Obstacles as Opportunities

but I'm really excited. A couple of weeks ago you all got to hear my interview with Tory Stevens from Grist and the founder of the Fixed Climate Fiction Contest, And so I've been so fortunate to be able to interview some of the authors of these climate futures, and just as a reminder, Imagine twenty two hundred is a fixed climate fiction contest recognizing stories that envisioned the next one hundred and eighty years of equitable climate progress, imagining

intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope. And today I am in conversation with author A. Kema Lexis, and we are discussing his story, The Lexicographer and One Tree Island. After an oceanic rapture, a lone survivor adapts to his new reality in ways both mental and physical. I told you all probably back in twenty twenty that you know, as the world was being turned upside down by COVID, and we were in quarantine and indoors and trying to

figure out what life was going to look like. It's crazy to me to believe that in a few months it will be three years right since that time, and you know, because reality had just basically started to mirror science fiction. A friend of mine suggested that I get into afrofuturism, that I kind of allow my mind to leave the present and to leave this world and to

just go and explore other worlds. And I'll say that in many ways, afrofuturism, African futurism, and science fiction pretty much saved my mental health at the beginning of the pandemic. And I've devoured so many books since. All of them, however, have kind of set their worlds in a place of dystopia. Right. Sci fi has generally come from the destruction of the planet and now we're in out of space or things are so terrible now we live in a warner world

because we have ruined everything. And what I love about Imagine twenty two hundreds contest is it is asking creative right to think from a place of abundance, to envision a world that isn't dealing with scarcity, but to use the climate crisis as a way to use these obstacles as opportunities to create new worlds. It's not to say that crisis won't happen, but I think that what we do with it, how we think about it, how we act on it, is the difference between coming from a

scarcy new mindset and one of abundance. And so I love the idea that as we are no longer in the impending climate crisis, we are living inside of the climate crisis. For us to imagine not our impending doom, but what are some of the opportunities that can come out of the catastrophes? Where do we see ourselves? And again, I've expressed this so many times on this show and on others, that you can't dream from a place of rage.

Rest is required in order for us to imagine, to dream, to go into that alternate scape of reality, and you

can't do that if you're overwhelmed and overworked. And so I think that it is also really important for us to come to understand that some of our best ideas have come from a relaxed mind, have come from a walk in nature, have come from being surrounded by family and loved ones, And so what does it look like to dream of a future one hundred and eighty years from now that is full of possibility instead of panic. So coming up next my conversation with author a chem

Alexis and his story The Lexicographer and One Tree Island. Friends, I'm very excited to welcome to Woke a f Daily for the very first time, a Kem Alexis, who is a short story writer and his piece became an Imagine twenty two hundred finalist. If you all remember from an initial conversation that I had back with Tory Stevens about futurism, afrofuturism, African futurism, and what it means to create a climate

positive future in literature. So a Keem, I'm very excited to talk to you your piece entitled The Lexicographer and the One Tree Island. I have to tell you, I just want to give you an opportunity. I want people to read it, but I want you to give people the opportunity. I want to give you the opportunity to give an overview of of your story. So it's so beautiful and we'll dig into it. But tell me about tell me about its origins and and and the theme of the story. Well, I'm happy to be here by

the ray, so thank you for that introduction. Um. Well, the theme is hope. But what happens in the story without two month too many spoilers, is that it's set in the future on a Caribbean island, let's say my Caribbean island. And what happens is after a number of years and rising sea levels, the water has eaten away the island living one tree and one boy with some animals, and these entities tend to but in the future they try to figure out a way to keep the island

going along with a surprise guest happen. UM. So it's you know, it's about resilience. It's about um. It's centers black food. And I think that it was a challenge me to write and resilience hope of climate change, destruction and how we survive amidst amidst that destruction. So that is what I hope. I mean, I will I will tell you that, Um I started the story, and I mean, well, I'll talk about it at high levels because I really want people to go um and find it and read

it and we will link to it. Um. Yeah, but I want to talk about the the term that you use in the story, oceanic rapture UM, because it both obviously hearkens to religious scripture around the rapture and uh and and and the and the coming back of you know, of of of Christ right and then it you know, and then we're talking about the tidal wave, this tsunami that blankets the sky and kind of and takes over

um all of these Caribbean islands. And of course, you know, my heart goes to the places that we've seen in the news and in the headlines, like Pakistan and Nigeria and Puerto Rico and you know, parts of Germany and France that had been underwater. Uh that three quarters of of of the landmass in Pakistan's underwater, uh over thirty

of the states and in Nigeria or underwater. So talk to me about the visualization of this oceanic rapture and and what that conjured for you and this this idea, this you know, and it goes back to I think it was my God, was this the early two thousands or late nineties, the major tsunami in in uh in Thailand, right, Um, that was that was that was that happened via underwater earthquake.

