Robin McLean

Thanks Lori Feathers and Sam Jordison for inviting me on Across the Pond, your cool podcast, again, to talk this time about Get'em Young, Treat'em Tough, Tell'em Nothing...(was on with Pity the Beast last year at about this time.) The collection is up for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, which Lori co-founded. So it was lucky to get to chat.

It was fun and cool to talk with you guys, and hopefully interesting for all. Lori and Sam also dive into about Joyce's "The Dead" on this broadcast, so Joyce fans, get ready.

Listen here. 

Hot off the presses...

Read this gorgeous, moving and terrifying short story, "Labyrinth," by my good good pal, Sandra Jenson, in the Atticus Review! 

Good going, Sandra. Congratulations. We want more!

Thanks for the recommendation, Leigh, and East Bay Books.

"...takes the great American myths and quick-skins them for the open flame. Stories: absurd, harrowing bleakly hilarious."

Get Get'em Young from East Bay here.

Happy end of semester to all you teachers, profs, writing friends in school! 

Big thanks to writer David Hayden and the White Review for selecting Get'em Young, Treat'em Tough, Tell'em Nothing as a Book of the Year among some fine company. This is the second year in a row. Last year Joanne Kavenna chose Pity the Beast for the list. 

Thanks for all you do at White Review for art and literature. 

Fun times in the UK Dec 1st. Thanks Foyles and Chris Power(!), one of my favorite writers, who moderated the Indie Stage event with Sheena Patel, Peter Scalpello, Jennifer Atkins, Thea Lenarduzzi, Daniel Hahn, Marieke Bigg,  Rebecca May Johnson and me. It was great to meet and listen such a wide array of talented writers, and such an honor to read among them. Thanks especially Michael Watson at And Other Stories for setting this up and squiring me about town before and after.

Thanks Nicolas, Mel (all the way from Texas), Sandra Jensen (all the way from Brighton), Melanie and John for showing up.

Happy Holidays all! 

Thanks Nicolas and Michael for guiding me around the big city...That's Jack at Daunt Books in the cool specs in the Daunt Travel Room. If he releases the video we made about Pity the Beast, I will link it here. 

Well, Bristol was just a fun time... arriving in the glowing--but otherwise apparently abandoned -- city as England played Wales in the World Cup. I saw police on horseback, steeds shoulder-to-shoulder facing in at pub windows so their riders could see the game. Then the street parties after as I went hunting for grub.

The next day I cruised about, navigating with a paper map (some locals were amazed by it), across Spike Island to Storysmith, then through town to Gloucester Road Books, past Bansky murals, endless charity shops, and food from across the world, before hustling back down the big long slope, to the Christmas Steps, to the aquarium, to the big black Rhino Beetle watching over the Christmas Market in Anchor Square... to the wonderful event back at Bookhaus. Signed copies here! 

Thanks Darren and Jesse from Bookhaus for the great chat by the sea with the Bristolian readers and writers gathered...and for the historic pint at The Llandoger Trow after. I will be rereading Treasure Island now that I've been there. 

They say it rains a lot in Scotland, but it's been all sun here. Edinburgh Castle (fun to go there thinking of "Judas Cradle" from Get'em Young), the Christmas Market just opened by the Scott Memorial on Princes Street, Dunkeld-- the Scots' ancient capitol-- Perth, Crieff, Storm and Arthur's barn, and the green green hills dotted by many sheep. Thanks Margaret for coming from Fairbanks, Ak to make it so fun. Glasgow is next (after the trip south, see below).

Thanks especially to the genius indie booksellers in Edinburgh for inviting me in to sign books this week. Portobello Bookshop (hi there, Helena, Elsa and Elena, thanks for the cab), Blackwells (hello Chris J, I hope you like the book), Toppings (thanks Rachel of the feminism and science books dept), Golden Hare (hey, Polly, the lunch rec was great,) and coming soon to Typewronger.

The roadshow shifts south soon to the other side of the Scotland border:              

BRISTOL, Bookhaus                                                 LONDON @Foyles

November 30                                                               107 Charing Cross Road,

Rope Walk,                                                                   December 1 
Bristol BS1 6ZJ                                                            6 -9 PM
0117 244 0326                                                             hosted by Chris Power

6 - 8 PM                                                                        with indie authors:
More info                                                                      Sheena Patel, Peter Scalpello, Jennifer Atkins,

                                                                                        Thea Lenarduzzi,

                                                                                        Daniel Hahn, Marieke Bigg and

                                                                                       Rebecca May Johnson.

                                                                                          More info                                                                  

Thanks to the NYTIMES and Gregory Cowles for adding GET'EM YOUNG to this week's Editors' Choice list. What an honor and thrill to find the stories in such wonderful company. 

To see how much love both GET'EM YOUNG and PITY THE BEAST have been getting at the NYTIMES this month-- the WSJ and GUARDIAN too-- scroll down to recent posts.

Huge thanks all. It means so much.