The Drunken Odyssey with John King: A Podcast About the Writing Life

615: Diane Seuss!

09 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This ep. features a conversation with Pulitzer prize-winning poet Diane Seuss about her latest book of verse, Modern Poetry. With bursts of internal r...

Replay: Episode 570 with Kathleen Rooney

02 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks to Brian Salmons for bumpering this replay episode.

614: Celeste Ng & Ben Fountain, interviewed by Samantha Nickerson!

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, Samantha Nickerson interviews the fiction writers Celeste Ng and Ben Fountain!

613: Jamel Brinkley and M. Evelina Galang!

17 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On #613, Chelsea Alice speaks with Jamel Brinkley about his new short story collection Witness, plus John King speaks with M. Evelina Galang about her...

612: A Discussion of Anaïs Nin's Little Birds, with Samantha Nickerson

10 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Samantha Nickerson and I delve into Anaïs Nin's posthumously published slender volume of erotica, Little Birds.

611: Matt Mason!

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John King chats with poet Matt Mason about the poetic necessity of engaging with the popular culture that is part of the fabric of ou...

610: Rebecca Renner & Major Jackson!

20 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John King chats with journalist Rebecca Renner and poet Major Jackson at Miami Book Fair.

609: Meg Cabot & Kelle Groom, interviewed by Samantha Nickerson!

13 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show features novelist Meg Cabot and memoirist Kelle Groom in conversation with TDO correspondent Samantha Nickerson, recorded during Miami Bo...

608: Maggie Smith and Michael Cunningham!

06 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John talks to the poet and memoirist Maggie Smith about the complexities of trying to merge reality with narrative structure, and dis...

607: Brian Turner!

30 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John talks poet Brian Turner about learning to write the thing we need to write rather than the thing we want to write, the long conv...

606: Felicia Day!

23 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John talks to author, actor, and producer Felicia Day about her new audiobook masterpiece, Third Eye, which is a hysterically funny f...

605: Elle Nash!

16 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John talks to the novelist Elle Nash about her breathtaking new novel, Deliver Me. The chief topic is how to write a strange, nearly ...

604: A Discussion of William Gibson's Neuromancer, with Rachael Tillman!

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rachael and I return to the subject of William Gibson to discuss his 1984 classic science fiction novel, Neuromancer, which is wonderful in its fusion...

603: Mistie Watkins!

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John talks to Mistie Watkins about her new book of flash essays, Hireath, which might be the most Florida book he's ever read.

602: Walter Mosley!

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John talks to best-selling author Walter Mosley about his process, especially when exploring unsettling, psychological science fictio...

601: Stephanie Land!

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, John talks to best-selling author Stephanie Land about her newest book, Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education.

600: Tom Lucas!

04 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, John talks to Tom Lucas about his brand new Lovecraftian YA-ish novel, Research Randy & the The Mystery of Grandma's Half-Eaten Pie o...

599: Schloctoberfest Discussion of Shin'ya Tsukamot's Tetsuo: The Iron Man with Jeff Shuster

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Shuster and I discuss the surreal techno-horror allegorical masterpiece that is Shin'ya Tsukamot's Tetsuo: The Iron Man.

598: Schloctoberfest Discussion of Dario Argento's Phenomena [1985] with Jeff Shuster

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's show, Jeff Shuster and I discuss Dario Argento's strange, mid-eighties masterpiece, Phenomena.

597: A Schloctoberfest Discussion of David Cronenberg's Videodrome with Jeff Shuster

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Shuster and I get rather turned around discussion the invo-convolutions of David Cronenberg's Videodrome (1983).

596: A Schloctoberfest Discussion of Oliver Stone's The Hand with Jeff Shuster

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Shuster and I discuss Michael Caine's brilliant acting and deranged hair as they appeared in Oliver Stone's directorial debut, The Hand (1981).

595: Rebecca Makkai (Interviewed by Chelsea Alice)

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chelsea Alice and Rebecca Makkai talk about diversity in novels, breaking genre conventions, student-teacher relationships, and how motherhood is repr...

594: Jack Houghteling!

