Podcast Summary
Podcast: New Books Network
Host: Holly Gattery
Guest: Brad Smith
Episode: Brad Smith, "Billy Crawford's Double Play" (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025)
Date: December 17, 2025
Overview
In this engaging episode, host Holly Gattery interviews Brad Smith about his sharp, fast-paced new novel "Billy Crawford's Double Play". The discussion explores the book’s blend of small-town baseball drama with a satirical, heartfelt lens on the realities of scandal-ridden modern politics—particularly as they relate to Ontario’s “greenbelt” controversies. Smith opens up about his inspiration, character development, and his distinct approach to pacing and portraying women, all while maintaining a tone that is witty, unsentimental, and incisively observant.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Origins & Inspiration: Real-World Politics in Fiction
[04:33]
- The novel draws heavily on real-life Ontario politics—specifically the "greenbelt" scandal involving questionable land rezoning tied to developers and government figures.
- Brad Smith:
“Our premier is currently under investigation right now by the RCMP because of what happened... I kind of built the book around that notion. I created a fictitious city called Rose City, which is very similar to Hamilton, Ontario, and I kind of moved this Green Belt scandal to that area. So basically, the book's about my two favorite spectator sports, politics and baseball.”
2. On Pacing and Craft
[07:05]
- Smith discusses the importance of pacing for keeping readers hooked, crediting his “inherent gift” for knowing when to move the story forward and how to end chapters on cliffhangers.
- Brad Smith:
“I feel like it's always a matter of keeping things moving and not doing any detours that kind of takes the reader away from the story itself... when you go from one chapter to the other, and particularly the way you end a chapter too, you should end it on something that really makes the reader wants to start the next chapter instead of, you know, go to bed.”
3. Character Deep Dives: Inspiration & Development
Joe (the Mayor)
[09:58]
- Not modeled on one figure, but a throwback to folksy, honest, old-school politicians.
- Brad Smith:
“He's really folksy and he's got this. He Tells the same stories over and over again... and he's just very much his own man...incredibly honest.”
- Some inspiration drawn from Smith’s 98-year-old father.
Kate (Joe's daughter)
[11:44]
- Smith intentionally misdirects readers regarding possible romance with Billy, instead allowing her character to grow independently and form other surprising relationships.
- Brad Smith:
“Early on, I thought that, too [about romantic interest], and then I shifted because it seemed a little too clichéd... It’s not accurate to say that a character writes herself... but sometimes a character reveals themselves, even to the writer, you know.”
Billy Crawford (protagonist)
[14:49]
- Smith paints Billy as a 40-year-old “adolescent” with simple desires, whose primary focus is baseball, but with moments of real sensitivity and personal growth.
- Brad Smith:
“I actually think that the word simple can be a compliment more than a dish, you know, because he's very simple in a good way...if things are really black and white for him, he really just cares about baseball.”
Dale (Carol’s lackey)
[33:17]
- Dale is intelligent and knowledgeable but subservient to Carol, missing some inner strength that would allow him to break free.
- Brad Smith:
“He is really smart...he’s got a head full of trivia...the man that he basically works for and kneels down in front of every day knows nothing...but he's convinced that he's 100 times smarter than Dale. But he's not. But there's something missing in Dale that he would allow himself to be used like this.”
4. Memorable Quotes & Moments
On Hope and Integrity in Surprising Places
[02:56]
- Brad Smith, on whether hope and integrity can be found in unexpected places:
"Oh I hope so Holly."
On the Book’s Opening Scene
[17:59]
- Smith describes why the book opens with a cinematic, unexpected prom night encounter:
“To me, it was a snapshot of Billy Crawford. And you learned a lot about him in that really brief introduction...he's irresponsible...he's cracking jokes. So to me it was like a snapshot that just established who he was immediately for the reader.”
Live Reading: Billy's Awkward Interview
[21:29 - 26:12]
- Excerpt summary: Billy, reluctantly thrust into politics, flounders in a TV interview—blurting sports lingo, missing cues, and becoming tangled in logic knots. The host, Lisbeth, deftly exposes his confusion and the ulterior motives at play.
“Quid what? Billy says, I don't even know what that means, lady. I'm from Saskatchewan.” (Smith as Billy)
Attitudes Toward Women Characters
[26:12 - 27:26]
- Smith is praised for writing women characters who are witty, smart, and instrumental in revealing truths in male characters—and contrasts their intelligence and motivation with the often obtuse men.
- Brad Smith:
“Smart women--smart, smart everybody--are more interesting, smart characters in general... and to have somebody who's really sharp and witty and they're all pretty honest too...to me, is a lot more interesting than just having, like, a cardboard character.”
Satire, Scandal, and Blatant Corruption
[28:26 - 31:32]
- Holly and Brad discuss the open, “not even discreet” nature of political corruption today, the sense of futility it generates, and the way the novel reflects this reality.
- Brad Smith:
“Things have gotten so much more blatant...and the world has gotten a lot meaner in the last 10 years...you do see so many things that are under the table, underhanded, that aren't sneaky at all. It's just so obvious to anybody looking at it what's going on. And that's where a guy like Carol Miller comes from.”
Upcoming Projects
[35:52]
- Smith is working on two projects:
- A novel set in 1920s Moose Jaw that comically explores the legend of Al Capone’s presence in Canada—interrogating whether it ever really happened.
- Early notes for a new Ontario-based novel, again potentially touching on zoning, this time in cottage country.
Notable Quotes (with Attribution & Timestamps)
- “I've always said that I don't think you can go to school and learn how to become a good editor...the gift itself is pretty inherent. And I think pacing is the same way.” (Brad Smith – 07:05)
- “A smart woman is really sexy, for one thing. And Billy finds her incredibly sexy because of that. And he knows that she's smarter than him, although he would never admit it.” (Brad Smith – 14:31)
- “Quid what? Billy says, I don't even know what that means, lady. I'm from Saskatchewan.” (Brad Smith as Billy, reading excerpt – 25:59)
- “Things have gotten so much more blatant... And the world has gotten a lot meaner in the last 10 years... It's just so obvious to anybody looking at it what's going on.” (Brad Smith – 30:05)
- “He is really smart... But there's something missing in Dale that he would, you know, allow himself to be used like this.” (Brad Smith – 33:17)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [04:33] - Origins: Real-World Politics and the Novel’s Setting
- [07:05] - On Craft: Pacing and Sustaining Momentum
- [09:58] - Character Study: Joe, the Folksy Mayor
- [11:44] - Kate, Romance Subversion & Character Revelation
- [14:49] - Billy Crawford: Inspiration and Complexity
- [17:59] - The Cinematic Opening Scene
- [21:29] - Author Reading: Billy’s Political Interview
- [26:12] - Writing Women: Representation & Approach
- [28:26] - Corruption, Satire, and Public Apathy
- [33:17] - Dale: The Intelligent Yet Subservient Sidekick
- [35:52] - Upcoming Projects & Canadian Settings
Conclusion
This episode offers a lively, thoughtful examination of "Billy Crawford's Double Play," with Brad Smith opening up about his creative process, social satire, and the art of character-driven humor. It’s a compelling listen for anyone intrigued by the intersection of politics, sports, and literary craft, and an accessible way into Smith’s smart, funny, and resonant fiction.