Andy Miller

What happened was when I went to see Maxwell in New York in 97, we were bringing out all his novels amazingly in the UK for the first time.

He hadn't been published in the UK.

And as well as giving me a copy of his first book, They Came Like Swallows, which he signed, and also a copy of his correspondence with Sylvia Townsend Warner, which is a wonderful book.

He said there is a book coming out from a former colleague of mine in the New Yorker who died a few years ago called Maeve Brennan.

Before you leave New York, make sure you get a copy of the book.

And that's what I bought.

I bought it then.

I read, like you, some of the stories on the plane, thought they were incredible.

And then came back to... It's just...

no no one i knew had heard of her no one had had nobody nobody i guess who remembered and then i found one one old friend of of of of a family friend he was a person who lived in new york and she said she used to write the best talk of the town pieces and they were all collected together in a book and i remember trying to find

the long winded lady.

And I couldn't, I mean, I just, I tried in a few bookshops.

So, and then I forgot about her for a long, long time after that and moved out of publishing.

And,

It was that nagging thing every time I'd see a copy of it or somebody would mention it.

And I remember when Stinging Fly brought out their edition, must go back to read the whole of Springs of Affection, must go back to find out more.

The thing is, I feel that almost slight shame because these stories are so good.

These stories are so, so good.

You say Ireland, I would put her up there in the front rank of great short story writers of the 20th century without any doubt.

I mean, it always feels to be very madmen, the whole when you drink.