes.

Kushner remains modest about her political views but finds French political drama intriguing. She criticizes the Biden administration for its stance on Israel, calling it “genocide” in Gaza.

Unlike many liberals, she understands why people support Trump, appreciating his charisma. Yet, she focuses on common interests rather than politics.

As she ages, Kushner finds herself more attuned to life’s preciousness. She believes the novelist’s job is to listen, understand, and highlight the good in people. “I get my one life, and that’s how I want to live it,” she concludes.

Source: The Guardian