Author Squire Babcock, associate professor of English and philosophy and director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Murray State University, discusses his debut novel, The King of Gaheena, on the next One to One with Bill Goodman. The program airs Sunday, July 26 at 1 p.m./noon CT on KET1 and Tuesday, July 28 at 7:30/6:30 p.m. CT on KET2.
First, Babcock discusses his background, including stints as a ballroom dancing instructor, hunting guide, cotton gin employee, farm hand and journalist. The Louisville native also spent a decade selling and working on pool tables before entering an undergraduate program at the University of Massachusetts. Babcock speaks candidly about a turning point in his life: his arrest and felony conviction of heroin possession. Throughout these periods, he says, he maintained a passion for books and reading.
Then, the author talks about The King of Gaheena. Set in 1972, the novel follows a 20-year-old Louisville man from a wealthy family whose parents are killed in a car accident and leave him their family business. Babcock discusses his decades-long writing process and the significance of some of the novel's motifs, including fire and playing cards.
Finally, Babcock addresses Kentucky's literary culture and explains why he believes there is a renewed interest in writing.
One to One with Bill Goodman is a KET production, produced by Goodman and Cindy Asher. Following the broadcast, One to One is available for on-demand videostream viewing at www.ket.org/onetoone and podcasting at www.ket.org/rss.
