Citywide Bytes—Life from the projectionist’s booth

About this episode

Author Brad Barkley discusses his YA book and the themes of cinema, grief, and mental health.

In this episode, author Brad Barkley joins me to talk about his newest YA book, “The Reel Life of Zara Kegg (Regal House, June 16, 2026). Here’s a look at the story: “Three years after her mother’s death, 16-year-old Zara still feels like an outsider in Carolina Beach. Working during the beach’s off-season as the lone projectionist at the Palace Theatre—a rundown retro cinema that shows only vintage ’50s sci-fi and horror flicks, including a major Godzilla marathon—she spends her nights in a dusty booth, fueled by coffee, pushups and the occasional existential crisis. Then she meets Zachary, who might be the most interesting person she’s ever met. As their friendship deepens into something more, Zara learns about the struggles Zachary hides beneath his charm and wonders if trust is possible.” Brad and I talk about the role of cinema in this book as well as the themes of grief and mental health and how they’re all portrayed. Brad shares the origins of Zara and creating the setting for the book. We talk business as well, such as how the YA genre has changed and how one prepares for the many rejection letters likely to come. We offer a few pieces of advice for prospective writers…

People in this episode

Host: citywideblackout

Guest: Brad Barkley

Topics covered

• young adult literature
• cinema
• grief
• mental health
• writing advice

Keywords

• YA book
• Brad Barkley
• cinema
• grief
• mental health
• writing advice
• rejection letters

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Regal House

Books & works: The Reel Life of Zara Kegg

Places: Carolina Beach

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