Fannie Flagg Always Has Something to Look Forward To

About this episode

Fannie Flagg discusses her upbringing in Birmingham, her literary inspirations, and her latest book.

Fannie Flagg grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where she had close family ties to the Irondale Cafe, a restaurant that’s still serving fried chicken, creamed corn, and of course…fried green tomatoes. The beloved local spot was run by her aunt, Bess Fortenberry, and served as inspiration for her 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which she also adapted for the famous 1991 film. It was no accident that Fannie found success in the movie business. Both her father and grandfather worked as motion picture machine operators, which exposed Fannie to the magic of films at a young age. It also gave her just enough knowledge to bluff her way into running the spotlight at the local theater, where she eventually became both a performer and a writer. Now she’s out with her eleventh book, Something to Look Forward To, a collection of short stories featuring a lot of the quirky Southern characters she’s known for. Sid talks to Fannie about her early days in Birmingham, her very funny grandmother, and the upcoming movie adaptation of her novel, A Redbird Christmas. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy…

People in this episode

Host: Sid Evans

Guest: Fannie Flagg

Topics covered

• Southern culture
• literature
• film adaptation
• family ties
• storytelling

Keywords

• Fannie Flagg
• fried green tomatoes
• Irondale Cafe
• Southern characters
• A Redbird Christmas
• Something to Look Forward To
• Birmingham

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Southern Living

Books & works: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, A Redbird Christmas, Something to Look Forward To

Places: Birmingham, Alabama, Irondale Cafe

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