Episode 556 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).
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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 to discover how to make our unique ways in the world.
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Episode 556 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).
The Drunken Odyssey 
What a marvellous interview! I was surprised that Melnick is a real name (because it sounds like something from a cartoon) and yet here we have this excellent writer. She doesn’t talk much about herself, so I think you might’ve missed a bit on her memoir there, but that’s made up for in your (plural – y’all’s?) discussion about Dolly Parton. I do appreciate Dolly Parton, but I will add that down here in the Antipodes, ‘Jolene’ was covered by the late Olivia Newton-John. (I remember it from 1982, when Charlene had been to Paradise, but never to herself.)
As to the Nobel Prize, Dylan had more influence than Dolly, as far as I know – I mean, The Beatles – and maybe somewhere in the back AC/DC wasz influenced by Dylan – but Dolly is just good on her own. That’s not how you get Nobel Prizes for anything. Perhaps this Jack White will get famous before Doly dies and the Swedes will look at Dolly again.
‘Rhinestone’ clearly needs to be re-examined, by Jeff Shuster.
Ms Melnick is, however, a good conversationalist and well worth an hour and a bit of conversation.
Merry Christmas – and I will say again that the man who could paint a house in Florida’s climate is a fucking legend.
And I forgot to say, due to Uuletyide sprits, to check out ‘The Orville’, S3E5, for one of the best Dolly Parton statements you will ever see.