The Writer and the Critic

Episode 86: Little Eve | Light Perpetual

On this final episode of The Writer and the Critic for 2021, your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond discuss birthdays, Halloween and Jewish Stuff before moving on to wax lyrical about this month's books: Little Eve by Catriona Ward [6:35] and Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford [36:35].

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:16:45 for final remarks.

Next episode - in February 2022! - the two books up on the slab will be:

• When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut

• A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

 

Episode 85: The Cost of Living | Dissolve

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic, your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond have a mercifully brief and borderline hysterical conversation on the state of COVID before jumping a discussion of this month's books: The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography by Deborah Levy [3:45] and Dissolve by Nikki Gemmell [29:50].

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 58:15 for final remarks, including a minor rant on the subject of book annotations/defacement.

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

• Little Eve by Catriona Ward

• Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

Episode 84.5: EXTRA

Hello dear listeners!

Before the recording of Episode 84, Kirstyn and Ian had a chat about the strange alternative present that has taken up residence during COVID. It didn't quite fit into the episode itself so they though they'd upload it as an extra surprise this month.

Hope you enjoy!

 

Episode 84: The Employees | Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic, your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond briefly discuss the usual COVID guff before jumping into this month's books: The Employees by Olga Ravn [4:20] and Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen [37:55].

The visual artists referenced during are Lea Guldditte Hestelund and Patricia Piccinini.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:22:50 for final remarks.

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

• Dissolve by Nikki Gemmell
• The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography by Deborah Levy

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

Episode 83: All the Fabulous Beasts | Cat Person and Other Stories

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic, your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond indulge in some thankfully brief maudlin meanderings around the current state of the pandemic before turning to the books up for discussion: All the Fabulous Beasts by Priya Sharma [9:10] and Cat Person and other stories by Kristen Roupenian [34:00].

The article “Cat Person” and Me by Alexis Nowicki is recommended for those interested further background reading.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:24:30 for final remarks.

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

• Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen

• The Employees by Olga Ravn

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!