A couple of years ago, I posted a list of great Irish writers — or, at least, ones I’ve read and liked — in celebration of St. Patrick’s day.
This year, I have a new favorite Irish writer, and she’s going to get the post all to herself: the fabulous Ethel Rohan.
So far, I’ve only read her slim collection Cut Through the Bone, but believe me, that one book is enough make anyone want to grab everything she’s written and devour it. Already I’m salivating for her follow-up collection, Hard to Say.
I also love that she’s not only focusing on the density of flash fiction but that she dares to write such closely linked collections. Cut Through the Bone isn’t quite a story cycle, but the thematic and tonal connections between the stories unify that book beautifully. (You can read my review of it here.) Hard to Say, on the other hand, is a definite story cycle, a form I love and continue to play with.
Samuel Snoek-Brown 