Author Michael Branch - On the Trail of the Jackalope

Send us Fan Mail"If Thoreau drank more whiskey and lived in the desert, he'd write like this."And thus, Writers Drinking Whiskey presents author, humorist, father, desert rat, and blues harmonicaist Michael Branch. On tap, we've got a Nevada Manhattan recipe, tale of a drunk Mary Kay lady, an important public safety announcement on what to do if approached by the vicious but adorable jackalope, and the best doggone writing tips you're ever going to hear (along with a healthy dose on the power of humility). Slouched along the bar this episode:Mike Branch is a writer, humorist, environmentalist, father, and desert rat who lives with his wife and two young daughters in the western Great Basin Desert. His work includes ten published books, one of which is the Pulitzer Prize-nominated John Muir’s Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa (Island Press). His recent books include: Raising Wild: Dispatches from a Home in the Wilderness (Shambhala  / Roost Books, 2016), Rants from the Hill: On Packrats, Bobcats, Wildfires, Curmudgeons, a Drunken Mary Kay Lady, and Other Encounters with the Wild in the High Desert (Shambhala / Roost Books, 2017),  ‘The Best Read Naturalist’: Nature Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (co-edited with Clinton Mohs, University of Virginia Press, 2017), How to Cuss in Western (Shambhala  / Roost Books, 2018), and On the Trail of the Jackalope (Pegasus Books, 2022)....Some people run from their demons; others sit down and have cocktails with theirs.”William R. Hincy is a man who does and writes about the latter. Having become a writer after deciding it was the only sensible thing for a problem drinker to do, Hincy aspires to connect with readers by eschewing stock plots and generic formulas in favor of exploring characters who no longer create messes but have instead become the mess. This unflinching but empathetic eye and devil-may-care attitude helped him earn an American Fiction Award and be named a finalist for multiple International Book Awards for his anthology of short fiction, Without Expiration. His other full-length works include But the Ripping Apart, a novel about hoarding from whence the opening quote of this bio originates, and A Fire for Christmas, a satirical collection of stories set during the coronavirus pandemic (winner of the International Book Award and two American Fiction Awards). William R. Hincy now hosts the popular podcast Writers Drinking Whiskey and lives outside Los Angeles with his wife and kids, having found solace in the notion that the only things sacred are self and whiskey-winged interludes.Links:Mike website: https://michaelbranchwriter.com/ Raising Wild Cocktail recipe: https://www.forewordreviews.com/articles/article/michael-branchs-raising-wild-cocktail/High West Bourye: https://highwest.com/collections/all-products/products/high-west-bourye Two Bitch whiskey: https://www.twobitchspirits.com/Chapel tavern: https://www.chapeltavern.com/ Death and taxes bar: https://www.deathandtaxesreno.com/  Jackalope trailer video: https://vimeo.com/679257267 Hair donation for kids: https://childrenhairlossneeds.org/ Chapters:00:00:00 Start00:00:37 Introducing author Michael Branch00:02:13 Michael Branch's author journey00:03:32 Rye Manhattan cocktail recipe00:11:06 Best place for cocktails in Reno NV (travel advice)00:12:26 Rants from the Hill00:37:25 Jackalope jackalope I saw a jackalope!00:41:07 Did Jackalopes cause cancer?00:45:17 Jackalope hunts00:53:02 The moment the liquor kicked in00:59:04 THE jackalope question01:06:25 Writing process01:20:20 Core of Mike's writing01:34:33 Writing advice you wished you'd learned earlier01:36:23 Dealing with failure01:49:55 Shots rapid fire fun02:00:54 Author Reading02:14:26 Last Call life hack#podcast #author #booktubeThanks for tuning in! If you’d like to support the show, please consider joining us on Substack or picking up a book (or two). Links below!For exclusive perks and free fiction, join the crew on Substack. All of these WDW episodes are there, as well as host William R. Hincy's bonkers, rock-n-roll satire, PIRATES OF APPALACHIA: https://wrhincy.substack.com/ Pick up a book here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/William-R.-Hincy/author/B07ZYB5FHZFinally, shoot your feedback, suggestions, and guest requests to [email protected] less