Mile Marker Zero: William McKeen on Key West's Wild 1970s Creative Scene
About this episode
Michele O'Connor interviews William McKeen about the vibrant creative scene in Key West during the 1970s.
Mile Marker Zero: William McKeen on Key West's Wild 1970s Creative Scene Host Michele O'Connor introduces the Fun in Key West podcast and welcomes William McKeen, Boston University journalism professor and author of Mile Marker Zero, to discuss 1970s Key West and the artists, writers, musicians, and actors drawn to its cheap, funky, under-the-radar culture. McKeen explains his drive as a lifelong storyteller, how Tom Corcoran (author of The Mango Opera) inspired and enabled the book after sharing a final Hunter S. Thompson message about documenting the "missing" Key West years, and why Corcoran became the narrative gateway linking figures like Thomas McGuane, Jim Harrison, Russell Chatham, Jimmy Buffett. They discuss balancing revelry with serious creative work, editing out some raunchier material (with extras on McKeen's website), Key West's sensory pull and rising costs, and the book's themes of friendship, survival, and tragedy, including Corcoran's missing wife. 00:00 Welcome to Fun in Key West 01:26 Episode teaser and guest 02:12 Podcast theme and intro 03:10 Meet author William McKean 04:40 Addicted to storytelling 07:24 Hunter Thompson voicemail 10:45 Writing Mile Marker…
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