On #560, Rachael Tillman and I discuss the art of persona writing through the lens of Philip Schultz's recent book, Comforts of the Abyss.

This week I speak with the prose writer Jennifer Worley, the fall 2022 resident of The Kerouac Project of Orlando.

On this week’s show, Jeff Shuster and I discuss the 1992 Peter Jackson masterpiece of a family drama, Dead Alive.

This week, I speak with my friend and colleague Ryan Rivas about his exciting, new, experimental memoir, Nextdoor in Colonialtown.

In this week’s show, I speak with the poet Marisa Siegel about the value of combining poetry with graphic art, language poetry, discovering poetry early in life, and the Mills College MFA Program in Oakland.

In this week’s show, I speak with the poet Kimberly Ann Priest about purposeful ambiguity in poetry and the minor disturbing oddities in Hieronymus Bosch.

 

On #516 Rachel Tillman and I discuss the novels of Sally Rooney.

In this week’s show, I talk to Laura Costas about the pleasures of disorientation, the surprises of actual history, the complexity of myth, and postmodernism.

On today’s show, co-novelists Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman talk about corporate cults, collaborative writing, and satire.

On today’s show, I discuss Florida journalism, the tragic side of Florida Man, iguana hunters, bespoke mermaid tales, and other topics of great interest with Craig Pittman.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

 

On this week’s show, Jeff Shuster and I discuss the sensitive contribution to cinema that is Tokyo Gore Police.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

TDO listeners can get 20% of a premium subscription to Scribophile. After using the above link to register for a basic account, go herewhile still logged in to upgrade the account with the discount.

Check out my literary adventure novel, Guy Psycho and the Ziggurat of Shame.

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Episode 496 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on Apple podcasts, stitcher, spotify, or click here to stream (right click to download, if that’s your thing).

On this week’s show, Jeff Shuster and I discuss Repo! The Genetic Opera!

In this week’s show, I talk to Disney historian Todd James Pierce about how Covid-19 and the home streaming of entertainment might affect the future of visual storytelling, plus we discuss his current historical work on Disney Legend John Hench.

In this week’s show, Jeff Shuster (our glorious Curator of Schlock) kick off summer by discussing two vintage summer camp films released in a two year span, Ivan Reitman's Meatballs (1979) and Tony Maylam's The Burning (1981).

In this week’s episode, theater scholar Raphael Cormack and I discuss the allure of Arabian music, the revolutionary times in Egypt between the world wars, and the women who dominated Cairo’s entertainment scene in the 1920s and 30s.

In this week’s show, Leslie Salas and I discuss Lynda Barry's composition book-inspired musings on art, Syllabus, and how not just craft, but creativity itself is a skill.

TEXT DISCUSSED

Episode 457 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on Apple podcasts, stitcher, spotify, or click here to stream (right click to download, if that’s your thing).

In this week’s show, Ryan Rivas talk about small press publishing, book design, and the value of MFA programs.

Ryan Rivas by Jared Alan Smith.

The fiction writer and veteran Phil Klay and I discuss finding the right form for a novel, war literature, the uplift of humor, and winning the National Book Award.

On this week’s show, I talk with Jeff Shuster about Cosmos Panatos's 2018 classic horror film, Mandy, as part 1 of our series of discussions on horror films of the last decade.

This week, I talk to podcaster Kyle Eagle about music and everything.

This week, I speak to fiction writer Shane Hinton about his poetic, spooky apocalyptic novel, Radio Dark.

This week's show features another pair of episodes from Miami Book Fair International.

Music!

In this week’s episode, I talk with historian and crime writer Gilbert King about the history of justice and journalism, the role of luck in research, experimenting with presentation until a passage feels right, and how to manage one's doubts when pursuing a writing project.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

 

Check out my first interview with Gilbert back on episode 60!

 

In this week’s episode, I talk with creative writer and Disney historian Todd James Pierce about the new developments in role-play storytelling that were and perhaps still are planned for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios park at Walt Disney World.

