1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? Those who spellbind me not just in a few of their stories (like Raymond Carver) but all through each collection they put out, like Amy Hempel, David Foster Wallace and Western Australia’s Chris McLeod. 2. What is the most memorable … Read More
Spineless Wonders asks Doreen Sullivan
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? You know, and this is terrible, I tend to remember stories more than individual authors. But some names that I have gone looking for after being wowed at least once include: Maggie Alderson, Teresa Ashby, Steve Beresford, Leanne Hall, Cate … Read More
The Column – one year on
In the past year we’ve had 11,000 visitors to our blog. We’ve posted interviews with 45 top writers of short Australian stories as well as discussions, reviews and essays on what’s new and what matters in the short fiction scene. So, why not join us … Spineless Wonders is looking for contributors to The Column. … Read More
Spineless Wonders asks SJ Finn
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? Annie Proulx, Elizabeth Jolley and Carson McCullers are a few of the many writers I admire for their short fiction. From a closer position I’ve gained knowledge and been influenced by collections such as Anson Cameron’s, ‘Nice Shootin’ Cowboy’, Tim … Read More
Spineless Wonders asks Pierz Newton-John
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? There are so many! But some who spring to mind include Anne Enright, Wells Tower, Peter Carey, Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, Borges, Kafka. 2.What is the most memorable short story you have read? And why does it stand out for … Read More
Spineless Wonders asks Sam Cooney
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? Ryan O’Neill, Eva Hornung, Peter Carey, Jessica Au, A.G. McNeil, Amanda Lohrey, Frank Moorhouse Gerard Murnane, Denis Johnson, David Foster Wallace, Doris Lessing, Donald Barthelme, Jorge Luis Barthes, Miranda July, Michael Cunningham, Raymond Carver. 2. What is the most memorable … Read More
Spineless Wonders asks Michelle Cahill
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? I admire Cate Kennedy’s short stories, Maria Takolander’s psychological fragility, Nam Lee’s compelling realism and the fantasy in Tom Cho’s writing. I also like Roberto Bolaño, Sushma Joshi, Aravind Adiga, Jhumpa Lahiri. And of course I’ve loved reading Chekov, Borges, … Read More
Spineless Wonders Asks Jon Steiner
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? Well, David Foster Wallace, for one, obviously. Here are some others: ZZ Packer, Robert Drewe, Jhumpa Lahiri, Grace Paley, Sam Shepard, Richard Yates. But also, I often read a story somewhere that totally blows me away—in the New Yorker, or … Read More
Spineless Wonders Asks Kate Geyer
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? Miranda July, ZZ Packer, Alice Munro and Josephine Rowe. 2. What is the most memorable short story you have read? And why does it stand out for you? I read Helen Garner’s collection of short stories ‘My Hard Heart’ about … Read More
Spineless Wonders Asks Yin Lin
1. Who are the short fiction authors you admire (Australian or otherwise, alive or dead)? I’ll confess straight up and say that I actually don’t read a huge amount of short stories. Most of the short fiction I’ve read is from high school. I like Cilla McQueen, Apirana Taylor, Katherine Mansfield… Hm, my English teachers … Read More