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 24, 2024 • 1h 9min
637: Tiffany Midge!
On this episode, John speaks with the poet Tiffany Midge about the vibrant, often overlooked roles of humor and entertainment in poetry. They also talk about James Cameron's Aliens, popular culture as metaphor, and serial killers.
Aug 17, 2024 • 52min
636: Jeff Alessandrelli
On #636, John talks to Jeff Alessandrelli about his new novel, And Yet. They discusse the existentital torment of desire, the problem of overthinking the problem of overthinking, and the role of desire in literature, psychology, and history.
Aug 10, 2024 • 1h 20min
635: Michael Wheaton!
On this week's show, John talks to his friend Michael Wheaton about how to live in think in a media-saturated American life, which is the subject of his new book, Home Movies, available through Bunny Books.
Aug 3, 2024 • 1h 17min
634: A Discussion of Jewel's A Night Without Armor (with Rachael Tillman & Samantha Nickerson)
On this week's episode, Rachel Tillman, Samantha Nickerson, and John King join the nocturnal jousting in a conversation about Jewel's A Night Without Armor. This is a taste of what will be coming to my Patreon content, once I launch a Patreon page for this podcast.
Jul 27, 2024 • 1h
633: Todd James Pierce!
On this week’s show John speaks with Todd James Pierce about Larry Watkin and his history with Walt Disney as a novelist, screenwriter, and producer. They explore the 1940s to the 1960s of Watkin’s career and the common themes present throughout his risky live-action Disney projects such as Darby O’Gill, Robin Hood, and Treasure Island.
Jul 20, 2024 • 1h 31min
632: A Discussion of Nicholson Baker's The Anthologist with Rachael Tillman!
In this week's episode, Rachael Tillman and I break some standards of academia as we discuss the poetry insights of Paul Chowder, the narrator of Nicholson Baker's 2009 comic novel, The Anthologist.
Jul 13, 2024 • 53min
Replay: Episode 295 with Charles Simic & Richard Blanco!
On this replay episode, I talk to the late Charles Simic about James Tate, Kansas surrealism, humor in poetry, and embracing the unconscious, plus I talk to Richard Blanco about the accidents that turn us into artists, the grind of editing, and the joys of finding new forms and challenges.
Jul 7, 2024 • 1h 12min
631: Blake Sanz!
On this week’s show John talks to Blake Sanz, author of The Boundaries of Their Dwelling, about the intertwining short stories within the book and the journeys of emotional vulnerability, writing as a grad student, and wooden planks reminiscent of Theseus.
Jun 29, 2024 • 54min
630: Juli Min, interviewed by Samantha Nickerson!
On this week's show, Samantha Nickerson talks to Juli Min about reverse-chronology narratives and the captivation of surprises in following characters over decades.
Jun 22, 2024 • 56min
629: Li-Young Lee (interviewed by Chrissy Kolaya)!
On this week’s show Chrissy Kolaya talks to Li-Young Lee about his latest collection of poems, The Invention of the Darling. Together they explore the rooms of poetry, the systems of the human imagination, and the voice of angels.
