Mining the Dalkey Archive Podcast

Although Dalkey Archive did publish two works by Desmond Hogan (A Farewell to Prague, The House of Mourning and Other Stories), this episode covers The Ikon Maker, Hogan’s first novel from 1976, reissued in 2013 by Lilliput Press. Vince and Chad talk about this short, moving book about a woman whose adult son has moved to England and fallen out of touch, about the forthcoming (in 2039?) opera of Finnegans Wake, about Hogan’s disturbing conviction and ensuing disappearance, about the way sexuality is portrayed in The Ikon Maker, and much more. The next book to be featured in this series is Threshold by Rob Doyle. (Who also wrote about the reissues of both The Ikon Maker and A Farewell to Prague.)This episode’s music is “McLeyvier” by Rich Aucoin.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

Without question, Gertrude Stein was one of the most influential writers of the past century. And thanks to the three guests on this episode—Francesa Wade (Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife) and Cecilia Konchar Farr & Janie Sisson (As I Was Saying: A Companion to Gertrude Stein’s The Making of Americans)—along with the forthcoming Dalkey Essentials edition of The Making of Americans, Stein is having a moment. To celebrate these three books, we discuss Stein’s literary reputation, why people are “afraid” to read The Making of Americans, the role that being a lesbian woman has played in her general reception, the influence she’s had since her passing, and Leo Katz’s long, illuminating conversations with Alice Toklas after Stein’s passing. A very upbeat, exciting podcast about a writer who was way ahead of her time.This episode’s music is “Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano” by John Cage (who sites Stein as an influence), performed by Orlando Bass in Vienna at the Konzertsaal @ Das MuTh, during the Impulstanz festival. 02/08/2022.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of this Irish Edition of the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast, Chad and Vince talk about Brigid Brophy’s 1969 masterpiece, In Transit, a novel that is trans-positive at its core. They talk about Joycean punning and experimental structures, Chad’s love of airports (weirdo), masculine vs. feminine writing, Brophy and Brooke-Rose and literary history, and much more. The next book to be featured in this series is The Ikon Maker by Desmond Hogan.This episode’s music is “In the Margins” by The Lemonheads.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

Adam Levin (The Instructions, Mount Chicago) comes on the podcast to break down the Top Five Stanley Elkin novels according to Chad’s silly and fun “Power Rankings.” They talk about what makes Elkin so great, which books they both want to reread, the coincidence of having giving their respective fathers the same book gift, and arguing about some of the final rankings . . .This episode’s music is “FugaziBlackHoleMirage (7 of Clubs)” by Hallelujah the Hills. (Which, if you’re into indie music of this sort, check out the whole Deck project. It’s one of the most ambitious releases of 2025.)You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

Two of Allison a. deFreese’s recent translations are the focus on this particular episode: Elegy for Joseph Cornell by María Negroni and Flame Trees in May by Karla Marrufo. She talks about how these books came to be, the nature of translating more “experimental” or poetic works, her interest in literature from the Yucatán Peninsula, learning Yucatec Maya, the way both books are put together and how to approach them, and more. It’s a lovely conversation and celebration of two unique works of literature.This episode’s music is “Full Bloom” by Human Pyramids.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

Chad and Vince struggle to talk about Bernard Share’s two novels available from Dalkey Archive Press: Inish and Transit. More respect than love for these books, which leads to an interesting discussion about how to try and approach these books, understand where Share is coming from, and what the differences are between criticism, reviewing, and whatever this podcast is supposed to be. The next book to be featured in this series is In Transit by Brigid Brophy (mid-October).This episode’s music is “Incomprehensible” by Big Thief.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

In this month’s installment in the ongoing look at Dalkey Archive’s Irish Literature Series, Vince and Chad discuss The Dogs of Inishere by Alannah Hopkin, a short story collection from 2017. They talk about the short story form, the position of a collection in today’s marketplace, sequencing, aging, B. S. Johnson, and more.The next book to be featured in this series is Transit by Bernard Share (September), followed by In Transit by Brigid Brophy (October).This episode’s music is “If Time Was Kinder” by Arms and Sleepers & Sun Glitters.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

On this entry into the Irish-centric thread of this podcast Vince Francone (The Soft Lunacy, Like a Dog, A Book No One Wants) and Chad W. Post are joined by Angela Weaser, the longest tenured Dalkey Archive employee in its history, and ex-wife of John O’Brien. They talk a bit about Dalkey back in the day, about Angela’s trip to visit Aidan Higgins and his wife Alannah Hopkin (whose biography of Higgins, A Very Strange Man plays a large role in this episode) when Dalkey signed on all the Higgins books, and, obviously, Langrishe, Go Down, Higgins’s first novel, which is now a Dalkey Essential. They also touch on Scenes from a Receding Past (future Essential), and the monumental A Bestiary. The next book to be featured in this series is Alannah Hopkin’s collection of short stories, The Dogs of Inishere.This episode’s music is “Tom Courtenay” by Yo La Tengo.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

