On my way from North Carolina to Mississippi for the book festival last September, I stopped at a hotel in Tuscaloosa to break up the drive. Before leaving the next morning, I made a rare stop at the hotel breakfast bar to see what I could abscond with, and in a basket I saw a bunch of Otis Spunkmeyer muffins. I couldn’t tell you the last time I ate one, and I took that as a sign not to eat it, but rather pocket it to present as a symbolic gesture of connection to Joseph Earl Thomas when we broke bread together in Jackson the next day.
His latest book God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer is a damn delight, and one that makes you realize how safe most authors play it when writing and how the publishing industry (mostly) necessitates a conservative approach. JET deserves a lot more credit than he got for this book and telling the story the way he did. It’s real and unsettling and strange and beautiful all the same. It also pays homage to my favorite Vonnegut book and that makes me love it even more.
I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it!
To listen to the audio-only version, click the button below or find it on your preferred podcast streaming service.
That’s the last episode for me on this season of Write On, Mississippi! Season 3 of BOOKS ON THE BED will drop sometime in early to mid-March, so stay tuned.
Thanks for listening and reading and keeping literature alive.
-Matt
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