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Meryl Branch-McTiernan

@outerboroqn

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i write about the indignities of being human - writer/producer of @katies_mom_movie and What You Should Worry About published by @akashicbooks
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Join us for a titillating conversation in Sayville @tinyraccoonbooks! by @outerboroqn
Join author Meryl Branch-McTiernan for a reading from her book, 'What you Should Worry About'. Friend of the store Claire Jentsch will moderate a Q&A with the author. November 14th 7pm 277 Railroad Avenue, Sayville, NY 11782 Free. Author will be selling and signing their book About the book It's January of 2020 and thirty-seven-year-old Layla Moody is trying to worm her way into a party at the Sundance Film Festival. When she’s not picking up other people’s abandoned drinks or skinny-dipping in the hot tub, she’s trying to gain access to someone who can jump-start her stymied career as a Hollywood television writer. After a run-in with one of her creative heroines, she lands an opportunity to get her show produced. The only catch is, she has to return to New York, which she’s been avoiding since her father’s death. But soon all is thwarted when COVID-19 shuts down the entertainment industry and any opportunity to propel her life forward. While quarantining alone in her parents’ apartment in Queens, Layla wrestles with the ghost of an ex-boyfriend who disappeared unexpectedly, the grief of processing the loss of her father, and the notion that she just might be the one responsible for her current state of solitude. Meryl Branch-McTiernan is a novelist, essayist, and screenwriter. She cowrote and produced the comedy feature, Katie’s Mom, which won the Audience Award for Fusion Features at the 2023 Dances with Films festival. Her short fiction has appeared in The Brooklyn Rail and The Southampton Review. Her debut novel, What You Should Worry About was released by Akashic Books in June of 2026. She received her BS in Television, Radio, and Film from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and her MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook University, where she teaches creative writing to undergraduates. Parking for Tiny Raccoon Books is behind the store or across the street at the free LIRR lot. See less by @outerboroqn
For our fourth episode this season we have author and screenwriter Meryl Branch-McTiernan (@outerboroqn) talking with TW Creative Director John Vogel (@jawnvogel) about her recent novel from Akashic Books (@akashicbooks), What You Should Worry About. The book takes us back to before the COVID lockdown, the old normal. And it brings back all the anxiety, isolation, fear, and judgment that was rampant in the first year of shelter-in-place. As protagonist Layla Moody hops around Sundance in February 2020, she connects with Diana Winn, a director who offers a meeting in New York for Layla to pitch a script. After the festival, she flies from her adopted home of L.A. to her childhood home of NYC and stays at her mother’s apartment. Unexpectedly, COVID shuts everything down, and she becomes stranded in New York. As her married friends all refuse to hang out — even outside — isolation increases and she makes the unpopular decision to stay at a house share on Fire Island, one of her old happy places. Despite her worries, it turns out to be the right move and finally provides some human connection that had been absent since the onset of the pandemic. Meryl also co-wrote the 2023 movie Katie’s Mom, which plays with the idea of The Graduate by putting the focus on the older woman instead of the younger male. Beverly Hills, 90210 fans might recognize two of the films starts, Dina Meyer and Jason Wiles, from their roles as Lucinda Nicholson and Colin Robbins. During the interview, Meryl talks to John about how What You Should Worry About converges to and diverges from her real life during the era of social distance, how she’s been able to balance making art with needing to pay rent, and answers the Perfect Recognition questions. by @outerboroqn
Go Stony Brook CWMFAers: Just a terrific gathering at B Scene bar in the East Village. Thank you, @outerboroqn! Such wonderful readings from our gaggle of writers! @stonybrookmfacreative_writing #writersspeak by @outerboroqn
Fabulous afternoon @bscenenyc with readings from @stonybrookmfacreative_writing current students @claire_jentsch and @christopherschepp and alumni @salvatore.jln and @mr.robottaylor and yours truly. So excited about our new location and the energy of the readings and all who came out to listen. ❤️ by @outerboroqn
Meryl Branch-McTiernan is on Talking Writing discussing her new book, "What You Should Worry About." Listen to the whole episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meryl-branch-mctiernan-takes-us-back-to-lockdown/id1650075290?i=1000797625956 Available through Akashic Books at https://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/what-you-should-worry-about/ by @outerboroqn
A full house for a fun series of readings on Tuesday! Thanks to everyone who joined Brooklyn Books & Booze on 10/20 to hear tales from @wanbliweiden @isaacfitzbooks @mgtauthor and @angel_luis_colon (with host @randeedawn) at @areyouintense in Industry City, Brooklyn! Our drinks even came with pop rocks, so you know it was an explosive good time. More pics here: https://randeedawn.com/bonus/brooklyn-books-booze/brooklyn-books-booze-memories/ Next month (11/17) be sure to join us for four more amazing authors reading at Barrows: @karenheuler @kikikasch @justine_manzano and @outerboroqn ! What will our drinks do next time....? by @outerboroqn
Fabulous conversation with @librarylovefest at The Great Neck Library. And they even let us eat candy there. It was fun to find my book on the “Legacy Shelf.” Thanks to my mother for pushing me to do a Great Neck event and my friends for coming out (some for the second or third time) to support me and my book. ❤️ by @outerboroqn
Staycation all I ever wanted! Kicked off my Long Island staycation with the Haunted Book Fair at Katie’s Bar on Smithtown. Thrilled to have been invited by Claire Jentsch, Queen of the Typewriter. Debuted my Dolly Parton look, Part 1. Enjoyed some hot burlesque. Bought an indecipherable French tarot deck that I will learn to love at the Hampton Inn, while I’m not breaking the waffle maker. 💋 by @outerboroqn
Stony Brook Creative Writing students, alums, faculty and friends! The party's getting started again with Meryl Branch-McTiernan's Stony Brook in the City. Join us on Saturday, October 24 @ 1 pm at @bscenenyc for an afternoon with writers Rob Taylor, Claire Jentsch, Salvatore Juliano, and Christopher Schepp. by @outerboroqn
Thrilled to share my story “March Madness” at the inaugural Happy Pub Day reading @thewritersroominc, in the nation’s the oldest urban writers colony. Even more thrilled that my story from @tsrlitmag was described as “funereal erotics.” Come by for drinks and stories at this new reading series, showcasing recently published writing. by @outerboroqn
So much fun chatting on a @bkbookfest panel with my favorites from @stonybrookmfacreative_writing. Great questions from @multifassetted. Excellent perspectives on writing (and not writing) from fabulous writers @robertlopezwritermusic and fellow @akashicbooks author @kayliejonesbooks and Joseph Levens. Thanks for the 📸 @joanieroney. by @outerboroqn

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