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
294: Ben Blum!
In this week’s episode, I catch up with Ben Blum, who was my colleague in a Jonathan Lethem workshop circa 2009, and talk about finding room for earnestness in a postmodern outlook, finding room for…
293: A Star Wars Roundtable (Happy Life Day)
In this week’s episode, Tod Caviness, Julian Chambliss, Dianne Turgeon Richardson, and Jared Silvia join me in a roundtable discussion of the Star Wars Christmas Special of 1978 and maybe got a few …
292: On the Road 60th Anniversary Celebration!
In this week’s episode, we return to September 5th, 2017, the 60th anniversary of the publication of Jack Kerouac's On the Road. This celebration included Tod Caviness, Janna Benge, Bob Kealing, Erik…
291: A Very French Christmas!
In this week’s episode, I talk with Vanessa Blakeslee about the new fiction anthology, A Very French Christmas, from New Vessel Press.
NOTES
Some context for the dubious Dutch tradition of Black Pet…
290: Jacob Shores-Agüello!
This week I talk to Jacob Shores-Agüello, the resident of the Kerouac House in summer of 2017. We talk about the roles that genres play in the process of mourning, the improvistory games that can …
289: Laurie Stone
This week I talk to the fiction writer Laurie Stone, and we talk about the need for more craft in experimental work, what New York means for writers, the tricks of memory and aging, and our beloved a…
288: Will Dowd!
This is a special episode, for Will Dowd, checks in to talk about how he turned his Drunken Odyssey blog, Areas of Fog, into a book! We try to get to the bottom of our editorial relationship, the tri…
287: A Craft Discussion of Ann Hood's Morningstar
In this week’s episode, I talk with Vanessa Blakeslee about Ann Hood's MorningStar: Growing Up With Books.
NOTES
Check out my interview with Ann Hood back on episode 242.
286: Bruce Janz!
Episode 286 is a bonus episode, on the 1 year-anniversary of our national tragedy, the election day of 2016. I talk to the philosopher Bruce Janz about how to stay sane and process the current state …
285: YA Panel from Litlando 2017
On this week’s show, Sara Nicolas,Christina Farley, and Ella Martin, discuss the world of young adult fiction at Litlando, from February 25th, 2017.
284: Horror Movie Poetry Night IV!
This week is a live show: Horror Movie Poetry Night IV. We enter the dark rubicons of Saw, Annabel, Child's Play, SawII, The Lady in White, Phantasm, Return of the Living Dead, Halloween III: Season…
283: Jay Baron Nicorvo!
On this week’s show, I talk about discovering character in the process of novel writing with Jay Baron Nicorvo!
TEXTS DISCUSSED
281: A Craft Discussion of Colum McCann's Letters to a Young Writer
In this week’s episode, I talk with Vanessa Blakeslee about Colum McCann's Letters to a Young Writer.
Books Discussed
NOTES
Colum McCann hosts a lovely Bloomsday reading every year at Ulysses Folk …
279: Leslie Salas!
On this week’s show, I talk editing and publishing and writing and the post-MFA malaise with Leslie Salas.
TEXTS DISCUSSED
NOTES
Leslie Salas currently blogs for The Gloria Sirens, and is an ed…
278: Brittany Perham!
On this week’s show, I talk poetry with Brittany Perham!
NOTES
Check out my interview with Brittany Perham's chapbook collaborator, Kim Addonizio.
RIP, Jerry Pournelle and J. P. Donleavy.
277: Jaimal Yogis!
On this week’s show, I have a fun conversation with the journalist, surfer, and Buddhist Jaimal Yogis about the provisionality of our knowledge, philosophy, zen, surfing, writing, avoiding preciousne…
275: A Craft Discussion of Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet
In this week’s episode, I talk with Vanessa Blakeslee about Rainer Maria Rilke's famous Letters to a Young Poet, plus we pay homage to Rilke's poetry with readings by Craig Moreau, Hyejung Kook, Davi…