Darren and Simon are writers and siblings, separated by an ocean. Sometimes they write together, including the novels 'Concentrate' and 'Infinite Blue'. This, though, is them talking.
Darren and Simon—eventually—discuss world building, that extension of setting that enables readers to feel like the story they’re reading takes place somewhere very real, talking about their favourite worlds from novels they’ve read alongside some of their own work. Also a quick update on Darren’s missed opportunity with monster trucks and Simon’s concussion. Darren’s article ‘First Person of Interest’ for WQ Magazine (paywall) https://qldwriters.org.au/2018/03/01/first-person-of-interest-darren-groth/ Clade by James Bradley https://www.amazon.com/Clade-James-Bradley/dp/1785654144/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525840000&sr=8-1&keywords=clade+james+bradley Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen https://www.amazon.com/Sick-Puppy-Carl-Hiaasen/dp/0446604666/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525840052&sr=1-1&keywords=sick+puppy+by+carl+hiaasen Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay https://www.amazon.com/Darkly-Dreaming-Dexter-Jeff-Lindsay/dp/0307277887/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525840100&sr=1-1&keywords=jeff+lindsay+dexter Worth also noting, if you ask ask Darren for a tiny synopsis of a work in progress, you should know now what to expect. You’ve been warned.
What exactly is a ‘sensitivity reader’ and what is the service that one can offer a story in progress? Darren and Simon clear some air around an occasionally fraught topic, pointing out that this is really just an extension of what editors do anyway. In other news, the literary Brothers Groth discover yet again that they are the lesser Groth siblings with the discover of the Groth Brothers monster truck driving team. This, inevitably, kicks off a discussion about the perfect name for a literary monster truck. Let’s call it an episode of contrasts. A great article by Meg Vann on the topic of sensitivity readers. https://megvann.com/2017/02/20/sensitivity-and-straw-hats/ Tyler Groth drives ‘Zombie’, a monster truck shaped like, well, a zombie. https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/drivers/tyler-groth Travis Groth drives ‘Megalodon’, a monster truck shaped like a shark. https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/drivers/travis-groth A recent interview with Tyler and Travis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMeeKrcvumI Also, Kate Grenville’s fabulous ‘The Writing Book. https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/general-books/writing-language/The-Writing-Book-Kate-Grenville-9781742373881 Our upcoming book Infinite Blue has a home on the interwebz at our fantastic publisher, Orca. https://www.orcabook.com/Infinite-Blue-P1763.aspx
A triumphant return to the Fireproof Garage as Darren and Simon discuss their recent hiatus and its associated pilgrimage to the podcast namesake in Livermore, California. Main topic of discussion in this episode, though, is the forthcoming actual text-based collaboration between Darren and Simon. Called “Infinite Blue”, this modern fabulist love triangle between boy, girl, and the water will be released all over North America in September 2018. There will be plenty more to talk about closer to release, but for now, Darren and Simon respond to the three questions they know they will be asked on the book’s release.
On the way they discuss Darren's dubious stalking practices and the value of corsages. In what may be a telling contrast Simon's choices were all for dead authors, while Darren avoided the graveyard in favour of contemporaries. We'll leave it for the amateur psychologists to work out what that means, if anything. Simon's choices: Douglas Adams Marcus Clarke Thea Astley Darren's choices: Nick Hornby Steve Toltz Margaret Atwood
Stuff talked about: Hyde by Daniel Levine https://www.amazon.com/Hyde-Daniel-Levine/dp/0544484029 Lionel Shriver’s deliberately controversial address to the Brisbane Writers Festival https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/13/lionel-shrivers-full-speech-i-hope-the-concept-of-cultural-appropriation-is-a-passing-fad Hunted Down and Other Tales by Marcus Clarke http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/shop/hunted-down/
An update on the brothers' current exploits in writing takes a quick detour through the finer points of copyright (thankfully punctuated by some shirtless action from Simon's son) and a reading from Darren's new work in progress "Where You Are Now".
Along the way they quote from The Simpsons, address Alice Munro directly, discuss using a Kraken as a fake passenger for HOV/transit lanes, and assess the suitability of the title of this episode as an appropriate pseudonym for an adult film star. Simon's favourites: Embiggen Books, Melbourne Better Read Than Dead, Sydney Avid Reader, Brisbane Darren's favourites: Munro's Books, Victoria Albany Books, Tsawwassen Riverbend Books, Brisbane
After a novel-writing hiatus, brothers Darren and Simon Groth return to the Fireproof Garage for a second series of their not-at-all acclaimed podcast with news of their impending collaborative novel, Infinite Blue to be released in Canada and the United States in the not-too-distant future. After discussing some of the mechanics of managing a collaborative work between siblings, and a side mention of their mum's preferred fake phone number for flipping off suitors, Darren and Simon read each of their favourite bits from the novel.
Simon and Darren take us through their respective top three books by the best genre-crossing writer to have come out of New England. Don't forget to wash your hands.
Darren selects his top three books that have won the prize we suspect was named after Booker T. and the M.G.'s.
The Oil Change is the Fireproof Garage in brief: a quick top 3 segment from Darren of Simon of books around a theme. For this episode, Simon takes us through his three favourite books about the band Paul McCartney once described as "a big act".
It took an hour to set up the audio feed for this podcast, so please excuse the brevity of this description. On this seventh episode of the Garage gets off track almost immediately as Simon and Darren discuss Harper Lee's new novel (man is that weird to write) Go Set A Watchman. Well Simon discusses it since he's the only one who's read it. Spoiler alert: it's okay. The ostensible topic for this episode is The Greatest Stories Ever Told (as in orally), in other words great performances or spoken word deliveries. Darren's choice is Roméo Dallaire whom he had the pleasure of hearing deliver a talk that endured in his memory despite the terrible powerpoint slides that accompanied it. Strangely, missing the opportunity to meet Darren hasn't figured significantly in Dallaire's life since. Between offering advice on performing spoken word (how did that happen?) Simon's choice for a great performance is Cate Kennedy, who worked on an if:book project with him called Lost in Track Changes. The reading event for that project was generally of extraordinary quality, but Kennedy was still a stand out. Some links for you: http://www.romeodallaire.com http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/portfolio/lost-in-track-changes/
Simon nominates Boo Radley as the most enduring character from To Kill A Mockingbird, which inevitably leads to a discussion around Go Set A Watchman, a book neither of them has actually read. Darren's enduring characters are Death from Markus Zusak's The Book Thief and Christopher Boone from Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which leads to a discussion of 'otherness' in characterisation and the importance of empathy. And, of course, if you're interested you can watch the two talking heads to accompany the audio, if that's your thing.
In a world first, Simon's daughter provides an accidental musical backdrop to the latest episode of Fireproof Garage, where Darren and Simon discuss enduring characters from the stories they love, beginning with double...oh...seven and winding up with Darren wrapped in bandages for some reason following a stroke. A list of James Bond novels and short stories Despite our discussion, Idris Elba claims he won't be the new Bond The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston Wikipedia entry for Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming, a book that Simon simultaneously enjoyed despite the fact it did his head in Also, apparently, Darren would like you to know that he won hand ball competition in grade six. And Simon would like to apologise for the horrible noise that happens with his microphone.
In the latest episode we delve further into the sad (and somewhat well passed) demise of our doppelgänger Chevrolet dealership in Livermore, California before taking a look at the books on TV. Some links to the stuff we talk about: Ties That Divide / Groth Chevy struggles with family differences the Yelp Reviews that started it all Support Groth Bros is available if anyone wants to use it. Canada Reads
We are still looking for a name for this podcast and we may continue to do so until one or both of us are dead. If you still have a suggestion, let us know on Twitter: @darrengroth and @simongroth. Hat tip to John Birmingham who has made a decent suggestion, which we may or may not modify. Vale the Groth Bros Chevrolet Dealership in Livermore, California. The Yelp reviews do not suggest our podcast is at fault. The Books We Could Not Put Down: I’m not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti (Darren) The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Simon and Darren) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Domnique Bauby (Simon…oh and Bauby was the editor of Elle, not Vogue) Laugh, I Thought I’d Die: My Life with ALS by Dennis Kaye (Darren) The Books We Couldn’t Finish…oh man… here we go: Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut (Darren) Death of a River Guide by Richard Flanagan (Simon) The Cold Six-Thousand by James Ellroy (Darren) The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler (Darren)
The podcast still doesn't have a proper title or anything, but in the meantime, here's Darren and Simon talking about the books and writers that influenced their journeys on the way to whatever it is they do now.
Darren and Simon overcome technical numptiness to record the first of a new podcast series about very little, but mostly books. In the first episode they discuss their bookshelves and take some time to appreciate the word 'hobo'.
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