Puja Guha on Tea, Tonic & Toxin: On Fire and Under Water
Author Puja Guha joined hosts Sarah Harrison and Carolyn Daughters for Episode 111 of Tea, Tonic & Toxin, a special conversation centered on On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology. Puja appeared alongside guest editor Curtis Ippolito and fellow contributors Raymond J. Brash and C.E. McKenna to discuss the anthology’s development, international settings, and the experiences that inspired their stories.
Published by Rock and a Hard Place Press, On Fire and Under Water brings together 15 crime-fiction stories exploring how climate change affects people during moments of danger, uncertainty, and desperation. The conversation examined how environmental disruption can shape a character’s circumstances, motivations, and moral decisions while remaining grounded in compelling crime and suspense storytelling.
Puja discussed her contribution, “The Devil Doesn’t Live Hand to Mouth,” a story set in Mozambique and inspired in part by her personal experience working in the country. The story follows Antonio, a skilled swimming and scuba-diving instructor who worked hard to build his own coastal resort. After a devastating storm destroys everything he has created, Antonio is presented with a difficult opportunity that could offer financial relief but requires him to confront a serious moral choice.
Event Highlights
- A Special Anthology Episode: Episode 111 brought together four contributors to discuss the creation and themes of On Fire and Under Water.
- Climate Change Through Crime Fiction: The conversation explored how environmental disasters can create the pressure, conflict, and difficult choices at the center of compelling crime stories.
- Stories With a Global Perspective: The anthology features 15 stories set across different countries and communities, showing that the effects of climate change extend far beyond any single location.
- Inside Puja’s Featured Story: Puja shared the real-world experiences and observations that helped inspire “The Devil Doesn’t Live Hand to Mouth” and its Mozambique setting.
- Desperation and Moral Choice: Puja reflected on the central question behind Antonio’s story: what would someone do after losing everything, and how far might they go when offered an easier but morally uncertain path?
