The Writer and the Critic

Episode 91: Manhunt | And Then I Woke Up

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond,  quickly dispense with a (mostly) non-political intro and general discussion of post-apocalyptic narratives.

The books up for discussion this month are Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin [5:25] and And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin [44:40].

This excellent review of Manhunt by Lee Mandelo was mentioned in the podcast, and these two by Liam McBain and Christ are also well worth a read.

For listeners who would like to know what Lucy, the High-Flying Cat of Interruption, looks like, here she is in her bed atop the bookcase:

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 108:40 for brief final remarks.

Next month, the two books on the slab will be:

• Dance Move by Wendy Erskine

• Ariadne, I Love You by J. Ashley-Smith

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

Episode 90: Devotion | The School for Good Mothers

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond,  are tired and cranky but still manage to preamble only briefly in the murk of COVID-19 and bad segues before getting to the point of it all. They think.

The books up for discussion this month are two novels: Devotion by Hannah Kent [5:20] and The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan [35:20].

The review of The School for Good Mothers that Kirstyn mentioned was this one by Ilana Masad in The Washington Post.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 109:30 for brief final remarks.

Next month, the two books on the slab will be:

• Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

• And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

Episode 89: I Would Haunt You if I Could | Shit Cassandra Saw

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, dispense with lengthy preambles and get pretty much straight into it.

The books being discussed this month are two collections of short fiction: I Would Haunt You if I Could by Seán Padraic Birnie [2:10] and Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby [28:50].

For those listeners who enjoyed the Seán Padraic Birnie collection, Kirstyn would also like to draw your attention to a recent short story of his, "Funny Faces" over at The Dark.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 48:50 for a minor rant about novels vs collection plus brief final remarks.

Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

• The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

• Devotion by Hannah Kent

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

Episode 88: The Wych Elm | My Phantoms

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, begin by discussing the state of the world, farts in jars and a possible niche side project involving uncontrollable sobbing.

The books being flensed this month are The Wych Elm by Tana French [5:10] and My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley [37:15].

Ian would also like to make sure you know about the new short story that Kirstyn has had published in The Dark. You're welcome.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:04:25 for brief final remarks.

Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

• Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby

• I Would Haunt You if I Could by Seán Padraic Birnie

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

Episode 87: When We Cease to Understand the World | A Ghost in the Throat

On this first episode of The Writer and the Critic for 2022, your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, begin with an exciting announcement: Kirstyn will have some actual books being published this year! She's a writer again! Huzzah!

Ahem. The books up for discussion this month are When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut [6:08] and A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofal [52:35].

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:18:15 for final remarks including a discussion about just what we mean when we say "novel" and why we might need to find some new words to describe long-form fiction.

Some helpful links for things mentioned in this episode:

• Burnt Sugar and the Never Afters series by Kirstyn McDermott available from Brain Jar Press
• You Tube: Doireann Ní Ghríofa introduces A Ghost in the Throat

Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

• The Wych Elm by Tana French

• My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!