Forum from the Archives: ‘Twist’ Explores Sabotage, Repair and the Hidden Cables Connecting Us

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

National Book Award-winning author Colum McCann says he chooses what to write about based on what he most wants to know. His latest novel “Twist” springs from his fascination with the underwater cables, no thicker than a garden hose, that carry some 95% of the world’s telecommunications. McCann’s protagonist is a journalist who goes asea to investigate a cable break off the coast of Africa after the Congo River floods. We talk to McCann about themes of sabotage and repair – both in the abyssal zone he writes about and in our lives. Guests: Colum McCann, author, “Twist” - his other novels include “Apeirogon,” “Transatlantic” and “Let the Great World Spin,” which won a National Book Award Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:10.4	Coming up on forum, National Book Award winning author, Column McCann, says he chooses
1:15.1	what to write about based on what he most wants to know.
1:18.1	His latest novel Twist comes from his fascination with the underwater fiber optic cables,
1:22.9	no thicker than a garden hose, that carry more than 95% of the world's data and communication.
1:28.3	McCann's protagonist is a journalist who investigates a cable break off the coast of Africa.
1:33.3	We listened back to my April conversation with McCann about the breaks, attempts at repair,
1:38.3	and sabotage both in the abyssal zone and in our own lives.
1:43.3	Join us. Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. You'd be forgiven if you thought most of our data
1:59.1	travel through pings from satellites or a cloud.
2:02.5	It's little known that nearly all the world's information and communications,
2:05.9	our internet searches, text messages, financial transactions,
	...

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