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's show, I talk to novelist Jack Houghteling about Modernism, football, and the literary value of gangster movies, among other important t...

593: Ryler Dustin!

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On #593, I speak with the poet Ryler Dustin about creating new forms of sanctification and representing rural landscapes with familiarity without feti...

592: Dan Lauer!

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, I speak with Dan Lauer about memoirs, Spalding Gray, depression, the glorious bygone culture of video stores, the less glorious cultu...

591: Greg Proops

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, I speak with comedian Greg Proops about his new comedy album, French Drug Deal, the way time passes when sober and writing scripts an...

590: Melanie Farmer!

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, I speak with creative non-fiction writer Melanie Farmer about memoir, Brazilian jiu jitsu, the relationship between one's family and ...

589: Ian Patterson interviewed by Chelsea Alice

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, Chelsea Alice interviews Ian Patterson, who translated Finding Lost Time, the final volume of Penguin's new edition of Proust's novel...

588: A Discussion of Kathleen Alcott's Emergency, with Samantha Nickerson

12 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with Samantha Nickerson and I discuss the themes of friendship, relationships, depression, and death, and the craft of Kathleen Alc...

587: A Discussion of Myhouse.wad for Doom, with Michael Merriam

06 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with game designer Michael Merriam about the mysterious, recent addition to the world of Doomology that is the Myhouse.wad, a retro...

586: Sarah Viren!

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with Sarah Viren about memoir, the social structures of academic work, philosophy, and asking serious questions.

585: A Discussion of Leonard Nathan's The Teachings of Grandfather Fox, with Brian Salmons!

23 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode, I speak with Brian Salmons about Leonard Nathan's 1976 book of poems, The Teachings of Grandfather Fox.

584: David Lipsky

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, New York Times bestselling author David Lipsky discusses journalism, history, inventors, science, and the importance of storytelling to com...

583: Blair Hurley!

08 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode, I speak with novelist Blair Hurley about her thrilling new literary novel, Minor Prophets.

582: Andrew Porter Interviewed by David James Poissant

01 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David James Poissant interviews fiction writer Andrew Porter about peripheral characters, quiet stories, writerly influences, the theme of disappearan...

581: Joy Baglio!

24 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Speculative fiction writer Joy Baglio talks with me about labels, the surprises needed for compelling stories, outgrowing being an MFA student despite...

TDO Update for June 17, 2023

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

580: A Discussion of Devin Watson's Horror Screenwriting: The Nature of Fear, with Rachael Tillman

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rachael and I discuss horror screenplays and horror story podcasts on an episode in which the podcast turns 11 years old.  

579: A Roundtable Discussion of Jodi Picault's The Storyteller, with Samantha Nickerson and Chelsea Alice

03 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

578: Bob Kealing!

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week journalist and cultural historian Bob Kealing returns to The Drunken Odyssey to discuss the Beatles's two momentous visits to Florida in 196...

577: Sarai Walker, interviewed by Samantha Nickerson!

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Samantha Nickerson returns to guest-hosting duties with a fabulous conversation with novelist writer Sarai Walker.

576: A Discussion of William Gibson's Distrust That Particular Flavor with Rachel Tillman

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rachael and I return to the subject of William Gibson in a non-fiction collection that proved charming fun.

575: TDO vs. The Curator of Schlock for May the Fourth

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Shuster and John King celebrate May the 4th by discussing three films trying to capitalize on the science fiction success of Star Wars.

574: Nick Georgoudiou!

30 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, I speak with the Nick Georgoudiou about owning a used bookstore, maintaining a murder of typewriters, literary citizenship, and many ...

573: David van den Berg!

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, I speak with the poet David van den Berg on the glories of tromping through swamps as a child, the knifeblade dialectic of cynicism a...

572: Meng Jin, Eileen Myles, and Paul Tran interviewed by Chelsea Alice!

16 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Back in November 2022, Chelsea Alice conducted three on-site interviews at Miami Book Fair. She discussed Self-Portrait with Ghost with Meng Jin, Path...

571: Mark Scroggins!

