Erin Connal Biography Erin Connal is an Australian-born writer who has lived half of her life in the United States. She earned her MFA at NYU, was shortlisted for the 2021 Disquiet Literary Contest, and is currently working on a novel and a collection of short stories. See Work FICTION / Winter 2021 The Black Kite and the Wind By Erin Connal , Illustration by Harriet Lee-Merrion There’s no such thing as bushfire season anymore. It’s all year round, and even now in winter there is a total fire ban in place.