Finding That Very Place: A Conversation with Mary Ann McGuigan

The literary canon is littered with dudes who thought “writing about their feelings” was revolutionary. Meanwhile, women like Mary Ann McGuigan have been quietly dismantling the patriarchy with prose that doesn’t flinch, doesn’t coddle, and definitely doesn’t ask for permission. Her new collection That Very Place proves what women writers have been saying for centuries: our stories aren’t “domestic dramas,” they’re survival manuals, memory maps, and reminders that resilience is political. We sat down with Mary Ann to talk villains, evictions, and why you should probably stop fussing over your first draft already.