Declan O’Driscoll (The Irish Times) joins Vincent Francone (A Book No One Wants) and Chad W. Post to talk about Tom O’Neill’s Grattan and Me, a brilliantly funny, perceptive book about a Quixote-esque civil servant (Grattan) and his cynical, chaos-making sidekick (Suck Ryle) as they travel Ireland trying to inject a bit more humanity and rational kindness into the world. A rambunctious novel filled with humor, philosophical ideas, and a debate about the importance of James Joyce, Grattan and Me is the perfect Bloomsday book . . . This episode’s music is “Common People” by Pulp.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

Dan O’Brien joins Chad to talk about the new edition of his memoir, From Scarsdale: A Childhood, his other two Dalkey Archive books (A Story that Happens: On Playwriting, Childhood, & Other Traumas, True Story: A Trilogy) two of his poetry collections that relate to his and his wife’s cancer diagnoses (Our Cancers, Survivor’s Notebook), the state of drama in America, and much more. The music in this episode is “Aerial Troubles” by Stereolab.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

Special guest Tobias Carroll (In the Sight, Political Sign, and Reel, among other books and projects) joins Chad to discuss Andrew Elias Colarusso’s 2017 novel, The Sovereign, one of two titles in the Puerto Rican Literature Series. They discuss their fascination with this complex novel, it’s architectural form, their lack of awareness of Puerto Rican literature, potential influences, Colarusso’s bookstore, Taylor & Co., his Substack, Zafra, and much more.The music in this episode is “Johnny Come Home” by Prettiest Eyes.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

John Toomey joins Chad and Vince to talk about his debut novel, Sleepwalker, his experience being published by Dalkey Archive, and what it was like working for John O’Brien (very touching story in this section), looking back on your work from a 20-year distance, how many Dalkey titles have pink covers, and much more.The music in this episode is “Spun” by Wavves.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

In the final entry in this series of podcasts on the NEA (for now . . . there may be a return to industry-based Three Percent episodes in the near future), Chad welcomes Hilary Plum (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, Rescue Press, author of State Champ) and Lissie Jaquette (executive director of Words Without Borders, translator from the Arabic of Minor Detail, Thirteen Months of Sunrise, The Queue, among others) to discuss the way in which nonprofit literary presses distinguish themselves from their for-profit counterparts, and what makes a convincing narrative to attract public and private funding. Specifically: what value can a nonprofit press provide to culture that goes beyond the transactional nature of producing and selling books?Part One of this series is available here and is a scripted presentation on the history of the NEA and various attacks it has suffered over the years. (Possibly the most professional Three Percent Podcast episode ever?) And Part Two is a conversation with three literary organizations and presses about the immediate impact of these lost grants.The music for these NEA episodes is the Matmos version of “Stars and Stripes Forever,” which deconstructs John Philip Sousa’s patriotic march.If you want to support Open Letter’s publications and all related activities—such as this podcast, reading tours, etc.—consider contributing to Deep Vellum Publishing, the nonprofit organization subsidizing and supporting OL’s operations.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent Podcast (Apple, Spotify) for more book and industry talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

Our series on the National Endowment for the Arts continues by talking with three organizations and publishers about both the specific impact of the May 2nd “termination/withdrawal” emails, and the broader impact the shuttering of the NEA could have on the literary arts in the long term. Featured on this episode are: Michael Holtmann of the Center for the Art of Translation, Adam Levy of Transit Books, and, Mary Gannon of the Community for Literary Magazines and Presses.Part One of this series is available here and is a scripted presentation on the history of the NEA and various attacks it has suffered over the years. (Possibly the most professional Three Percent Podcast episode ever?) The music for both these episodes is the Matmos version of “Stars and Stripes Forever,” which deconstructs John Philip Sousa’s patriotic march.If you want to support Open Letter’s publications and all related activities—such as this podcast, reading tours, etc.—consider contributing to Deep Vellum Publishing, the nonprofit organization subsidizing and supporting OL’s operations.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube. And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent Podcast (Apple, Spotify) for more book and industry talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

This is part one of a two part series (for now) on the National Endowment for the Arts and the, by now, much reported on letters that NEA grantees received on May 2nd, 2025 terminating or withdrawing their approved funding.In this scripted episode, Chad goes over much of the history of the founding of the NEA, its core mission, the “Culture Wars” in the 1990s, trying to articulate how things are different today, and essentially providing a primer on what the NEA is, what nonprofit publishing is, and what the termination of this funds and possible dissolution of the agency might mean.Again, and for the first time, this is a scripted podcast loaded with information for anyone curious about this particular government organization—much more professional than the usual episode. That said, he’s joined by Kaija Straumanis (The River, High Tide), Tom Flynn (Paratext Publicity), and Brian Wood (Joytime Killbox) to comment on this history and reflect on where we are now with arts in America.Stay tuned for part two, which will be a conversation with three organizations impacted by this letters and how this will impact both their orgs—and the field of literary as a whole.The music for these episodes is the Matmos version of “Stars and Stripes Forever,” which deconstructs John Philip Sousa’s patriotic march.If you want to support Open Letter’s publications and all related activities—such as this podcast, reading tours, etc.—consider contributing to Deep Vellum Publishing, the nonprofit organization subsidizing OL’s operations.You can subscribe to the Three Percent Podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Mining the Dalkey Archive (Apple, Spotify) for more book and industry talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

A bit longer than the usual podcast, in this episode of Vince Francone and Chad Post’s tour through the Irish section of the Dalkey Archive catalog, you get to hear them go from appreciators to huge fans of Eileen Battersby’s Teethmarks on My Tongue over the course of the conversation. They also discuss some of Vince’s favorite Irish women writers and announce that they’ll be reading Sleepwalker by John Toomey for May’s episode.The music in this episode is “Winter Beats” by I Break Horses.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch us on YouTube.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode, Norwegian author Edy Poppy and her translator, May-Brit Akerholt, join Chad W. Post and Walker Rutter-Bowman to discuss Edy's first novel, Anatomy. Monotony. (available now) and her short story collection, Coming. Apart. (fall 2025), along with her most recent novel, Iggy. They discuss the connections between these three books, in particular the woman writer (based in part on Edy Poppy's own life) featured in each, who moves from an open marriage through a divorce and beyond. They discuss the nature of translation, what can be more easily written and discussed in different languages, "gaze" in relation to modeling and personal connections, and much more.You can also watch this episode on YouTube.The music in this episode is “Les Fleurs” by Minnie Riperton.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Next week we’ll be back with a discussion of Eileen Battersby’s Teethmarks on My Tongue and other Irish women writers.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast, Brian Wood joined me to talk with Nicholas Delbanco about his two most recent books: Still Life at Eighty and Reprise: The Collected Stories of Nicholas Delbanco. They discuss the nature of memoirs, the careful construction of Delbanco’s books and stories, his experiences as a creative writing student and professor, and the evolution of his literary approach.Reprise is the fourth book of his published by Dalkey Archive, the others being Sherbrookes, Is It Enough, and The Count of Concord. All of these (along with Still Life at Eighty) are available through Bookshop.org and at better bookstores everywhere. The music in this episode is “Passacaglia in C minor” from the Netherlands Bach Society.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.In a few weeks we’ll be back with a discussion of Eileen Battersby’s Teethmarks on My Tongue and other Irish women writers.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of the “Mining the Dalkey Archive: Irish Edition,” Tom Flynn (Paratext Publicity, Why Not? Read Alpha Flight with Chris and Tom) joined myself and Vincent Francone (A Book No One Wants) to discuss The Third Policeman, one of Flann O'Brien’s masterpieces. We talk about the book itself, the use of footnotes (in comparison to how Boylan uses them in Killoyle), Brian O’Nolan/Brian Ó Nualláin/Myles na gCopaleen and names, the reactions of Vince’s students to the book (and how that’s changed since 2020), and ways in which popular culture has helped Flann reach new, younger audiences. And yes, we talk about the infamous appearance of The Third Policeman on Lost, how that happened, and the way we promoted it to the tune of 15,000 sales. The music in this episode is, for obvious reasons, “De Selby (Part 1)” and “De Selby (Part 2)” by Hozier. You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe

On this special episode, Roger Boylan (Killoyle, The Great Pint-Pulling Olympiad, The Adorations) joins Chad and Vince Francone (A Book No One Wants, The Soft Lunacy, Like a Dog) to discuss his life and works, ruminate on Irish humor and the great Flann O’Brien, the use of footnotes to tell a story, and much more. This is the first in a planned series of episodes talking about Irish books in the Dalkey catalogue. There’s a lot to choose from, although, as teased in this podcast, the next episode will be about The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien.The music in this episode is “Southern Life (What That Must Be Like)” by Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory.You can subscribe to the Mining the Dalkey Archive podcast at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.And be sure to follow our sister podcasts: Two Month Review (Apple, Spotify) and Three Percent (Apple, Spotify) for more book talk! Get full access to Mining the Dalkey Archive at dalkeyarchive.substack.com/subscribe