Passenger unknowingly reads author's book while sitting right next to him on plane

Being an author comes with many joys, but few match the incredible experience Joseph Fasano recently had on a flight. The American poet and novelist found himself seated next to a passenger who was engrossed in his latest book, "The Swallows of Lunetoo," entirely unaware that the author was sitting just inches away.

Surprised by the surreal encounter, Fasano quickly documented the event on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a photo of the book in the passenger’s hands and asking his followers what he should do next. One follower humorously suggested he whisper, "Is it better than the last one?" into the woman's ear.

Eventually, Fasano took the leap and struck up a conversation. He asked the woman if she was enjoying the book, casually mentioning he had read it "about 100 times." The woman didn’t recognize him, but warmly responded by sharing that she was traveling to visit family.

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Their conversation flowed naturally, with Fasano later updating his followers on X: "I asked them if they're traveling for work or fun and they said 'just a little trip to see family,' and looked directly at me for a moment and...we're still here."

Users reacted enthusiastically to the charming encounter. One user vividly imagined the scenario, writing, "You watch them read it. They’ve just started it so you can quietly suffer through every sigh, sleepy moment—or conversely every moment they seem gripped by it. Do they put it down to eat, or do they eat holding it in the other hand. You suffer. That’s the story now. For hours."

Another user shared their relatable story: "Ok this is in NO WAY comparable but I made a new Facebook friend and 5 days later she changes her banner picture to a photo of herself in front of a mural I painted. She didn’t know until a mutual friend told her in the comments but I was SO touched."

Fasano’s original tweet swiftly went viral, amassing over 2 million views, 20k likes, and nearly 600 retweets. For those unfamiliar, Joseph Fasano is a respected poet and novelist from Goshen, New York. His literary accolades include winning the Cider Press Review Book Award in 2011 for his poetry collection, "Fugue for Other Hands," and receiving critical acclaim for his 2020 novel, "The Dark Heart of Every Wild Thing."

Fasano and his fellow passenger's enjoyable conversation continued well beyond what either of them could have anticipated, turning an ordinary flight into a memorable encounter that resonated widely online.