The Drunken Odyssey with John King: A Podcast About the Writing Life
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.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 71 minutes
- Episodes
- 694
- Years Active
- 2012 - 2025
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 Se…
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.
665: Jaydra Johnson!
In this week's show, John speaks with Jaydra Johnson about her new book, Low: Notes on Art and Trash, and the tensions and connections between class perception, politics, and creation of art.
664: Rigoberto Gonzales & Richard Blanco!
On today’s show, I speak with the poet and editor Rigoberto Gonzales about the curation of the Library of America anthology of Latino Poetry. Then Richard Blanco reads "Como Tú," his poem that is col…
663: A Discussion of Bill Knott's Corpse and Beans, with Rachael Tillman.
0On #633, Rachael Tillman and I discuss the surreal paradoxes and sullen joys of Bill Knott's debut collection of poetry, The Naomi Poems: Corpse and Beans, which was recently reprinted by Black Ocea…
662: Rufi Thorpe & Susan Minot (Interviewed by Samantha Nickerson)
On today’s episode, Samantha Nickerson speaks with fiction writer Rufi Thorpe about her striking novel Margo's Got Money Problems. In this episode, you learn about more than just Margo's money proble…
661: Kathy Fish!
In this episode, John interviews the notable flash fiction writer Kathy Fish about the anxious nuances of that medium and genre. Is flash fiction just a very short story, with all the rules of fictio…
660: A Discussion About John D. MacDonald, with Andrew Gulli and Maynard MacDonald
In this episode, John discusses the career of crime novelist John D. MacDonald (1916-1986) in light of a new posthumous short story, “The Accomplice.” In this interview, John speaks with with Andrew …
659: Duy Đoàn!
In 659, John talks to poet Duy Đoàn about his latest collection, Zombie Vomit Mad Libs, the poetic provocations of horror films, and experimenting with erasure and fragmentation.
Replay: Episode 99: Kseniya Melnik (2014)!
In this week’s replay episode, John talks with fellow classmate, the fiction writer Kseniya Melnik.
658: Denise Duhamel!
In this week's show, John talks to the delightful poet Denise Duhamel about the nuts and bolts of poetry, the construction of themed collections, Barbie, and other matters of literary interest.
657: Daniel Handler, Griffin Dunne, and Ridley Pearson!
This week’s show collects three interviews with prose writers Daniel Handler, Griffin Dunne, and Ridley Pearson in joyful, fun conversations conducted last November at Miami Book Fair.
656: Fire by Fire by Fire with Dianne Turgeon Richardson and Tod Caviness!
John convenes with Loose Lips hosts Dianne Turgeon Richardson for a poetry game in which three friends draw themed cards and read original poems somehow connected to those themes. Alcohol was consume…
655: Steve Chang!
On this week's show, John talks to recent Kerouac Project resident Steve Chang about writing humor with vulnerability, complicating the absurdity of the world through grounded fiction, editing fictio…
654: David Kirby, Traci Brimhall, & Robert Pinsky
This week’s show collects three interviews with poets David Kirby, Traci Brimhall, and Robert Pinsky in joyful, fun conversations conducted last November at Miami Book Fair.
653: Dobby Gibson, interviewed by Chrissy Kolaya!
On this week’s show Chrissy Kolaya talks to Dobby Gibson about his latest poetry volume, Hold Everything, now out with Graywolf Press.
652: Jonathan Lethem!
In this week’s show, John speaks with Jonathan Lethem about the pull of Brooklyn and obsession, the craft of guiding the reader through unusual storytelling, and bold balancing acts as storytellers.
651: The Drunken Odyssey Takes Over Loose Lips for December 2024!
This episode features a Drunken Odyssey takeover of Orlando's longest-running, and also only, current-events inspired reading series.
650: C. Michelle Lindley!
In this week’s show, John speaks with debut novelist C. Michelle Lindley's, whose The Nude is a page-turning literary meditation on the madness of the commerce of art and labor and relationships and …
649: Ezza Ahmed!
On #649, John speaks with recent writer-in-residence at the Kerouac Project of Orlando, the poet Ezza Ahmed.