The Best Stories in Olympic Figure Skating with Layne Fargo and Denne Michele Norris

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan have begun. The torch is lit and the figure skating team event is underway. As you may know, I’m a former figure skater, and I love the winter Olympics. And so, I couldn’t resist asking two of my favorite authors and fellow figure skating fans to join me to share our Olympic enthusiasm and give you a little preview of what to watch for.Layne Fargo is the bestselling author The Favorites, They Never Learn, and other fierce stories for fearless femmes. She is an ice-dance superfan and just announced a forthcoming novel, The Ice Queens, set in the same high stakes ice dance world as The Favorites. She lives in Chicago with her partner and their pets. Denne Michele Norris is the editor and chief of Electric Literature, winner of the 2022 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize. She is the first Black, openly trans woman to helm a major literary publication. Last year, Denne released her debut novel, When the Harvest Comes as well editing and publishing the essay collection Both / And. A former figure skater herself, she is currently at work on a writing project that features figure skating.These women are two of my favorite people to talk about this sport with. They are knowledgeable, fiercely funny, and willing to talk shit when shit needs to be talked. I hope you love this conversation as much as I did and that it adds some joy into your Olympic viewing.Links* Follow Layne on Instagram and Substack* Follow Denne on Instagram and at Electric Literature* The Favorites by Layne Fargo* When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris* Both / And by Denne Michele Norris* Glitter and Gold* Deanna’s Dream* Jane Torville and Christoper Dean’s “Bolero”* Michelle Kwan’s “The Red Violin”* Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s “Umbrellas of Cherbourg”* Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s “Moulin Rouge”* Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli* Ice Princess* The Cutting EdgeGet more FictionMatters podcast episodes by upgrading to a paid subscription!For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing [email protected] or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!This email contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, please forward it to a book-loving friend. That’s a great way to spread bookish cheer and support the newsletter!Happy reading!Sara This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fictionmatters.substack.com/subscribe