Jennifer Ostopovich - Episode 376

Jennifer Ostopovich - Episode 376

From Salt Lake Dirt by Kyler Bingham

May 8, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 376

About this episode

Kyler Bingham interviews writer Jennifer Ostopovich about her journey from childhood reader to pandemic writer and her exploration of transgressive literature.

On this episode of Salt Lake Dirt, I had the pleasure of talking with writer Jennifer Ostopovich . Based in Calgary, Canada, Jennifer shares her fascinating path from being an obsessive childhood reader to becoming a "pandemic writer". Despite being what she calls a "lousy student" who struggled with the sensory overload of traditional classrooms, she was reading adult novels by Stephen King and Clive Barker as early as second grade. Growing up in a rural trailer park without cable or a telephone, books became her primary window into the world, offering a connection to characters that television simply couldn't match. Our conversation touches on Jennifer's transition from writing a spy thriller during the lockdowns to finding her voice in the literary community online. She discusses her affinity for transgressive literature and her commitment to writing about uncomfortable topics like poverty and abuse—subjects often overlooked in more academic circles. We also talk about her short story "Guts," which explores the raw emotional landscape of childhood, and her unique piece " Albatross ," which uses a parrot to sketch out the complexities of…

People in this episode

Host: Kyler Bingham

Guest: Jennifer Ostopovich

Topics covered

  • writing
  • literary community
  • transgressive literature
  • childhood
  • poverty
  • abuse

Keywords

  • Jennifer Ostopovich
  • pandemic writer
  • transgressive literature
  • spy thriller
  • short story collection
  • Hobart
  • indie authors

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hobart

Books & works: Guts, Albatross

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