In which Jon argues that the “South” (and regionalism at large) doesn’t exist. In which Ben takes him to task and brings out exhibit A, Jon’s “southern” novel. In which Brian says, “It’s not the region so much as the writer.” In this episode, the boys ask the tough questions about regionalism, transforming place, and the role of literature and the storyteller in preserving shared places. Heavy shit. Then they take a gander at Sarah Layden’s story “Decoy.”
- Download directly as an MP3
- Subscribe to us and write a review on iTunes
- Subscribe to the new episode RSS feed
Reading Discussed
- Sarah Layden’s brief story “Decoy,” published at Failbetter, contains multitudes. Be sure to check out her debut novel, Trip Through Your Wires.
- The whole regionalism discussion was inspired by Tim Gautreaux’s preface to the 2004 edition of New Stories from the South.
- Charles Baxter covers Michigan in The Feast of Love and Saul and Patsy, among others. He tackles Minnesota in his latest, There Is Something I Want You to Do.
- Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction portrays a spooky future of limited flora and fauna, much like our dwindling varieties local coffee shops.
- There might not be a “Twitter of the South,” but there’s always the Asheville Hot Spot’s Twitter feed.
- Shout out to local bookstores! The boys’ favorites include Boulder Book Store, River’s End Bookstore, and Hub City Bookshop.