Charlotte McConaghy (Wild Dark Shore) feat. Bruce Vilanch, Guest Gay Reader

16 snips

Mar 4, 2025

Guest

Bruce Vilanch

Guest

Charlotte McConaghy

Charlotte McConaghy, bestselling author of Migrations, dives into her new novel Wild Dark Shore, discussing the journey from fantasy to tackling real-world themes like climate and connection. She shares insights on trust and intimacy in isolated settings and reflects on how writing reshaped her worldview. Joining her is Bruce Vilanch, comedic legend, who offers hilarious anecdotes from his illustrious career, including reflections on celebrity culture and his latest book about notorious TV flops. Together, they explore love, loss, and resilience.

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ANECDOTE

Stranger Washed Ashore Sparks Mystery

Charlotte describes a woman washed ashore joining a family on a remote island and unfolding secrets.
The premise grew from a real island setting and a dramatic stranded-stranger scenario.

ANECDOTE

Wombat Poop Sparking Joy

Charlotte recounts discovering wombat droppings on a walk at her partner's mother's property.
Jason admits Googling wombat poop and celebrates the oddly enriching detail.

INSIGHT

Real World Drama Rivaled Her Fantasies

Charlotte shifted from fantasy epics to real-world environmental fiction to confront urgent, heartbreaking realities.
She found the real world provided drama and stakes as powerful as any invented fantasy.

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Host Jason Blitman talks to Charlotte McConaghy (Wild Dark Shore) about Charlotte's journey from writing fantasy epics to exploring real-world themes, environmentalism and human connection in her recent works, and the challenges and joys of depicting complex, authentic characters. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Bruce Vilanch who shares amusing anecdotes from his vast career in entertainment, including his experiences with celebrities and the most memorable—and infamous—projects he's worked on.

Charlotte McConaghy is the author of the international bestseller MIGRATIONS, a TIME Magazine Best Book of the Year and the Amazon Best Fiction Book of the Year for 2020, which is being translated into over twenty-five languages and adapted for film, as well as the New York Times Bestseller ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES. Her forthcoming novel WILD DARK SHORE will be released March 4, 2025. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

Bruce Vilanch is an actor (occasionally an actress), writer (occasionally a rewriter), and comedian (occasionally for money, often for causes). He has coauthored 25 Academy Award spectacles, winning two writing Emmys in the process, and has been nominated for seven more. In addition to the Oscars, he has cowritten many Tonys, Emmys, Grammys, People’s Choice, American Comedy Awards, TV Land Awards, SAG Awards, and a ton of other pageants, roasts, tributes, and various trumped-up reasons for people to strut a red carpet. He has coauthored dozens of variety television shows and actually put words in the mouth of Cher. He’s also a lyricist, scoring gold and platinum records for disco songs he wrote for Eartha Kitt and the Village People. And musical theatre geeks will remember him as the coauthor of the Broadway misfire called Platinum, which was revived off-Broadway for reasons that continue to mystify Bruce.

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