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
May 31, 2025 • 54min
674: Peter Kuper!
On today’s art-infused program, Drew Barth speaks with comic book legend Peter Kuper about his wonderful new book, Insectopolis, a project created during Peter’s residency at the NY Public Library, plus I briefly speak with my friend, the artist Jeff Wilfong, about his upcoming residency at the Timucua Arts Foundation here in Orlando.
May 24, 2025 • 1h 10min
673: A Discussion of William S. Burroughs's Junky, with Matt Peters!
This episode is a recording of the inaugural meeting of the Kerouac Project of Orlando's Book Club. Matt Peters and I discuss William S. Burroughs's debut novel, Junky, and its place in the first quartet of his transformative works. The setting for this conversation is the place where Jack Kerouac lived when On the Road came out, where he lived when writing the first draft of The Dharma Bums.
May 17, 2025 • 58min
672: Dan Reiter Event!
Dan Reiter reads from his new book, On a Rising Swell: Surf Stories from the Space Coast, with the jazz piano accompaniment of Daniel Tenbusch, touching the bohemian spirit of Jack Kerouac, who wrote the first draft of The Darma Bums at that very venue. John and Dan share notes about the writing life, the freedom of constraints, the careers of Joan Didion, Jack Kerouac, and Hunter S. Thompson, and physical transcendence—with the occasional contribution from Dr. Truth.
May 10, 2025 • 1h 27min
671: Dmetri Kakmi!
On this show, John speaks with Dmetri Kakmi about holding onto the mysteries of storytelling, the setting of Australia, the wild problem of self, and his wonderful new novel, The Woman in the Well.
May 4, 2025 • 1h 23min
670: A Discussion of the Ewoks Trilogy, with Jeff Shuster!
After taking a year off to recover, Jeff Shuster return again for a May the 4th episode of The Drunken Odyssey, in which we discuss the seldom-discussed Ewoks trilogy. As a result, we might never have another May the 4th conversation. But the conversation was lively.
Apr 27, 2025 • 1h 4min
669: Shelley Fisher Fishkin
On this show, John speaks with the literary scholar, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, who writes lucidly about classic American fiction in readable, important, and enjoyable prose. One of Dr. Fishkin's areas of expertise is Mark Twain. Her new book is Jim: The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade.
Apr 19, 2025 • 1h 5min
Replay Episode: Tessa Mellas (Episode 70, from 2013)
While John attempts his convalence from his contempible cold, here is a replay of a classic episode from 2013 with the fiction writer Tessa Mellas.
Apr 12, 2025 • 1h 6min
668: Margie Sarsfield
In Margie Sarsfield’s debut novel, Beta Vulgaris, a hipster Brooklyn couple take on temporary work at a Minnesota beet farm at harvest time in order to earn extra money to help them maintain their Brooklyn lifestyle. Elise, the protagonist, who suffers from anxiety that she is no longer medicated for, notices that her fellow workers disappear, either because the work is too difficult or else other mysterious reasons. Elise’s experience becomes more anguishing when her boyfriend also disappears, and then the beets start materializing around her wherever she goes, and the beets gradually begin to speak to her.
Apr 5, 2025 • 1h 2min
667: Samantha Nickerson interviews Sally Wen Mao and Susan Mauddi Darraj
On this show, correspondent Samantha Nickerson speaks with Sally Wen Mao about her story collection, Ninetails, plus Samantha speaks with Susan Mauddi Darraj about her new novel, Behind You Is The Sea.
Mar 29, 2025 • 1h 34min
666: A Discussion of David Lynch's Ronnie Rocket, with Stephen McClurg!
In honor of the passing of David Lynch, John and Stephen McClurg discuss the peculiar mysteries of a screenplay for a legendary project that was never made, Ronnie Rocket.