According to the end of the line cast member outside Oga's Cantina, you can't see all three of Batuu's suns, but you could certainly feel them, on a day called Heatstroke-in-the-Shade.

Episode 382 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on Apple podcasts, stitcher, spotify, or click here to stream.

In this week’s episode, I talk with Rick Moody about his new book, The Long Accomplishment: A Memoir of Hope and Struggle in Matrimony.

Photo by Laurel Nakadate

In this week’s episode, Chelsey Clammer, David James Poissant, Rion Amalcar Scott, and I discuss how to survive in the writing life before an AWP audience in Portland, Oregon.

NOTES

If you are anywhere near Miami, check out the O, Miami Poetry Festival.

Please review this show on iTunes.

My novel comes out next week.

 

 

In this week’s episode, I go back to Jack Kerouac's house to talk to fellow fiction writer and NYU alum Sara Batkie about Realism, Magic Realism, historical fiction, the composition of a story collection, NYU's MFA program, the upsides of reading for literary magazines, and our evolutions as writers.

TEXT DISCUSSED

In this week’s episode, I talk to fiction writer Teresa Carmody about the joys of making books, the patterns needed for experimental work, and approaching the musicality of writing like meditation.

Photo by Jared Alan Smith.

 

 

In this week’s episode, I chat with my friend Terry Ann Thaxton about poetry, parents, mortality, yard work, mud, and the underrated useful of writing prompts for professional writers. We were tired, but we laughed a lot.

John King and Terry Ann Thaxton at Jack Kerouac's house in Orlando. Jared Silvia is saying something behind us. Photo by Katherine J. Parker.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

In this week’s episode, I speak with the war veteran, journalist, and novelist Elliot Ackerman about composition and revision strategies, and the emotional access points from our own experience to the stories we tell.

[caption id="attachment_23972" align="alignnone" width="4416"]Photo by Huger Foote.[/caption]

TEXTS DISCUSSED

 

Episode 347 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on iTunes, or right click here to download.

This week is a cornucopia of poetry conversation with Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Juan Felipe Herrera, and Billy Collins!

Juan Felipe Herrera

Billy Collins

TEXTS DISCUSSED

Here's a present, something I acquired when collecting bootlegs in the 1990s. I hope you enjoy it while I get over this damned cold.

In this week’s episode, I talk with Vanessa Blakeslee about the new story anthology, A Very Italian Christmas, from New Vessel Press.

In our discussion, we manage to talk about yuletide loneliness, poverty, despair, prostitution, elk herds, Christmas, fascism, prostitution, friendship, Paul Auster's screenplay for Smoke, and David Sedaris's classic essay, "Dinah the Christmas Whore."

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

Check out Vanessa and I talking about A Very French Christmas from last year.

Check out my interview with Davis Sedarisback on episode 50.

In this week’s episode, I talk to poet and memoirist Linda Buckmaster about how our subjects sometimes choose us, the wondrous weirdness of Florida, and how the find form in the flux of composition.

TEXT DISCUSSED

In this week’s episode, I am joined by Dale Lucas, Tom Lucas, and Elise McKenna for a deep dive into Stephen King's 1981 treatise on the horror genre, Danse Macabre.

Photo by Katherine J. Parker.

TEXT DISCUSSED

Photo by Katherine J. Parker.

NOTES

Check out Don Peteroy's amazing essay on how to read the entire Dark Tower series while still having a life.

In this week’s episode, I talk to fiction writer Jane Ridgeway about our stories and characters choosing us instead of the other way around, the delicious problem of historical fiction, and what teenagers today like to read, among other topics.

[caption id="attachment_23534" align="alignnone" width="2048"]Jane Ridgeway by Steve Erwin.

This week, I interview Dale Lucas, the author of the Fifth Wardand Doc Voodooseries of novels about exploring ethics in long-form narrative, world-building (and when to stop), how to keep writing the novel in maddening isolation, and other stuff, too.

