In this, the sixth episode of the Hometown Stories summer series, writers from The Habit Membership take us to all four points of the compass. Sara Dredge takes us north to Ontario, Canada. Sarah Bannerman, Lindsay Kyle, and  Monica Olsen take us south to Mississippi and Louisiana. Laura Love goes east to China. And Shannon Stephens takes us west–or, in any case, to the West Virginia of his childhood.

In this, the sixth episode of the Hometown Stories summer series, writers from The Habit Membership take us to all four points of the compass. Sara Dredge takes us north to Ontario, Canada. Sarah Bannerman, Lindsay Kyle, and  Monica Olsen take us south to Mississippi and Louisiana. Laura Love goes east to China. And Shannon Stephens takes us west–or, in any case, to the West Virginia of his childhood.

Conversations with writers about writing, hosted by Jonathan Rogers.

The Habit

The Habit Podcast

Hometown Stories: North, South, East, and West (Virginia)

Leslie Bustard did a lot of thinking, teaching, and writing about what God made women to be–as distinct from what women can and can’t do. She was working on a book on this topic when she died in 2023. In the last months of Leslie’s earthly life, writer and editor Théa Rosenburg came alongside to help Leslie get the book over the finish line. As it happened, Théa had to finish the work without Leslie. The book, called Strong Allies, released in 2026. Jonathan Rogers sat down with Théa at the Square Halo Conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and recorded the following conversation before a live audience.

Leslie Bustard did a lot of thinking, teaching, and writing about what God made women to be&ndash;as distinct from what women can and can&rsquo;t do. She was working on a book on this topic when she died in 2023. In the last months of Leslie&rsquo;s earthly life, writer and editor Th&eacute;a Rosenburg came alongside to help Leslie get the book over the finish line. As it happened, Th&eacute;a had to finish the work without Leslie. The book, called <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/strong-allies-creating-cultivating-restoring-leslie-anne-bustard/150f5da0629e2cff?ean=9781941106440&amp;next=t">Strong Allies</a>, released in 2026. Jonathan Rogers sat down with Th&eacute;a at the Square Halo Conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and recorded the following conversation before a live audience.

Théa Rosenburg and Leslie Bustard Were Strong Allies

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/d699cc26-51ff-4875-9bdb-aa4e006494dd/clips/6845c4da-d009-451c-a4d9-b42400bf05c0/transcript

Jamie Quatro is the author of Two Step Devil, a southern Gothic novel very much in the tradition of Flannery O’Connor. The Booklist review of Two-Step Devil describes it as "Brilliantly paced and exquisitely detailed, this striking novel takes on such weighty themes as faith, humanity, and frailty without a touch of melodrama . . . A spectacular masterpiece.” Bookpage called Quatro "a saint of Southern discomfort. Jamie Quatro and Jonathan Rogers recorded this conversation in front of a live audience at the Illuminate Conference near Chattanooga.

Jamie Quatro is the author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/two-step-devil-jamie-quatro/72c9f831f2b61a99?ean=9780802165428&amp;next=t">Two Step Devil,</a> a southern Gothic novel very much in the tradition of Flannery O&rsquo;Connor. The Booklist review of Two-Step Devil describes it as "Brilliantly paced and exquisitely detailed, this striking novel takes on such weighty themes as faith, humanity, and frailty without a touch of melodrama . . . A spectacular masterpiece.&rdquo; Bookpage called Quatro "a saint of Southern discomfort. Jamie Quatro and Jonathan Rogers recorded this conversation in front of a live audience at the Illuminate Conference near Chattanooga.

Jamie Quatro's Two-Step Devil

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/d699cc26-51ff-4875-9bdb-aa4e006494dd/clips/2154d76e-7bb5-41c7-973e-b41d013f7e96/transcript

Joy Clarkson is the author of Aggressively Happy and host of the podcast, Speaking with Joy. She is the books editor for Plough Quarterly and a research associate in theology and literature at King's College London. Joy completed her PhD in theology at the University of St Andrews, where she researched how art can be a resource of hope and consolation. Her new book is You Are a Tree: And Other Metaphors to Nourish Life, Thought, And Prayer.In this episode, Joy and I talk about the ways that figurative language shapes the way we think about the world and ourselves, and Joy tries to convince Jonathan that the distinction between simile and metaphor is meaningful.

This episode originally aired January 2024.

<a href="https://joyclarkson.substack.com/about">Joy Clarkson</a>&nbsp;is the author of&nbsp;Aggressively Happy&nbsp;and host of the podcast,&nbsp;Speaking with Joy. She is the books editor for&nbsp;Plough Quarterly&nbsp;and a research associate in theology and literature at King's College London. Joy completed her PhD in theology at the University of St Andrews, where she researched how art can be a resource of hope and consolation. Her new book is <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/you-are-a-tree-and-other-metaphors-to-nourish-life-thought-and-prayer-joy-marie-clarkson/20204047?ean=9780764238253">You Are a Tree: And Other Metaphors to Nourish Life, Thought, And Prayer.</a> In this episode, Joy and I talk about the ways that figurative language shapes the way we think about the world and ourselves, and Joy tries to convince Jonathan that the distinction between simile and metaphor is meaningful.
This episode originally aired January 2024.

Joy Clarkson Thinks You Are a Tree (from the archives)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/d699cc26-51ff-4875-9bdb-aa4e006494dd/clips/a0837cc2-fd62-4e7a-b6bb-b41600997c43/transcript

Hometown Stories: North, South, East, and West (Virginia)

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