New Books Network Alison Gadsby, "Breathing Is How Some People Stay Alive" (Guernica Editions, 2026)
Mar 30, 2026
Alison Gadsby, a Canadian writer in Tkaronto/Toronto and founder of the Junction Reads prose series, discusses her 2026 short-fiction collection. The conversation covers the collection’s blend of weird, horror, and psychological realism. They explore water imagery, unsettling characters, power reversals among women, and the book’s dark humor and emotional intensity.
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Make Readers Uncomfortable To Rethink Morality
- Alison Gadsby intentionally places readers in discomfort to challenge easy moral labels and force reflection.
- She designs characters who do horrific things but aren't simply "bad," prompting readers to assess their own empathy and assumptions.
Swimming As Personal Refuge In The Stories
- Gadsby links much of the collection to personal history and water as refuge, noting she and her children swim.
- She realized her traumatic childhood threaded the book only after finishing and getting editorial feedback.
Minimal Sentiment Lets Readers Own The Feeling
- Gadsby resists tidy moral judgments and sentimental language to let readers form their own responses.
- She avoids overwrought metaphors so the reader can inhabit feelings without prescribed sentimentality.
