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.
Jan 18, 2022
***Warning! Spoilers for Earthlings by Sayaka Murata in this
episode***
After arguing about the intense and disturbing ending to Earthlings
by Sayaka Murata in
episode 45, James and Ashley rope past guest Jacinta Dietrich
into returning to the podcast to try and figure out what might
happened in the novel's closing pages. If you've read Earthlings,
you know what we mean! If you haven't – well, Ashley says you can
listen to this ep anyway, since this book doesn't hinge on a twist.
James disagrees.
Our guest is author Jacinta Dietrich, a writer and editor who holds a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. Her first book, This Is Us Now, was published in 2021 by Grattan Street Press.
Books, articles and authors discussed in this episode:
- This Is Us Now by Jacinta Dietrich (from ep 45);
- Earthlings by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori;
- Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata;
- How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt;
- Certain Prey by John Sandford;
- Mortal Prey by John Sandford;
- David Vann (from ep 23);
- ‘The Future of Sex Lives in All of Us’ by Sayaka Murata for the NY Times;
- 'I acted how I thought a cute woman should act' by David McNeill for the Guardian;
- 'Of Darkness and Stars' by Sally Breen for Sydney Review of Books
- 'Earthlings' Summary and Study Guide from Bookrags
- Burgers, Beers and Books interview with Ashley
Get in touch!
- Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
- Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
- Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
- James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
- James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
- James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson