Episode
Ep 37: Twenty years to publication: Writing through rejection
- Podcast
- Journey of the Art
- Published
- Jan 29, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1738
- Processing state
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Summary
In Episode 37, I have the privilege of speaking with three-time Pushcart nominee Bill Gaythwaite about his short story collection, A Place In The World , winner of the 2025 Drue Heinz Literature Prize. This stunning collection of compelling short stories features regular people battling betrayal, displacement, and loss and will leave you feeling a deep sense of connection with the characters. In A Place In The World, a teenage boy and his family grapple with the harsh realities of his father’s abandonment, a young lady yearns for belonging in the face of dispassionate affection, and a gay hustler’s secret is exposed. Beyond the collection, we discuss Bill’s staying power and his response to strings of rejections. This episode holds a powerful truth about the journey of artistry and is a much-needed reminder that consistency always rewards. Show highlights 00:00 - Introduction 1:22 – Resilience, the secret sauce 1:51 - Being a Pushcart nominee 3:37 - How to weave humour into painful stories 6:38 - Using the element of surprise 10:11 - How not to give up on a story 11:45 - How to know when a story is not working 12:45 - Building cohesiveness in a short story collection 14:16 - The theme of belonging vs. mystery 16:25 - Using the story within the story device 18:17 - How to build a short story collection 20:17 - The stories that didn’t make the collection 22:39 - The sacrifice of publication 24:16 - How to stay on the Journey of the Art _____________________ Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NfrDy4OwIa8 _____________________ Guest’s links Buy A Place In The World : https://upittpress.org/books/9780822948766/ Connect with Bill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billgaythwaite/ _____________________ Host’s links Find out more about the show: https://www.journeyofthea…