On this first episode of The Writer and the Critic for 2022, your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, begin with an exciting announcement: Kirstyn will have some actual books being published this year! She's a writer again! Huzzah! Ahem. The books up for discussion this month are When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut [6:08] and A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofal [52:35]. If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:18:15 for final remarks including a discussion about just what we mean when we say "novel" and why we might need to find some new words to describe long-form fiction. Some helpful links for things mentioned in this episode: Burnt Sugar and the Never Afters series by Kirstyn McDermott available from Brain Jar Press You Tube: Doireann Ní Ghríofa introduces A Ghost in the Throat Next month, the two books up on the slab will be: The Wych Elm by Tana French My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!