1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? So many: Gogol, Chekhov, Kafka, Borges, Salinger, Flannery O’Connor, IB Singer, Donald Barthelme, Carver, Peter Carey, Beverley Farmer, Gerald Murnane, Richard Ford, Alice Munro, Mary Gaitskill … I’m leaving out dozens. 2. What is the most memorable short story you … Read More
Author: Bronwyn Mehan
Spineless Wonders Asks Kim Westwood
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? I’m currently being impressed by Laura van den Berg. Some others for today (tomorrow I’ll think of more I wish I’d said) would be Janette Turner Hospital (‘The Prince of Darkness is a Gentleman’ was very powerful), Margo Lanagan’s anthology … Read More
Spineless Wonders presents … Interview with Caroline Reid
What is Spineless Wonders presents … and why are you so excited about it? It’s a night of short story readings, in a local pub, by professional actors. I’m calling it Spineless Wonders presents … a short evening of tall stories. The pub is a city pub (in Hindmarsh, Adelaide) with a country feel, there’s … Read More
Spineless Wonders Asks Michael Sala
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? Some of my favourite short fiction writers are; Banana Yoshimoto, Haruki Murakami, Alice Munro, Ernest Hemingway, Tobias Wolff, Richard Ford, Ilse Aichinger, Gene Wolfe, David Vann, Patrick Cullen, Ryan O’Neill and A.S. Patric. 2. What is the most memorable short … Read More
Spineless Wonders Asks Demet Divaroren
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? There are so many! Paddy O’Reilly, Cate Kennedy, Margo Lanagan, Dan Chaon just to name a few. 2. What is the most memorable short story you have read? And why does it stand out for you? Margo Lanagan’s “Singing My … Read More
Angus Benson with guest interviewer Vanessa McKinley
The Column welcomes guest blogger, Vanessa McKinley who has interviewed surfer turned writer, Angus Benson whose story, ‘Down South’ appears in this year’s UTS Anthology. The UTS Writers’ Anthology showcases the considerable talent emerging every year from one of Australia’s most respected writing programs. The Life You Chose and That Chose You is the twenty-fifth … Read More
Spineless Wonders Asks Emilie Collyer
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? Wow. I admire so many. Three stand out as changing what I knew was possible to do with the form: Haruki Murakami, Margo Lanagan and Ali Smith. Oh and Tom Cho. So that’s four. The way they use language and … Read More
The Column – calling for contributions
‘Australian websites such as Literary Minded, Spineless Wonders, and Verity La do great things for this country’s literary culture.’ Laurie Steed in conversation with Verity La’s Alec Patric. Want to be part of this exciting literary conversation? Spineless Wonders is currently looking for contributors to its blog, The Column. We are looking for news, reviews, … Read More
Spineless Wonders Asks Melissa Beit
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? Margo Lanagan. Ursula LeGuin. Alice Munro. Annie Proulx. David Mitchell. Cate Kennedy. Grace Paley. Daphne du Maurier. J.D. Salinger. As a teenager I loved Roald Dahl, master of the gruesome twist… There are huge raggedy holes in my education, which … Read More
First sentences
Listening to Stanley Fish talk about the sentence on The Book Show got us thinking here at The Column about exemplary first sentences from Australian short stories. Here’s what Fish had to say about the opening sentence. ‘It is a promissory note. It telegraphs everything that’s going to follow … It has an angle of … Read More