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
Jan 23, 2021 • 50min
456: Lily-Brooks Dalton!
In this week's show, Janna Benge and I talk to Lily Brooks-Dalton about the experience of having her novel adapted into a prominent Netflix flick, how to enjoy letting a story take a new life with another creator, what the running time of a film means for a film's meaning, what film adaptations can teach a novel writer, and what film and television writing can do for a writer's creative momentum.
Jan 17, 2021 • 56min
455: Elif Shafak!
Elif Shafak, an award-winning British-Turkish novelist known for her vibrant explorations of memory and identity, joins the discussion. She delves into the intricate relationship between structure and storytelling, emphasizing how politics can enrich literature without overshadowing it. Shafak highlights the power of inclusive narratives and how they contribute to richer storytelling. The conversation also reflects on the emotional weight of literary endings and the struggles of portraying complex family dynamics in writing, particularly within patriarchal contexts.
Jan 9, 2021 • 54min
454: Sarah Kuhn!
This week, I talk to the novelist and graphic novel writer Sarah Kuhn about writing about Cassandra Cain for a YA audience, the demographics of fandom, the fun of the depth of the character pool of DC Comics, and collaborating with an amazing artist.
Jan 2, 2021 • 59min
453: Carolyn Forché!
The poet and memoirist Carolyn Forché discusses elegies, the role of the unconscious in composition, and being willing to avoid plans.
Dec 26, 2020 • 1h
452: Grace Elizabeth Hale!
This week, I talk to historian Grace Elizabeth Hale about how Athens, Georgia helped launch an indie music revolution with the B52s, REM, Pylon, and other bands, and the art and college scene that spawned them.
Dec 19, 2020 • 1h 10min
451: A Panel of Debut Poets, with Tommye Blount, Ricardo Alberto Maldonado, & Joy Priest!
This week, I share a Miami Book Fair panel of poets with debut books: Tommye Blount, Ricardo Alberto Maldonado, & Joy Priest!
Dec 13, 2020 • 1h 58min
450: Tron Legacy Roundtable!
In this week's episode, I talk with Julian Chambliss, Leslie Salas, Todd James Pierce, and Jeff Shuster about the legacy of Tron Legacy (2010) and Tron (1982) and Tron Uprising (2010) and many other things.
Dec 5, 2020 • 1h 26min
449: A Very German Christmas Discussion
In this week's episode, I talk with Vanessa Blakeslee about the excellent new anthology, A Very German Christmas, from New Vessel Press. TEXT DISCUSSED
Nov 29, 2020 • 53min
448: Peniel E. Joseph
On #448, Dr. Peniel E. Joseph and I discuss the careers of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X, and how examining them together reveals the complexities of both of their evolving understandings of American history and politics.
Nov 21, 2020 • 50min
447: Candacy Taylor!
Candacy Taylor and I discuss her new book, Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America. We talk about how research can transform a project, and how our understanding of our family's histories give us windows into understanding our nation's history, including our own precarious, sometimes alarming moment in it. We also discuss how instrumental color-coded index cards can help us balance the complex work of presenting the long threads of history.