So just that that imagery. Can you talk about about that? Yes, of course, thank you for you know, linking all those real life issues because it really helps with all that. What I'm going to say, I think the ocean and its attendance have been portraying in the media as very vicious and rightly so we are dealing with something that is particularly violent and can be, and we are contributing

to that. On the other end. For me and this story, I'm from Trinidad, from the Caribbean, and rising sea levels is something that is real right all our island trend and Tobago, our capital city, is built on the sea, and at some point in time it's already beginning to do so the sea will one back its place right and apart from that, apart from the west contributing to most of the climate issues we have right now, it's going to affect small island developing states like ours or

other developing countries, under developed countries, and we see it every day. So as we say happening back to things like religion, happening back to did they see itself is something that although we can track changes, we can do investigations, we can find understandings, it's unpredictable at times, and when we add to that unpredictable predictability and that unknowing, we are setting up ourselves for some prime failure in the future.

For me as well, I think that we tend to underestimate the power of the sea has for cleaning back what exactly it owns. We don't we don't want anything if you tend to feel as we but we don't. Um So I think that for old, oceanic rapture wasn't something that was very hard for me to pick up on, and you know, I'm blowing the story. Apart from that, I think this is beautiful. I think there are a lot of things that we can use to help or understandings of climate change, how we can curb it, because

I mean, it's it's happening. It's not something that I think we can but h it's it's So it's interesting because I entered the competition last year and I didn't touch anything with regards to oceanic rapture. I was far from the back of my head. So this year I really decided to clamp down on something that I think schools to whom, so that is how I end up ended up coming up with this and to go from there, I guess, you know, one of the other the other

kind of elements. There were so many, um and it's and it's so beautifully visual. Your story is the idea of this two gendered or no gendered space and the idea that over time that you know, the boy is said to be developing little gills on his cheeks, and as the cities that have been destroyed, they're being rebuilt

by AI intelligence, by robots. And you talk about in the in the story about the adaptability of humans and animals, right, and the and the ability to to to the ability that humans and animals have to adapt and that robots do not. So while they are rebuilding right and they

can do the construction. Um, the adaptability piece speak to that because again, we are at a time when it's like I feel part in the real world that we are living, both in the future and the president at the same time when you're seeing technology and the reliance that we have on technology and the development of AI and you know, and coding and all of these things but that are still embodying the same type of systemic racism,

the same type of ignorance. UM. And so I thought that this idea of why humans and animals still matter right, um, that you presented was just so powerful. So talk talk to me about a about that. Well, you know, discussions are wrong, things like climate, climate change, or any other drastic issues that make our future look very dystopian. We tend to depend on technology, look to technology, absorb technology as the answer, and that's fine, there's nothing wrong with that.

I mean, we can't move ahead without technology. However, in doing so, eroding the importance of humanism and animalism is contra productive. And in this story, especially in the seame of hope, hope is a word that is consider kind of like intangible area and wishful in that way, and fiction tends to put words to work, and they are bare lowing for like hope as praxis, How can hope become tangible reality? In doing so, centering the human and animal connect is important. In fact, I think it is

top priority. And apart from that, centering humans that are minorities are should be at the center more particularly because these are the people who are mostly affected by these changes in the world. So when we think about and talk about climate change, technology is important. But I couldn't see myself writing something where te technology was the answer

alone in this story. I was going to say no, because oftentimes in in futurism, in sci fi, technology is the hero, right The robots are the robots are are are are the heroes of the story, and humans are the ones are I looked at as the destroyers and your story was the complete opposite. I wanted to turn

