The Big Idea: Brenda W. Clough

Imagine a world where political servants actually served us, and whose decisions were backed by the will of the people, rather than their greed. If it sounds like fantasy, you may want to check out author Brenda W. Clough’s newest novel, Off the Screen. Follow along in her Big Idea, and remember to vote! BRENDA W. CLOUGH: I began Off the Screen more than twenty years ago. There’s a couple major drivers of the work, but the big one is the reboot of American democracy. It’s set in 2160, and at that point I felt that the United States could have refurbished its systems somewhat. But, in those golden 2000s, I abandoned the work because I couldn’t imagine why we would need to tinker with the system of American governance. Everything was fine, the economy was good, Bill Clinton was president and running things reasonably well. I couldn’t figure out any way to get from here to there. And so I closed the ms. Well! Hah! When I found the manuscript on a thumb drive in 2025, it was obvious why…