Books Discussed

NOTES

Check out Dale's essayabout having Simon Vance perform the audiobook of his novel, The Fifth Ward: First Watch.

In this week’s episode, I talk with Vanessa Blakeslee about short story writing over the long haul, and about her brand new book, Perfect Conditions.

Plus James Chapin writes about how the King James Bible changed his life.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

On this week’s program, The Drunken Odyssey enjoys perhaps its final Bloomsday live show, and its perhaps final visit to The Gallery at Avalon Island.

Jeremy DaCruz by Steve Erwin.Matthew Davis, Alisha Erao, and Sarah Morrison by Steve Erwin.Octavia Finch by Steve Erwin.Elise McKenna by Steve Erwin.Erik Branch by Steve Erwin.John King by Steve Erwin.Emmi Green by Steve Erwin.Patrick Greene and Jeremy DaCruz by Steve Erwin.

On this week’s program, I talk to poets Gerald Stern and Victor Hernandez Cruz, plus we hear John McMahon's prologue to his work in progress, A Boy from Nantucket.

On this week’s show, I talk to essayist Chelsey Clammer about the lyric essay, finding humor in trauma, and being honestly surprising.

BOOKS DISCUSSED

On this week’s show, I share my interview with poet Sean Patrick Mulroy,

plus I chat with my veteran friend Joshua Dull (on the right) about his plans to do more mission work in Costa Rica.

NOTES

If you can, throw a few bucks into the can to send Joshua back to Costa Rica to work on clean water projects.

The Kerouac Project of Orlando is accepting applications for its 3-month residency program until April 16th.

On this week’s show, I share interviews I did with the short story writer Jim Shepard

and one of my favorite novelists, Jennifer Egan.

[caption id="attachment_22997" align="alignnone" width="1430"] Jennifer Egan © Pieter M. van Hattem.[/caption]

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

Please leave a review of the show on iTunes.

---

Episode 305 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on iTunes, or right click here to download.

On January 19th, 2018, Dianne Turgeon Richardson hosted an evening of protest poetry at Milk Bar in Orlando, Florida!

The readers included on this recording are Talor Carr, Rachel Fox, Lana Ghannam, Drew Weinbrenner, John King, Dianne Turgeon Richardson, Lisa Roney, Troy Cunio, Laurie Uttich, and Sean Patrick Mulroy.

Lana Ghannam.

Lisa Roney.

Bar dogs.

NOTES

• For help with getting Voter IDs, for yourself or others, please check out IDignity.
• Learn more about Exodus United.

 

On this week’s show, I catch up with Jason Croft about the continuing evolution of pin up and burly-q culture, Bunny Yeager's legacy, the awesomeness of Medusirena, writing for pulp magazines, the joys and struggles of editorship, and the 10th anniversary of Bachelor Pad Magazine, where some of my work has been published.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

If you can contribute to my indiegogo fundraiser, please go here.

On Sunday, August 13th at 3 PM, join me and the other authors of Other Orlandos to celebrate its book launch!

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Episode 273 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on iTunes, or right click here to download.

 

On this week’s show, I talk to fiction writer, Shasta Grant, the Kerouac House resident from the spring of 2017.

NOTES

Shasta's chapbook is now available from Split Lip Press.

On June 16th, I am hosting a fundraiser for the S.A.F.E. Words poetry slam at Writer's Atelier.

On July 28th, I am hosting a reading by Jaimal Yogis at the Kerouac House.

 

 

In this week’s episode, I talk to J. Bradley about his new novel, Jesus Christ, Boy Detective,

plus Tom McAllister reads his essay, "A Brief History of World Travel, Part 6."

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

• For those of you who'd like to read "A Brief History of World Travel, Part 6," or follow Tom McAllister in general, go here.
• Subscribe to The Florida Review for only $15 a year.

