In this off-season ep we cover the death of Mary Higgins Clark, the American Dirt scandal gripping publishing (and Oprah!), and the death of a giant literary butthole. Because the universe is full of whimsy, there’s an Irish angle to all of these stories.

Books mentioned:

Mary Higgins Clark, Mount Vernon Love Story; Jeanine Cummins, American Dirt; Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street; Sonia Nazario, Enrique's Journey; Óscar Martínez, The Beast; Tara Westover, Educated; Tina Brown, The Diana Chronicles; Jason Matthews, Red Sparrow; Barbara Pym, Crampton Hodnet; Jia Tolentino, Trick Mirror; Anne Leckie, Ancillary Justice.

Sources/Further Reading:

• Mary Higgins Clark
• • MHC obit, NYT. 
  • MHC on Central Park South.
  • MHC on Irish Storytelling.
• American Dirt
• • NYT Review
  • Slate Explainer
  • Vulture Explainer
  • Vox Explainer
  • NYT Op-Ed: "Proof That the Publishing Industry is Broken"
  • CNN Op-Ed: “What the American Dirt Author and I Have in Common”
  • Alisa Valdes Rodriguez on Sandra Cisneros
  • Who Gave You the Right to Tell that Story? 
  • Eva Longoria Response
  • Nail Art
  • Centerpieces
• Stephen Joyce obit, NYT.

Email us at [email protected]. Friend us on Goodreads and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.