A Murakami Minute: Manga Stories Volume 1 Introduction

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Our Hosts

Caleb James K.

Caleb James K. is the former Editor-in-Chief of the literary journal, Drunken Pen Writing, and the host of the DPW Podcast. He’s also a fiction writer, poet, and aspiring novelist.

Spencer Church

A former aspiring comic book artist, Spencer is the cohost of the DPW Podcast as well as a short story writer and avid reader.


We are back with A Murakami Minute! This time, we are covering Haruki Murakami’s Manga Stories Volume 1. In this first volume, Jc Deveney has adapted four of Murakami’s stories into a manga collection with art by PMGL Pierre-Marie Grille-Liou. 

The four stories in this collection are: 

Super-Frog Saves Tokyo: A few days after an earthquake, Katagiri discovers a giant frog in this home. The frog promises to save Tokyo from another earthquake, but Katagiri must help him. Is this real, or is Katagiri dreaming?

Where I’m Likely to Find It: A woman’s husband goes missing so she hires a detective. As the detective traces the man’s whereabouts, he reflects on the meaning of his own life. 

Birthday Girl: A woman tells her friend the story of a surreal encounter she has on her twentieth birthday with the owner of the restaurant where she works, who grants her a wish.

The Seventh Man: The story of a man scarred by the death of his childhood friend in a tsunami.

#210: Our 2025 Writing Year In Review Drunken Pen Writing Podcast

We open today's episode with some book talk. After that, we reflect on how 2025 treated us regarding our writing. We discuss our writing successes, failures, and future goals.  You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @dpwpodcast You can check out Caleb's work at http://www.calebjamesk.com. 
  1. #210: Our 2025 Writing Year In Review
  2. #209: 2025 Reading Recap
  3. #208: The Funny Side Of Poetry With Kurt Luchs
  4. BOTM #21: A Short Stay In Hell And The Divine Farce
  5. #207: Discussing Future Classics

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