How Far a Night Can Reach
In turn surreal, comical, and poignant, How Far a Night Can Reach follows the lives of six main characters whose paths first cross at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. That night, an amateur fiddle trio takes the stage at an Irish pub called O’Malley’s. The fiddle trio consists of two hobbyists, Brent and Rudy, and one real talent, Georgia, still hopeful for her chance at professional musicianship. While the group plays, Georgia realizes she would rather be anywhere else but feels drawn to stay because of one particular bandmate.
Also attending the celebration are a pair of roommates, Natasha and Jaqueline. While pretending to enjoy the music, they must confront what may be the end of their close relationship. Jaqueline’s new boyfriend, Nigel, is suddenly thrown into the mix, and the roommates must figure how how—and if—he fits into their friendship. As the night continues, tensions rise and long held feelings are revealed. Georgia shares a regretful kiss; Nigel finds himself inside a stranger’s house; Natasha loses track of her group and must rely on a complete stranger named Brent to help stave off her loneliness.
During the year after the initial encounter, each of the character’s relationships are tested by increasingly unusual circumstances. A photoshoot in an old warehouse full of mannequins. A newly developed habit of eating paper. A snowstorm forces an unexpected reunion on New Year’s Eve.
Threaded by themes of celebrity, artistic integrity, and disillusionment, How Far a Night Can Reach explores all the strange and tender impulses we indulge in our search for intimacy and authenticity.
About the Author
Meghan Dairaghi’s first book, How Far a Night Can Reach, is forthcoming from ELJ Editions in 2026. Her fiction has been nominated for Best of the Net and appears in various literary journals, such as Alien Magazine, Alt Milk, Issue ii of londemere lit, and elsewhere. An undergraduate from Maryville University, she earned her MFA from University of Missouri-St. Louis.

