Through discussions and interviews with writers, artists and health professionals, author friends James McKenzie Watson and Ashley Kalagian Blunt explore the big questions: how do books get written? How do people navigate life with chronic illness? And just what are you reading?
Ashley Kalagian Blunt is the author of Dark Mode, an internationally published psychological thriller. Her earlier books are How to Be Australian, a memoir, and My Name Is Revenge, collected fiction and essays. Her writing appears in the Sydney Morning Herald, Overland, Griffith Review, Sydney Review of Books, and more. Ashley is an enthusiastic teacher of writing and creativity. Originally from Canada, she has lived and worked in South Korea, Peru and Mexico. Find her on Twitter and Instagram or visit her website.
James McKenzie Watson is the author of Denizen, which won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize and was shortlisted in 2023 Ned Kelly Awards for Best Debut. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings and the Newtown Review of Books. He has appeared at events including the Sydney Writers Festival, Newcastle Writers Festival and BAD Crime Sydney. He works as a nurse. Find him on Twitter and Instagram or visit his website.
Oct 7, 2025
In episode 124, urban ecologist and past guest Darryl Jones returns to discuss the power of nature to heal your brain and other topics from his latest book, (Be)Wilder, which delves into elephants in Thailand, bearded pigs in Borneo, and conservationist farmers in the Snowy Mountains.
Darryl also speaks about the recent brain surgery he underwent as treatment for Parkinson's, and the story of how the disease got its name.
Darryl Jones is a Professor of Ecology at Griffith University in Brisbane, where for over 30 years he has been investigating the many ways that people and wildlife interact. He is particularly interested in why some species have been so successful in urban landscapes while many others have not, and how best to deal with the ensuing conflicts. His books include Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood, Feeding the Birds at Your Table and Curlews on Vulture Street, which we spoke to him about in J&A Stay at Home episode 67.
Find Darryl at Brisbane Writers Festival or any of his upcoming events.
Books & authors discussed in this episode:
- Mark Cocker
- Enchantment by Birds by Russell McGregor
- Apeirogon by Colum McCann
- Ghost Cities by Siang Lu
- Outback Cop by Neale McShane and Evan McHugh
- Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October
- James is speaking with Christian White at Manly Library on Sunday 2 November
- Ashley is teaching crime writing at Gosford Library on Monday 10 November
- James is teaching Setting & Landscape for Writers at the Woolshed on Saturday 21 March, 2026
Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.
Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.
Get in touch!