09 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, I speak with the scholar and poet Mark Scroggins about poetry that simultaneously compels and eludes the reader with its strange musi...

570: Kathleen Rooney!

01 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

  I talk to Kathleen Rooney about finding the fun despite the end of The Great Enlightenment, the joys of mixing wit and earnestness in verse, the f...

569: Lydia Millet interviewed by David James Poissant!

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lydia Millet and David James Poissant discuss geography, birds, earnestness, the characterization of children, the structure of plot and novels, and o...

568: A Conversation about Albert Camus's "The Guest" with Chelsea Alice

18 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chelsea Alice gave me homework, to read "The Guest" by Albert Camus, the result of which is this existentialist episode, or something like that.

567: Brook Ziporyn!

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Brook Ziporyn and I discuss the complexities of interpreting the Daodejing, the humor of the book, and its applications to life philosophie...

566: Ciera Horton McElroy

04 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with Ciera Horton McElroy about following through with long form fiction and her extraordinary debut, Atomic Family.

565: A Discussion of William Gibson's Pattern Recognition with Rachael Tillman!

25 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Rachael Tillman and I discuss William Gibson's not especially science fictiony, but post-modern systems thriller, Pattern Recognition

564: Patricia Smith!

18 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

563: Stephanie McCarter, interviewed by Chelsea Alice!

11 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Chelsea Alice talks to Stephanie McCarter about Ovid's self-reflection, making Ovid's humor visible to a contemporary audience, and feminis...

562: Mike Nagel!

05 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with fiction writer Mike Nagel about comic existentialism, alcoholic literature, and the class complexities of real estate.

561: Felicia Berliner and Deb Rogers, interviewed by Samantha Nickerson!

28 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Samantha Nickerson talks to Felicia Berliner about her new novel, Shmutz, and the challenges of existing within multiple identities, p...

560: A Discussion of Philip Schultz's Comforts of the Abyss with Rachael Tillman!

21 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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.

559: Laurie Rachkus Uttich!

14 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week I have a long overdue convo with the extraordinary poet Laurie Rachkus Uttich.

558: Jennifer Worley!

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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

557: Jason Roeder!

31 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John speaks with his friend Jason about the creative joys of grieving and the power of earnestness and other matters of interest.

556: Lynn Melnick!

24 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The poet and memoirist Lynn Melnick talks with me about the cleverness and heart of Dolly Parton, who can serve as more than a cultural icon as we try...

555: Julia Koets (interviewed by Rochelle Hurt)

17 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rochelle Hurt interviews Julia Koets about romantic desire and loss, the villanelle form, the layouts of poetry volumes, growing up with the policing ...

554: Chrissy Kolaya!

03 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's program, I talk to the poet and novelist Chrissy Kolaya about the creative process, psychology, and the multitudinous tensions of being...

553: Interview with Robert Pinsky!

26 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Pinsky discusses his memoir Jersey Breaks, and John and Mr. Pinksy compare some psychogeographic notes, as well as bragging rights.

552: A Celebration of Salman Rushdie and Miami Book Fair!

19 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's program, I talk to Chelsea Alice about Salman Rushdie's playful parable from 2020, "The Old Man in the Piazza," published in The New Yo...

551: Elliot Ackerman!

12 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

550: Jonathan Ames!

05 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's show, I talk to the fiction writer and former memoirist Jonathan Ames.

549: TDO vs. The Curator of Schlock #14 (The Doom Generation)

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, Jeff Shuster and I discuss a wild, strange, deadpan, homicidal roadtrip story that is The Doom Generation.

548: TDO vs. The Curator of Schlock #13 (Body Bags)

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Shuster & John King discuss the 1993 anthology horror film, Body Bags, starring an excitable John Carpenter.

547: TDO vs. The Curator of Schlock #12 (Dead Alive)

23 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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

546: TDO vs. The Curator of Schlock #11 (Delicatessen)

16 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On #546, Jeff Shuster and I discuss the strange 1991 masterpiece from France that is Delicatessen.

