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Bookish Flights: Books, Author Interviews & Must-Read Recommendations
Bookish Flights is the place to talk books and reading. This podcast focuses on connection, storytelling and the transformative power of books. Each episode invites guests to share the three books that have influenced them, unlocking their wisdom and how it changed their lives. Books are a bridge that connects us, a remedy for loneliness, and the best conversational currency to be the most interesting person in the room! Rooted in the belief that stories shape who we are, this podcast brings people together through a shared love of literature. Perfect for book lovers, Bookish Flights inspires listeners to discover the books that can shape their own lives.
You will love this show If you have ever asked:
- What are the best fiction and non-fiction books to read?
- Which books should I add to my reading list?
- How can I find more time to read?
- What are the best books for exploring new genres?
- What books are perfect for my kids?
- What is the publishing journey like for authors?
- What books do my favorite authors love to read?
Discover book recommendations across a wide range of genres, including historical fiction, romantasy, rom-coms, mysteries, thrillers and personal development. Check out the website www.bookishflights.com to see book club picks and the wide range of book flights.
Bookish Flights: Books, Author Interviews & Must-Read Recommendations
Finding Home in Fiction: Arlon Jay Staggs on Magical Realism & Southern Storytelling (E182)
In today’s episode, I am chatting with Arlon Jay Staggs. Arlon is a native of Florence, Alabama, and a Southern storyteller with deep roots, a sharp sense of humor, and a heart for connection. His novel Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits is his debut work of fiction. He holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside, a JD from the Mississippi College School of Law, and is an adjunct English professor at Northwest Florida State College. Arlon divides his time between Santa Rosa Beach, Florida and San Diego, California.
Episode Highlights:
- The challenges and joys of weaving magical realism into contemporary Southern fiction.
- Arlon’s favorite character to write and why that character surprised him.
- What he discovered about himself while writing Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits.
- The theme of “coming home” and how this novel became a love letter to the South.
- How sports can function as a powerful (and underused!) literary device.
- His transition into teaching English at the college level and how it differs from his MFA program.
- Why, as an author, reading for pure pleasure now feels like a double-edged sword.
Connect with Arlon:
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
- Jesmyn Ward books
- Double Fault by Lionel Shriver
- The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Untamed by Will Harlan
- Southern by Design by Grace Helena Walz
Book Flight
- The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
- The Motion of the Body through Space - Lionel Shriver
- The Resisters by Gish Jen
✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.
Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!