In this week’s episode, I share a recording of latest Best Of show in Jesse Bradley’s prose reading series, There Will Be Words, in which I was a reader, along with Tom Lucas, Jared Silvia, and Karen Price.

NOTES

If you live in the City Beautiful, that is Orlando, come see me collaborate with others in The Pink Fire Revue on Saturday, June 4th.

In this week’s episode, I interview the creative nonfiction writer Sarah Viren,

Plus Amy Oestreicher writes about a book that changed her life.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

Sarah Viren's My Murderer's Futon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES

Learn more about Sarah Viren here.

Learn more about Amy Oestreicher, including upcoming dates of her one-woman show, Gutless and Grateful, here.

In this week’s episode, I interview the poet J. Scott Brownlee,

plus Dan Lauer reads his memoir essay, "Helen of Troy."

TEXTS DISCUSSED

 

In this week’s episode, I interview fiction writer Mary Gaitskill, and share her reading from Miami Book Fair International,

plus Beverly Army Williams and I discuss Mary Gaitskill's new novel, The Mare.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

Check out Beverly Army Williams's site, Mothershould.

Get tickets for Litlando here.

The music used in this show was by Michael Hearst. "Alprazolam" (Songs for Fearful Flyers) and "Nicht Lustig Fight" (Film Music and Other Scores, Vol. 1) appeared in the opening, and "Theme From Magic Camp" (Film Music and Other Scores, Vol. 1) at the close.

Check out his wonderful music.

If you live in Orlando, check out Orlando Shakespeare Theater's 2016 production of The Tempest.

In this week’s episode, I interview Mary Karr,

and share her talk at Miami Book Fair International 2015, plus I share a Miami Bookfair Event I was in,

Tiffany Razzano's Saved by the Sunshine State.

 

In this week’s episode, I interview my occasional co-host Vanessa Blakeslee about her new novel, Juventud,

plus James Stewart III writes about how reading David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest changed his life.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

Come see Vanessa on book tour, including her upcoming appearance on October 18th in the Sunday Salon series with Orlando Ferrand, Anu Jindal, and Asali Solomon. The reading starts at 7 P.M. at Jimmy's #43 at 43 E 7th Street, NY, NY.

Svetlana Alexievich has won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Elvis, the king cobra who has roamed Orlando for the last 5 weeks, has been found.

In turns out, Publix Supermarkets don't recycle human skulls.

In this week’s episode, we have a roundtable discussion of Edgar Allen Poe.

Present for this discussion were Jared Silvia,

Shawn Whittington,

Dianne Turgeon Richardson,

Matt Peters,

and Teege Braune,

NOTES

Check out the sweet swag in The Drunken Odyssey‘s fundraiser here.

Check out these Burrow Press events. Literary Death Match will be judged by Billy Collins.

Saturday October 3rd  |  Functionally Literate Presents:

PADGETT POWELL  |  REBECCA EVANHOE  |  BETH McKEE
Lowndes Shakespeare Center  |  812 E. Rollins Street
7pm  |  FREE  |  No ticket necessary.

Wednesday October 7th  |  Literary Death Match Presents:

ERICA DAWSON  |  DAVID JAMES POISSANT
KRISTIN HARMEL  |  KRISTEN ARNETT
Mad Cow Theatre  |  54 W. Church Street, 2nd Floor
Doors at 7pm  |  Show at 8pm
$12 pre-sale  |  $15 at the door.

In this week’s episode, I talk about Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own with Vanessa Blakeslee,

plus Christopher Booth reads "The Disappointment,"

by Aphra Behn.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

Check out The Drunken Odyssey’s fundraiser and related perks here.

In this week’s episode, I talk to the poet Ciara Shuttleworth,

plus Don Royster writes about how Isaac Asimov helped him to appreciate Shakespeare.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

To read about Ciara's post-residency road-tripping with Flat Jack, here is part 1 and part 2.