that on his head because I am very wary. Although I have a letter behind me, I am very wary when it comes to to um AI and robots and what we think that they're capable of or incapable of, you know, UM as you move ahead into the future, especially when it comes to um intersectionality, etc. I don't think they are I'm obviously I'm not an expert in that, but I don't think there's an inherent programming that we could come up with to help robots um just combat

the things that we have to combat in the right um So turning that on its head was very important to me, especially from somebody from the Caribbean, where you know, very last to be told or anything, and the fools to be affected. Yep, right, And I remembering the story near to the end, like I kind of need it seem your robots themselves seem seemed like danger. Yes, they see they they see you know, the the you know as as again, folks, you you must read, you must

read the short story. Um. But as the ship comes, you know, to potentially rescue. Right, that's this idea. You've been living on this one you know, this one tree island surrounded by a barrier reef and you know, and and you've been there, so you must you must want

to get back to quote unquote civilization. Um. And and then recognizing that the robots and the ship and another themselves is some weird enslavement and loop thing that is that has happened, that has that has the people that have decided to go backwards right, to go back to this place instead of preserved, um what is present to

them and what they know. I thought that that was really powerful as well a can because I was like, my god, you know, yes, this civilization is being rebuilt, but the questions being asked, do you even know what kind of food? They have? Do you even know if you what language they speak? Do you even know who is doing who is relieving? These things? Are they? Um? Similar to to um colonialization. They're taking you to where to what and why? And when you get there, what

are the provisions for you? You know? And I think that's very important as we think about the future. And you can't although the theme was hope, you can't get to hope without going through catastrophe. And in the midst of catastrophe, how do you earnmore yourself from that while we're keeping your identity right and advocating for yourself in the process. And yeah, that was that is you don't know.

I intentionally did not include any extract information on New corn Land, which I intentionally called them that, because we don't know. I don't I don't think we will know what that means for us. And obviously New corn Land is alluding to one place in the West. However, the West. Strangely enough, they regulate what is developed on underdeveloped country and they also contribute to keeping those countries underdeveloped or developing.

So um, those things that are really important to me are really important to me when I wrote this story, because we really can't put our finger on what would happen to our heritage and our culture when climate crisis increases, and it is increasing every day it is. It is at a hight right now, it's every day, and there are people who are looking steadfastly in mac round micro

ways to help curb this using technology. Of course, I have a friend right now, tintagrapher make up to you who's doing her masters and crowdsourcing as a means of flood managed flood risk management. And that's something that we

experience here at an extreme extreme cost. A little bit of rainwall fall and places would flood crazy, right And that's because the sea is doing what the sea does, the weather is doing what the weather does, and with rising global temperatures, et cetera and intensified weather events, you can't It's very little we could do this point to

help progress that. So I think we need to look at what we as human beings are capable of doing without technology in ensuring that we we meaning we our ancestors, their ancestors. What do we hold when we move forward into the future, and what can we ensure we don't lose as a result of that. That was important to me,

especially near the end of the story. How do you account the people of Trinidad and Tobago think about climate change and the climate crisis, because you know, in the US, right, we're still trying to convince people that climate change is real, right, that it's happening, and regards regardless of of once in essentially three hurricanes and tornadoes and fire seasons that are happening every year, but they're once in a century, regardless

of you know, consistent devastation and droughts, and how it is affecting our food chain and our supplies and all of these things. It is as if you know, the ignorance is just is a cancer? Is a cancer on this country? And so is there this feeling that there is a similar divide or because it is an island that is you know, at the will, at the mercy, let's say, of the environment, is that something that is just You don't need to convince people, they know, right,

that's a good question. And although I can't speak for everybody, what I would see is that, well, I think that maybe this is similar similar a similar sentiment in America. You could tell me, but people tend to get caught up in the right now things. I need a job right now. We need money right now in education right now. Inflation is really high right now. There are you know, huge other garments of issues that are happening right now, and they could touch, and they could see and they

could feel. With climate change policymakers and those who dedicate their lives to it, they have to make the argument that this thing that you can't see is happening. And although you can't see it, and I have to try to make it tangible for you, you need to understand that it is going to affect your livelihood and your children's livelihoods and the livelihood of your small island state.

