Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, and writer. What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures (One World/Random House, Sept. 17) compiles her interviews with experts who are successfully combating climate change, resulting in “an exuberantly hopeful read,” according to Kirkus’ starred review. Johnson answered our questions via email, and the responses below have been edited for length and clarity.

What, briefly, is What If We Get It Right? about?

It’s about envisioning the climate future we want to create and getting clear on how we inflect from here to there. That imagining part is key, because while scientists, writers, filmmakers, and artists have shown us—repeatedly and in great detail—the climate apocalypse we will trigger with business as usual, there is very little in popular culture showing us a future worth running toward.

It’s going to take a massive transformation to secure a reasonably safe climate future. I think of this book as a “show me it’s worth it” pitch. The material is presented somewhat casually, via essays by me, abridged transcripts of interviews with experts, plus poetry and commissioned art. The book is an attempt to guide us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice—taking climate change seriously but definitely not taking ourselves too seriously. There’s gobs of jokes and silliness.

What inspired you during the writing of the book?

The first and foundational answer to this is always: nature. Biophilia, my love of and reverence for the wonders of biodiversity and ecosystems, is an endless source of inspiration.

The title question—“what if we get it right?”—inspires me, but it’s really intimidating. Instead of paraphrasing and quoting experts, I thought, why don’t I just interview them so readers can hear from them directly? The heart of the book is 20 interviews with visionary farmers and financers, scientists and culture makers, activists and journalists, and others who have helped me to see the way forward.

My third and perennial inspiration is music. The very last page in the book is my Anti-Apocalypse Mixtape.

What was most challenging about writing this book? And most rewarding?

First, distilling the two-hour-long interviews to their essence was very hard. I was literally cutting and pasting with scissors and tape to create these abridged versions.

Second, there are lists of 10 problems and 10 possibilities that open six sections of the book. I thought that would be a quick project I’d do with my research assistant, but curating those lists, finding compelling and up-to-date stats, was hilariously time-consuming.

Third, I was the art director for this book and figuring out how best to present the many different elements was a really fun puzzle.

Will you be touring for What If We Get It Right? this fall?

We have a 20-plus-city tour across the U.S. from mid-September through the end of October. It’s a wild thing for an introvert to embark on, but here we go! I’m also looking forward to the climate variety shows I’m producing in Brooklyn and L.A. They will be livestreamed.

What fall release(s) are you most eager to get your hands on?

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s memoir [Lovely One].

Nina Palattella is the editorial assistant.