Writing is a balance of forces, the pull of intellect versus emotion, technique versus intuition. I’m Davin Malasarn. In The Artist’s Statement, we talk to writers about how they navigate those dynamics to create their work.
What happens between that initial inspiration and the final, published piece?
And how do you find that spark in the first place?
Join me as we talk with some of today’s most exciting writers. We’ll look across genres, identities, and cultures in search of those common threads at the heart of creativity, as well as what makes every artist unique.
Nicky Gonzalez joins us to discuss her Gothic debut novel, Mayra (2025, Random House), a story about two friends who reunite in a mysterious house in the Florida Everglades and uncover a hidden history. It’s a book that Karen Thompson Walker describes as "part coming-of-age story, part Twilight Zone episode, part thoughtful meditation on all of the ways that memory is itself a haunted house."
In this episode of The Artist's Statement, we feature short fiction writer Kuzhali Manickavel, whose work has been described as surreal, sci-fi, absurdist, and weird. Manickavel, who calls in from Bangalore, India, discusses how she characterizes her own work and how international perspectives can lead to alternative definitions.
Kathy Fish joins us for this episode of The Artist's Statement focused on flash fiction, defined as stories under 1,000 words. She discusses the genre, its origins, and how it can be distinguished from short stories and prose poetry.
Kathy Fish joins us for this episode of The Artist's Statement focused on flash fiction, defined as stories under 1,000 words. She discusses the genre, its origins, and how it can be distinguished from short stories and prose poetry.
Irish author Colm Toibin joins us for the inaugural episode of The Artist's Statement. He discusses his early writing career and his evolution from poet to journalist to novelist, and his return to poetry. We examine Toibin's novella, A Long Winter, and short story "One Minus One" from his collection, The Empty Family.
Writing is a balance of forces, the pull of intellect versus emotion, technique versus intuition. I'm Davin Malasarn. In the Artist's Statement, we talk to writers about how they navigate those dynamics to create their work. What happens between that initial inspiration and the final, published piece?