That is very hard to do. And in my country, I mean they are initiatives, you know, small pockets of initiatives, say and there. I don't think there is a large initiative. I don't think that the government necessarily successive previous governments have taken climate change off the table and put it into the faces of the population as it needs to be. I do know that me and Martley, the Prime Minister Barbados, I think is the I don't I don't want to say it only but she is the pre eminent figure

when we think about Cribin and climate change. She is African, right she I think honeyame comes up very easily. However, that isn't enough. It isn't enough, and it will never be enough. And because climate change is not a election winning topic, right, it tends to be sidelined. So I don't think people are that concerned now, people being obviously I see who I think is the maturity. There are people who are very concerned. There are people who are

trying their best. But I don't think it's very hard, as you say to UM, put this in front of people and explain, especially because and this goes back to fiction, UM, thinking about climate fiction, for futurism, science fiction, a lot of it is dyscopion, right, A lot of it is dyscopion. A lot of it involves catastrophe and the after effects of catastrophe. People don't like to think about depressing, UM, things that will involve, you know, the death of humanity

as we know it. Subject. You know, if I were to campaign, come to campaign on that, I feel as those people would be like, let's not let's not going in, right, And they tend to have avoid talking of talking, acknowledging, planning, spending, political time on it because they naturally don't want to activate those negative, depressing emotional domains. So by injecting hope into the narrative, whether it be fictional or real, I

think you can get people to pay attention. So in saying, yes, these things may likely happen, but there is a way that if they do happen, we can get out of it. Or if they do happen, there is a way that our impact won't be as bad as it could be. I think it's very important to get people on board through hope in a more tangible way. I think fiction is a really good way to do that, apart from obviously political willpower, and political willpower is something that's scarce,

scarce in that that thing. And there are people who just obviously reject anything, um, they think doesn't align with their agenda. M h you know, people who live for themselves. I live for me, and I'm gonna die soon, so I don't care about that. I don't think that we can change their mind. Um. You know, however, it is dispiriting, I would say, especially because um, you know, places like America do contribute to a large of the climate issues that when you look at the political How do you

even describe that? I don't know. I mean I try every day on this show to try and figure out how to describe it. I don't know how. I don't know. Wow, I don't know how you describe it. You will try to pick all the glimmers of hope where you can, and you know, hope that those in power take some steps to help the situation. But it's it's hard because those us any creep and we can't do it alone.

We really can't. Yeah, maybe we really can't. So yes, I just I you know, I just want to say, you know, as as as we close, I just I appreciated the story so much because as people who listen to Woke a f on a regular basis, no, I amy of little hope, right, um, and yet I and and and yet I am I continue to you know, rail against the powers that be because I believe that

people have more power than they know. And what I and what I yeah, and what I loved about your story was just you know, again it was it conjured so much imagery for me, the ship that was supposedly coming to rescue and then I'm thinking about the slave ships, and I'm thinking about you know, the and what people were. They knew obviously because they're marching in captivity, chained, UM, that what was meeting them on the other side was surely not what they were what they were being forced

to leave. However, this this your ship, you know, was saying oh, yeah, come, you know, come on. But then you you're seeing this picture of what is on there and you're like, I don't want to live on loop. I want you know, I want to be a part of a rebuild, um that is essentially for us and

by us, right, Um, And this holding onto language. The last question that I have for you, um is one I don't even know if there is an answer for but I but it it came to my mind for you, Um, a cam what is the difference between hope and faith? You had said that hope you must go through catastrophe in order to have and so I'm curious for you if what the difference is the difference between hope and faith? You have faith in that what you hope for comes true. UM.

I think faith is hope. You hope for something, you have faith in that something. So I think hope is sort of the sorry. Faith is the vehicle for hope to get from one place to the other. So we're here right now, it's twenty twenty two, and we have some faith in that what we hope for turns out to be what is realized. So I think that's how I would I would say the difference between hope and faith,

it's they worked together, they're friends, they're friend um. Um yeah, I just again, um akam the story friends listening uh is the is the lexicographer and one Tree Island. Um. We will put a link to it in the show notes so that you can sit back and either listen to it or read it. It was an absolute pleasure, um to to read. So akam, Alexis, thank you so much for joining WOKA. I appreciate you. I appreciate it.

Thank you. That is it for me today, dear friends on Woke app as always, power to the people and to all the people. Power, get woke and stay woke as fuck.