Literary Bites

The story for this episode is titled Granny Killer and it was highly commended in the Scarlett Stiletto awards, a competition for crime-based short stories. It represents a slight departure from my usual work in short stories but is perhaps more consistent with the intrigue of my novels in that there is a definite twist in this tale of a young woman assisting her grandmother on her journey to death. There’s also a dash of speculative fiction in this one that plays on the idea of the elderly being somewhat mysterious and other-worldly to the young. I hope you enjoy it!

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The story for this episode is inspired by a holiday I had on the Gold coast with husband and three daughters who were all quite young - that perfect age for the theme parks. They specifically wanted to visit Sea World – an aquatic themed park with incredible marine life exhibits and thrilling rides. My middle child – who loves snorkeling and scuba diving – was absolutely thrilled to be chosen during the dolphin show to meet and touch a dolphin. It was an incredible spectacle but left me with conflicting feelings about the ethics of keeping such intelligent animals in captivity and for the purposes of entertaining humans. In fact, I found the Gold Coast itself quite a conundrum – an area that’s renowned for its tourism and high rises on the beach I also found offered a lot of natural beauty – and it’s this clash of humans versus nature that I explore in the story via the prism of a young family that’s recently relocated there. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com

While Literary Bites is primarily a fiction series, this episode is a brief departure into the world of narrative non-fiction. The story is titled Bernie’s Tree and it is entirely factual. It is the story of a rough sleeper with whom I became quite familiar in the mid two thousands. I wrote it as part of my studies for a master’s in creative writing where the assignment was to write about place. But this story blend place with people – it’s about nature, grief and community – all coming together around one man who owned little more than the clothes on his back. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com

Today’s story is titled Thylacine which, as you may know, is the name of what we commonly know as the Tasmanian Tiger – a large carnivorous marsupial now thought to be extinct.

Or is it?

Every so often, blurry photos and videos make their way into the media that purports to be imagery of the striped, dingo like creature. None have been verified and it’s thought that the last Thylacine died in captivity in 1936. Regardless, there are those who ardently believe there are still Tassie Tigers out there and they are determined to find them.

People who believe passionately in what they cannot see are always fascinating to me - there is a fine line between a harmless interest and an all-consuming obsession and this story examines the familial ructions of one such obsession.

I hope you enjoy the story.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com

The story for this episode is ‘The Thirtieth Anniversary’ - a tale of a woman who discovers her husband’s infidelity in the week before they are to celebrate their three decades of wedded bliss. A bliss that is proven to be a sham.

The story also draws much inspiration from jazz music – an interest that initially binds the couple together but then ultimately breaks them apart.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com

A stonemason becomes protective of his latest creation - a labyrinth in one of Sydney’s most popular parks - but experiences enlightenment of a different kind when the sandstone monument is defaced by vandals.

Inspired by the construction of the Centennial Park Labyrinth in Sydney’s East, Cassie narrates the story and discusses real-life inspiration behind it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com

Today’s story - ‘Sculptures by the Sea’ is inspired by a yearly art exhibition in Sydney’s eastern beaches where, for nearly three weeks in late October, an incredible cliffside walking track becomes the backdrop to a major sculpture exhibition, showcasing works from all over the world. This story, however, is less about the sculptures themselves and more about love in a long marriage and the grief that comes when illness causes that lengthy partnership to change shape.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com

A short story about a young Italian woman migrating to Tasmania, Australia in the 1950s to meet her husband for the very first time. She carries little but her hopes and a few precious possessions in her trousseau. But what does she make of this strange new land and the man she is now expected to love? Episode includes a brief explanation of the real life inspiration behind the story.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com

Cassie Hamer presents an ‘odd-couple’ tale of dare-devilry in the midst of a rare meteorological phenomenon in northern Australia and a Greek myth that brings about an unlikely friendship between two people, trying to escape their grief. Episode includes an explanation of the inspirations behind the story.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com

An introduction to Literary Bites - a podcast of short fiction, written and narrated by Australian author, Cassie Hamer

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cassiehamerauthor.substack.com