The Drunken Odyssey with John King: A Podcast About the Writing Life
John King
Join author John King for eclectic interviews with writers from a variety of genres, including fiction writing, poetry, memoirs, and journalism. From literature to genre writing to the movies, all writing is up for discussion. In particular, The Drunken Odyssey features discussion of all aspects of the writing process—not just the published manuscript, pristinely presented to the entire literate world, but also the scrawled notes and tortured drafts that lead writers there. In long-form interviews, writers discuss their process and the way that writing has influenced their lives. Besides this interview, each episode also features a short memoir essay from a writer about a beloved book, plus John King responds to listener’s questions and observations about the writing (and the drinking) life.
For more information, see our website at www.thedrunkenodyssey.com.
For more information, see our website at www.thedrunkenodyssey.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 30, 2025 • 1h 21min
685: A Discussion of Sylvia Plath's The Colossus and Other Poems (with Rachael Tillman)
Sylvia Plath is legendary for being a tragic poet mostly known for her novel, The Bell Jar. John and Rachael are fans of Plath's poetry and The Bell Jar, but hereby set out on a historical project to read Plath's work as the world would have known it first, and as she would have known it herself, without the legend imposing its darkest meanings onto every possible opportunity.
Aug 23, 2025 • 1h 33min
684: A Pop Poetry Conversation about Megan Fox's Pretty Boys are Poisonous
This conversation with Samantha Nickerson, Brian Salmans, and Rachael Tillman will give you some idea of the mischief you are missing out on, and the pain John is putting himself through.
Aug 16, 2025 • 51min
683: Eugenio Negro!
This week, John speaks with the fiction writer, cartoonist, and musician Eugenio Negro about his new novel, Despair Priorities, the long term project, and figuring out what will be deeply satisfying as a writer and reader.
Aug 9, 2025 • 1h 21min
682: A Discussion of Charlotte Brontë's Tales of Angria, with Sophia Ferrara
Sophia Ferrara joins John down the rabbit hole of Charlotte Brontë's early private storytelling.
Aug 2, 2025 • 44min
681: The Kerouac Project of Orlando Book Club Discussion of William S. Burrough’s Junky (with Matt Peters)!
In this week's show, John teams up once again with his friend Matt Peters to discuss the second book of William S. Burroughs's original quartet of novels. They also discuss the recent film adapation of the same.
Jul 26, 2025 • 1h 2min
680: Katharine Coldiron!
On today’s show, I speak with the essayist Katharine Coldiron about how the way we watch movies are sometimes our autobiographies, sometimes our philosophies, and sometimes our humanity.
Jul 19, 2025 • 1h 3min
679: Keith Mackenzie!
On 679, John speaks with the novelist Keith MacKenzie about how to plan an unplannable thriller, and how body horror and comedy and existentialism are awfully close neighbors.
Jul 5, 2025 • 1h 1min
678: Zach Zimmerman!
On 678, John speaks with recent Kerouac Project of Orlando resident Zach Zimmerman about memoir, memories, childhood, comedy, tragedy, the problems of authenticity, and other vital literary matters.
Jun 29, 2025 • 1h 16min
677: A Discussion of The Collected Poems of Hannah Arendt, with Rachael Tillman!
On this episode, John and Rachael discuss the poetic output of Hannah Arendt's poetry, newly translated into English in a new book from Norton, translated by Samantha Rose Hill and Genese Grill, plus Fred Lambert delivers another masterful installment of the Booze News Roundup.
Jun 21, 2025 • 57min
676: Skye Jackson!
On this episode, John speaks with Kerouac Project of Orlando resident Skye Jackson about how to create a poetry collection that can be read in one sitting, how to balance the concrete and imaginative abstraction, inviting the audience in, recording a poetry audiobook, ekphrastic poetry, and living in New Orleans.