545: TDO vs. The Curator of Schlock #10 (Nightbreed)

08 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's show, Jeff Shuster and I discuss the belated masterpiece that is the director's cut of Clive Barker's Nightbreed.

544: Ryan Rivas!

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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

543: Q&A Time!

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, my colleagues Christopher Odom, Bethany Duvall, Jared Silvia, and I sling writing advice from Full Sail University's Fifth Annual Creative ...

542: Azar Nafisi!

24 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

541: Marie Myung-Ok Lee!

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Samantha Nickerson speaks with novelist Marie Myung-Ok Lee about the musicality of novel-writing, and discovering the shape a novel requir...

540: Mark Braude!

10 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I talk with historian and biographer Mark Braude about artist, model, and cabaret singer Kiki Man Ray and the art life in Paris in the 1920...

539: Chelsey Clammer!

03 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I catch up with longtime friend of the show, the brilliant creative nonfiction writer, Chelsey Clammer.

538: A Discussion of John Bois's "17776" with Chelsea Alice!

28 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the brilliant Chelsea Alice & I discuss John Bois's postmodern masterpiece, "17776," which is partially about what football will look like ...

537: Michael Wheaton!

20 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On #537, I speak with the writer, publisher, and podcaster Michael Wheaton

536: Nona Willis Aronowitz!

13 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with nonfiction writer Nona Willis Aronowitz about sex and feminism and other matters.

535: A Discussion of Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran, with Rachael Tillman!

06 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Rachael Tillman and I discuss Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran, a long overdue read for both of us.

534: Rachel Kolman!

30 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with Rachel Kolman about her immersion in creative non-fiction and her writing life after her UCF MFA.

533: A Discussion of Don Marquis's Archy & Mehitabel, with Rachael Tillman!

23 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with my occasional co-host, Rachel Tillman about Don Marquis's Archy & Mehitabel, a series of narrative poems written by a cockroac...

532: Miranda Seymour!

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I speak with literary biographer Miranda Seymour about the extraordinary career of Jean Rhys.

531: Loose Lips July 2022!

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I am happy to present a bootleg edition of the Loose Lips reading series, hosted by Dianne Turgeon Richardson and Tod Caviness, with readin...

530: Jamie Hecker!

02 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, I speak with Disney historian Jamie Hecker about the relationship Walt Disney and the Disney Company have had with Washington D.C.

529: Kathryn Harlan!

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On #529, I speak with fiction writer Kathryn Harlan about her debut collection, Fruiting Bodies.

528: A Discussion of Sally Rooney's Conversations with Friends, with Rachael Tillman!

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On #528, Rachel Tillman and I discuss Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney's debut novel. TEXT DISCUSSED

527: Mixtape 16: Sobering up the Muses

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

526: Rochelle Hurt!

04 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On #526 I talk to poet Rochelle Hurt about her latest book, The J Girls: A Reality Show.

525: Brynne Rebele-Henry!

28 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On #525, I talk to Brynne Rebele-Henry about divinity, sexuality, and historical imagination in her extraordinary latest collection of verse, Prelude...

524: Yeoh Jo-Ann!

21 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On #524, I talk to Yeoh Jo-Ann, the spring 2022 resident of the Kerouac Project of Orlando, about her novel, Impractical Uses of Cake, proper otter b...

523: Aaron Angello!

14 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, I talk to Aaron Angello about his new book, The Fact of Memory: 114 Ruminations and Fabrications, the creative benefits of dai...

522: Ann Hood!

08 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, I talk to Ann Hood about the challenges of writing nonfiction, the intertwining of feminism and women's rights and the history...

521: Nita Noveno!

30 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's show, I speak with the creative nonfiction writer Nita Noveno about the Peace Corps, having a writing community, the Kerouac House, gat...

520: A Discussion of Anne Sexton with Rachael Tillman!

24 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's show, I speak with Rachael Tillman about the poetry and practice of Anne Sexton.

519: Marisa Siegel!

16 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ear...

518: Vidhu Aggarwal!

09 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's show, I speak with the poet Vidhu Aggarwal about humor in poetry, the physicality of laughter, symbology, physics and spirituality, The...