From Wired, this is the big interview. I'm Katie Drummond. Just before the holidays, I sat down with the

beloved author and poet Margaret Atwood. We were supposed to talk about her latest book, Book of Lives,

a memoir of sorts. But when she popped on my screen, I had to tell her that I'm also Canadian, from

Calgary to be specific. Apparently she had just been in my hometown.

We had a lovely fun, big screaming time.

Did you really? In Calgary, Alberta?

Well, you know, Albertans are actually happy to see you, unlike some people in Toronto.

They're going to be used to you, you know? Who cares?

Oh, yeah, so I was in Calgary and then I was in Edmonton.

Okay, the lesser of the two Alberta cities.

I beg you pardon?

I'm just saying.

That's how I was raised. I can't. Sorry. Yeah, all right. Well, Calgary has certainly grown a lot.

Have you been back there late?

After we caught up on all things Calgary, Alberta, she asked me how I got into journalism.

You got into Wired Through Technology somehow or through writing?

Well, no, let me tell you.

My mom was a poet, and she published three books in Calgary, in Canada. And so I grew up wanting to be a writer. I mean, I wanted to be like my mom. And you mean poor and unknown.

Yeah, poor and unknown, which she was. But she died when I was 18. And I had thought, you know, maybe I'll be a lawyer, maybe I'll be a writer. And she died and it was like, well, obviously I'm a writer. That's what I have to, that's what you need to carry it on. Yeah. And you sort of, you know, I realized at that young age, oh, I get one chance at this.

So I intended to be a writer and then yada, yada, yada, am a version of that.

I mean, I was a reporter and now they hired you for the job.

But I only had an hour with the literary legend, so we had to get on with it.

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