The Writer and the Critic

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, discuss Finna by Nino Cipri [3:45] and The Wandering by Intan Paramaditha [30:25].

If you enjoy these two books, you might like to check out the collections by the same authors: Homesick by Cipri and Apple and Knife by Paramaditha.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:13:45 for brief final remarks. Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

Mammoth by Chris Flynn

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

On this very special episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, are joined by the most erudite and entertaining Lisa L. Hannett, author of Blue Grass Symphony, Lament for the Afterlife and the recently published collection Songs for Dark Seasons. 

The three of them jump straight into their discussion of two books by Maria Dahvana Headley, Beowulf: A New Translation and The Mere Wife [47:20]. Grab a tasty beverage ... this is going to take some time.

You might also want to the check out the following links for further exploration:

• Beowulf as translated by Seamus Heaney

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:31:00 for brief final remarks.

This is the last episode for the year ... hope the door hits you on the arse on the way out, 2020. For the first episode of 2021, airing in February, Kirstyn and Ian will be turning their attention to:

Finna by Nino Cipri

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, discuss Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay [6:15] and Let's Play White by Chesya Burke [32:10].

As promised, for listeners who would like to keep tabs on the Montague Street bridge, you can find updates here. And Ian once again highly recommends the Backlisted podcast. He's not getting kickbacks, we swear!

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:10:45 for brief final remarks.

Next month, The Writer and the Critic is delighted to welcome back Lisa L. Hannett, special guest and speculative fiction author extraordinaire! Lisa, Kirstyn and Ian will be turning their critical attention to:

The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, discuss Folk by Zoe Gilbert [4:15] and The Liar’s Dictionary by Eley Williams [30:20].

This review by Benjamin Meyers in The Guardian is mentioned during the discussion of Folk, and Ian also highly recommends Eley Williams' short story collection, Attrib. and Other Stories.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:02:10 for brief final remarks. Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, discuss Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia [2:20] and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones [26:50].

For those wanting to add to their reading lists, Ian highly recommends the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses as a means of finding books and authors outside the mass market that you might not otherwise come across.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:02:15 for brief final remarks. Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

The Liar’s Dictionary by Eley Williams

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, discuss Weather by Jenny Offill [3:30] and Hold by Kirsten Tranter [30:20].

Ian and Kirstyn both thoroughly recommend a visit to Obligatory Note of Hope, mentioned during the discussion, for readers wanting to engage further in some of the issues raised by Jenny Offill.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:02:40 for brief final remarks. Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

• The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, discuss Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver [3:55] and The Overstory by Richard Powers [31:45].

This fine essay "Our Root Problem: The Overstory by Richard Powers" by Jason Childs, mentioned during the discussion, is also well worth a read.

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:19:25 for brief final remarks. Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

• Hold by Kirsten Tranter

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, discuss Skin by Kathe Koja [5:30] and The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill [38:25].

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:14:00 for brief final remarks. Next month, the two books up on the slab will be:

• Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

Surprise! Perhaps against the judgement of their better selves, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond are back with a special Skype-assisted episode of The Writer and the Critic. From their self-isolated COVID-19 bunkers*, they reconvene to chat about some of the things that have made them happy since the last episode aired back in December 2017. Or, indeed, are making them happy right now.

Here's the list of links in order of discussion:

1. The Migration by Helen Marshall (recommended by Kirstyn)

2. Some Good News YouTube channel (recommended by Ian)

3. Mothers Grimm by Danielle Wood (Kirstyn)

4. Victorian Premier Dan Andrews on Twitter and Facebook (Ian)

5. Eye in the Sky (Kirstyn)

6. The Good Place (Kirstyn)

7. Science Vs podcast (Ian)

8. The Allusionist podcast (Kirstyn)

9. The Memory Palace podcast (Kirstyn)

10. Backlisted podcast (Ian)

11. Phoebe Judge reading classic mystery stories on the Criminal podcast (Kirstyn)

12. The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley (Kirstyn)

13. We All Hear Stories in the Dark by Robert Shearman (Ian)

14. "10 Minutes with ..." series on the Coode Street Podcast

Will there be another episode of The Writer and the Critic? Kirstyn and Ian are not sure! It depends on how bored and lonely they get! Or how many people send them feedback that does not include death threats! But they want you to know that they love you and miss you and hope you are all keeping safe and healthy in these strange and difficult times.

* Comfortable suburban loungerooms

On this very last episode* of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond waste no time with maudlin sentiment! The books up for discussion this month are two debut novels by the same author: How to Bee by Bren MacDibble [9:00] and In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black [40:30]. How is this possible? Listen and find out!

Listeners might also like to check out this interview with Cally Black on ABC Radio for more insights. If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:09:40 for brief final remarks, including the following recommendations to get your ongoing literary fix:

• The Hysterical Hamster review blog by Ian Mond

Kirstyn and Ian would like to thank all of their listeners over the past seven years, as well as the guests who have given generously of their time to appear on various episodes. And a special thank you to those who have been able to support The Writer and the Critic on Patreon - you have helped make poscasting life a little easier! 

* maybe not the very last.