Photo by M. Keefer
Robin McLean worked as a lawyer and then a potter in the woods of Alaska before turning to writing. Her first story collection Reptile House won the BOA Editions Fiction Prize, was twice a finalist for the Flannery O'Connor Prize, and was noted as a best book of 2015 in Paris Review.
Her debut novel Pity the Beast was published Nov. 2o21 by And Other Stories was noted as a best book of fiction of the year in such outlets as The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, White Review, and long-listed for the Reading the West Prize. It was a recommended paperback in the NYTimes in Nov 2022.
Her second story collection, Get'em Young, Treat'em Tough, Tell'em Nothing was published by And Other Stories in Oct. 2022, was an Editors' Choice in the NYTimes, and was longlisted for the 2022 Republic of Consciousness Prize.
Praise for Get'em Young:
THE GUARDIAN
by David Hayden
NYTIMES
by Aimee Bender
SANTA FE REPORTER
"Back to School Reading List for Grown Ups"
A figure skater first—having learned to skate and walk at the same time—McLean believes that crashing on ice prepared her for writing fiction. Besides writing, her careers and interests have been diverse: pushcart hotdog sales, lawyer and mediator, potter and tile maker, political activist, union organizer, sculptor, haunted corn maze manager as well as zombie trainer (yep). She is currently the 2023 Visiting Writer in the MFA program at the University of Montana. When not wandering the North American Mountain West, she's found in Canada on the edge of the Salish Sea.
Listen to podcasts with Robin, read reviews, interviews and essays here.
You can buy Robin's books most anywhere, but please buy from your local indie bookstore if you possibly can. If you don't have an indie bookstore nearby, try one of the wonderful bookstores that have supported Robin's work.
Robin leads workshops all over the world, in North American at Hugo House in Seatttle, Lighthouse in Denver, GrubStreet in Boston, The Loft in Minneapolis, Love Street Writers in Melbourne Australia, and sometimes with the Mount Holyoke College Alumnae Association.
robinmclean0(at)gmail(dot)com
Agent: Stephanie Steiker @ stephanie@rhaliterary.com
Press, publicity and bookstore inquiries in the US: Stefan Tobler / stefantobler@andotherstories.org
Publicity in the UK: Michael Watson / And Other Stories / michael@andotherstories.org