To read Thomas Jefferson's original draft of The Declaration of Independence, go here.

In this week’s episode, I talk to fiction writer and poet Stacy Barton,

plus Shawn Whittington writes about how The Hobbit changed his life.

In this week’s episode, I talk to the poet Scott Bailey,

plus Chad W. Lutz writes about Stephen King's novella "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption."

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

The music accompanying Chad W. Lutz's essay was "Crater" by The Spanish Donkey.

Check out Jennifer Hoppe-House's Bad Dog, playing at Orlando Shakespeare Theater through May 5th.

In this week’s episode, I talk to the novelist Darcey Steinke,

plus I share a spoken word poem by Wilson Santos, and a brief interview about his crowdfunding project for literacy in the Dominican Republic.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkrDE5oYjRs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPhp5M3n0O0

NOTES

Check out more about Wilson Santos' Domican Republic project, including how to donate, here.

Check out Orlando Shakes' wonderfully colorful production of Merry Wives, with runs from February 4 to March 7, 2015.

Michael Chabon is a lyricist for Mark Ronson's new album, Uptown Special, as covered by The Guardian.

Harper Lee's lost novel, Go Set a Watchman, will be published later this year. The Atlantic reports on the story of its discovery. In an attempt to allay fears of Lee's competence, she has apparently released a statement through her lawyer, saying, "“I’m alive and kicking and happy as hell with the reactions to ‘Watchman,’ ” according to The New York Times.

On this bonus episode, I guide listeners through a lovely tour of Ulysses on today, which is Bloomsday.

TEXT DISCUSSED

NOTES

Check out Black 47's music here, or wherever you buy music. "I Got Laid on James Joyce's Grave" appears on Trouble in the Land.

On this week’s show, I talk to the multidisciplinary wonder that is J. Bradley,

Plus Molly Gleeson writes about reading Anthony Trollope while teaching in Saudia Arabia.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

 Hear J. Bradley read his "You + Me = Awwwwwww Yeah" + "Pussycat Interstellar Naked Hotrod Mofo Ladybug Lust Blaster" by Derrick Brown on the second erotic poetry live show of The Drunken Odyssey.

NOTES 

I recommend Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s production of Julius Caesar, playing until April 20th.

Check out Beating Windward Press’s call for essays for its forthcoming essay collection, The Things They Did For Money: How Writers, Artists, and Creatives Support the Habit.

In England, authors are protesting a new measure that prohibits inmates from getting access to books in the mail (BBC).

Beckett once directed his own plays, in performances featuring San Quentin inmates.

Here's an image of the Chronic City finale poster.

On this week’s show, I talk to fiction writer David James Poissant,

Plus Max Bakke writes about Nick Hornby's High Fidelity.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

Read David James Poissant's "I Want to be Friends with Republicans" here.

NOTES

OST's William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar can be seen from March 19 - April 20, 2014. Go here for more details.

On this week’s show, I talk to fiction writer and memoirist Kevin Sampsell,

Plus Kevin Bray writes about finding Men on Divorce.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

Find Burrow Press's releases here, & check out the discounted subscription rate.

On this week’s show, I present my interview with Edwidge Danticat,

and my interview with Koren Zailckas,

plus Samantha Stemler writes about Neil McKenna's The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5I_3co-6Dw

The Drunken Odyssey now has a youtube channel.

According to the Kids' Right to Read Project, 2013 has been a record year for attempts to ban books in libraries in schools. The Diary of Anne Frank, you know, is too pornographic for American children to be exposed to. This was reported in The Guardian.

The Heaven of Animals, the forthcoming collection from friend-of-the-show David James Poissant, is available for pre-order. Please support the launch of his book, which is wonderful reading.

On this week’s show, I talk to the poet Tim J. Myers,

Plus Dan Lauer explains the impact Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia had on him.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

NOTES

Walter Pater: "All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music" (From The School of Giogione).

