Episode 18 - Jack Stilborn
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A cozy chat with Jack Stilborn, author of The Tyranny of Good Intentions, a humourous book about human nature, politics, and democracy’s smallest battleground. We talk about process, marketing, the economics of being an author, working for the government, how to get endorsements, Monty Python, policy writing vs. fiction writing, and why writing what you know results in a strong manuscript.
Jack Stilborn showed early promise with a comic story that made a cousin laugh so hard she threw up. He was then deflected by life. Careers included part-time academic (political science); intergovernmental affairs advisor (Ontario government) and research analyst (Parliament). Outside work, he has raised three children with spouse Linda and enjoys eclectic reading, volunteer work, cycling, kayaking (no white water please) and cross-country skiing. Following a period of writing about parliamentary government, he has returned to fiction with a short story that received Honorable Mention in the 2024 Alice Munro Short Story Contest, and with his debut novel, The Tyranny of Good Intentions.
Find Jack at jackstilborn.com
Political science lecturer Andrew Walmer thought he could help out by serving on his condominium board. Instead, he finds himself trapped in an endless saga of petty disputes, bizarre rules, and increasingly desperate attempts to escape - all while trying to repair his relationship with his estranged wife Francine, a passionate law professor fighting for social justice, and save his career following an offensive classroom joke that could end his teaching days.
When the board’s iron-fisted president launches a crusade against potted plants, Andrew sees his chance to finally break free. But in the dysfunctional world of condo politics, where every decision is made “in service to the community,” nothing is ever simple. As new crises emerge and board members start dropping like flies, Andrew discovers that getting off a condo board may be even harder than earning forgiveness from Francine - and that his deeper question haunts him still: if people can’t make small organizations work, what hope is there for the big ones?
Warm and witty, The Tyranny of Good Intentions captures central challenges of politics: it involves people, and the people need to agree about decisions. It’s a story about second chances, the complexities of democracy at its most grassroots level, and finding hope in life’s unexpected detours - even if that detour leads straight to the president’s chair.
Theme music is Morning by LiQWYD
