Stan St. Clair is happy as a possum in a persimmon tree with his new book titled “When Pigs Fly, The Humorous History of Animal Metaphors,” which coincidentally was released on Groundhog Day this year.

This is St. Clair’s fourth book. “When Pigs Fly” explores the meanings and origins of hundreds of animal metaphors, similes and proverbs, many of which have been incorrectly attributed in previous publications. The book is told in his own words from his experiences and research.

“I am far from perfect so some of my research may also be a tad off, but I do try to be cautious when stating that my conclusions appear to be correct or likely,” said St. Clair. “I do not see myself as the final authority on this subject. However, I do believe my books and articles to be among the most accurate to date in this field.”

St. Clair was an insurance agent/ manager for 40 years. In 2008, he retired due to the recession. He has taken creative writing courses at Tennessee State University and received his bachelor’s degree in Religious Education from Covington College and Theological Seminary in Rossville, Ga. 

St. Clair Publications was created in 1999 and he has authored over 20 books, as well as articles and poetry.

Starting in 2009 he wondered where phrases were from and found that there wasn’t a general consensus of origins. “I decided to dig deeper and researched further. This is how the first book ‘Origins of Cliches, Proverbs, and Figurative Expressions’ began,” said St. Clair. “It sold quickly in the first few months. I hit on a niche and thought about capitalizing on it.” 

Thousands sold in seven countries and can be found in various schools and libraries.

St. Clair’s books can be found on amazon.com or you can call him personally at: 931-212-3303.

He is also the speaker at this Thursday’s Noon Rotary meeting located downstairs at First Presbyterian Church in downtown McMinnville. If you’re healthy as a horse, drop by and see a man about a dog, and be in hog heaven.