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.
Aug 6, 2024
'I didn't believe that I'd stalked my partner.'
In episode 101, we speak with debut author Khin Myint about the multiple strands of biography he explores in his memoir Fragile Creatures. One of these is the sudden and extreme betrayal he faced from his ex-partner, who accused him of stalking her.
We also discuss the ambiguous illness his sister Theda lived with for years, at times diagnosed as depression, CFS/ME and chronic Lyme disease, and how she chose to end her life after thirteen years of symptoms and divisiveness. We also consider whether our societal silence around suicide is potentially contribuiting to its rise.
Khin also describes how he came to understand masculinity as a shadow, a pressure that follows men and ultimately shapes them. He asks, 'What is this pressure that socialises boys to adhere to some of these toxic expectations of maleness?'
Fragile Creatures is a must-read memoir, and this conversation is only the tip of more than one culturally urgent conversation.
Plus in What Are You Reading, we chat about a surprising number of speculative fiction titles.
Khin Myint is an author based in Perth. His writing has appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, Liminal and The West Australian, and more. He was selected as one of ten participants in the Wheeler Centre's Next Chapter scheme in 2021. His debut memoir is Fragile Creatures.
Books & authors (and one podcast) discussed in this episode:
- The Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51);
- 'What do trigger warnings actually do?' from Search Engine;
- Detachable Penis by Sam Elkin;
- Quiet by Susan Cain;
- The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth;
- Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb;
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons;
- Orson Scott Card
Get your copy of Fragile Creatures from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.
Upcoming events:
- Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
- Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
- Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm
- Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm
- James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm
Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.
Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.
Get in touch!