NYS Writers Institute Director Paul Grondahl talks with author Dennis Mahoney, whose newest novel Ghostlove recently received a positive review in the New York Times Book Review.
In this wide-ranging interview, they discuss ghost stories, writing influences, bookstores, the "death of the novel," and the significance of the national and local protests.
Dennis grew up in Lansingburgh, NY, and was a literary major at the College of Saint Rose. He currently lives in the city of Troy, where he frequents the indie bookstore Marketblock Books. (#indiebookstoreboost)
His previous novels include Fellow Mortals (2013), which was named a Booklist Top Ten Debut, and Bell Weather (2015), which was an Indie Next Pick. Some of you may remember meeting Dennis at the 2018 Albany Book Festival at the University at Albany.
"The novel itself acts as his ultimate spell, with the price of success being the greatest unknown.
Though there are moments of existential unease, Mahoney is not interested in the ghostly bumps and chills of a creaky old house. With its openly bleeding heart and philosopher’s spirit, the odd and undeniably affecting Ghostlove explores ways in which we haunt ourselves."
Find Dennis on Facebook at facebook.com/theequinoxsociety and Instagram at instagram.com/equinoxsociety/ and his podcast of "dark and otherworldly stories" at
And here's a 2015 Times Union interview written by Paul. "Breakout novel for Troy's Dennis Mahoney"