Virginia Pye on Historical Fiction of the Recent Past & Infusing Joy into Tough Topics (E219)
This week on Bookish Flights, I’m joined by Virginia Pye, author of Marriage and Other Monuments, to discuss writing stories set in what she calls “the recent past” and why she’s drawn to exploring moments of cultural and personal change through fiction. We talked about the emotional balance of writing difficult subjects while still leaving space for hope, the surprising role the river played while shaping the novel, and her path to becoming a novelist after raising young children. Virginia also shares a book flight featuring three recent reads she’s loved lately.
Episode Highlights:
Why twists and surprises matter in her storytelling
Her favorite character to write in Marriage and Other Monuments
How setting can evolve into its own presence within a story
The marathon-like reality of writing book-length fiction
Balancing literary work with teaching, editing, and reading
A reading life centered around curiosity and craft
Connect with Virginia:
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Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann by Virginia Pye
Lad: a Dog by Albert Payson Terhune
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
I Felt My Life with Both My Hands by Jessica Treadway
Kin by Tayari Jones
Book Flight
Dream State by Eric Puchner
This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
Small Town Girls by Jayne Anne Phillips
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!