Think about helping Beating Windward Press fund new art for its Doc Voodoo pulp fiction series. The swag is considerable, like this t-shirt.

On this week’s show, I answer some mail with my friend, David James Poissant,

Plus Cathy Day Addresses The Man Who Called Her On the Phone Asking for Advice About How to Get Published.

Notes

Cathy Day's essay first appeared on her blog, right here.

If you are in Central Florida on June 16th, come celebrate Bloomsday with us!

Book Fight's Exceedingly Accurate Blurb:

“The Drunken Odyssey with John King: A Podcast About the Writing Life is a supernova, an interstellar jamboree of colors and lights, like the twirling dresses of a troupe of champion folk dancers, like being imprisoned in Ace Freeley’s amp, throbbing like the veins in Jehovah’s hard-on.  You can look, but you can’t touch, and also, you can’t look, because if you do, you will turn to stone, and your guts will turn to marble.”

According to The Times, there was controversy over the spelling of the word that won the national spelling bee championship.  Is this anti-semitic orthography?

Episode 45 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing, literature, and drinking, is available.

This week, I talk to the poet Terry Ann Thaxton,

Plus Madison Bernath reviews 360 GLAZED DONUT VODKA!

Texts Discussed

Notes

Madison's review of 360 Glazed Donut Vodka first appeared on McSweeney's Internet Tendency.

Wikipedia decides that women aren't "American novelists," according to this Times story.

I'll be reading with Philip Deaver, Monica Wendel, and Enid Schumer on May 11th at the Timucua Arts White House.

On episode 43 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing, literature, and drinking, I talk to the poet Lillian-Yvonne Bertram,

Plus James Best discusses Gatsby.

Texts Discussed

Carlton Melton's Photos of Photos.

Notes

Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s Titus Andronicus runs through April 28.

Music for this week’s essay provided by Carlton Melton.

Grrr: Amazon buys Goodreads.com.

The Tequila Worms have generously offered their album Cantina as a free download.

On this week’s show, I talk to the poet Steve Davenport,

Joe Conley plums Cormac McCarthy's Child of God,

Plus I answer some mail...

Texts Discussed:

Notes:

Orlando Shakespeare Theatre presents Othello, now through March 16th.

Throughout February, Rollins College will be hosting its annual author series, Winter with the Writers.

Episode 26 of The Drunken Odyssey features the Martin Amis event at Miami Book Fair International, November 17, 2012.

On Episode 20 of The Drunken Odyssey, John discusses Florida literature with the literary scholar Anna Lillios, then Alison Barker discusses Lydia Yuknavitch's The Chronology of Water, and John answers mail while listening to The Tequila Worms.

On Episode 18 of The Drunken Odyssey, John speaks to the novelist Richard Manchester, then Adam Walck discusses House of Leaves and Moby Dick, and John answers mail while listening to the Necronomkids.

On Episode 15 of The Drunken Odyssey, John discusses the Disney Thing vis-a-vis himself, then talks to Disney historian Jeff Kurtti, plus Catherine Harnett discusses James Salter's Light Years.

On Episode 14 of The Drunken Odyssey, John talks to novelist Susan Hubbard, plus Nate Rankin discusses David Foster Wallace's The Pale King, and John answers mail.

On Episode 13 of The Drunken Odyssey, John talks to Mikita Brottman about her new book 13 Girls, plus J.J. Anselmi discusses Lauren Slater, and John offers a cocktail recipe.

On Episode 10 of The Drunken Odyssey, John talks to the poet Laren McClung, plus Claude Clayton Smith discusses John Updike, and John answers mail.

On Episode 4 of The Drunken Odyssey, John talks to the Shakespearean actor/director/scholar Kevin Crawford, plus Adam Michael Walk discusses Gravity's Rainbow, and John answers mail.

On Episode 3, John interviews the fabulous Lisa Claire Roney, plus Vanessa Victoria Volpe discusses Deborah Landau’s The Last Useable Hour.