John Burgman is a freelance writer who mainly reports on competition climbing for Climbing, Climbing Business Journal and Gym Climber. He is the author of three books, including the upcoming “High Drama” about the history of American competition climbing, coming out in March (2020). He is a former magazine editor, a Fulbright grant recipient, and a graduate of New York University’s MFA program. His work has appeared online and in print at Esquire, Trail Runner, Portland Review, Gym Climber, Boundary Waters Journal, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. He is a frequent guest on the popular climbing podcast, Plastic Weekly.
In this episode we chat about John’s path towards becoming a full-time writer and what it was like to move to South Korea at the age of 29 when, seemingly, all his friends were moving back to the city, getting married, and having kids.
Climbing Outside the Lines is an interview series with people doing things a little differently, and who just happen to climb.
You can find John at:
johnburgman.net
instagram.com/jbclimbs
twitter.com/John_Burgman
His books:
High Drama: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of American Competition Climbing
Island Solitaire, which chronicles John’s year spent on South Korea’s subtropical Jeju Island
Why We Climb: A Dirtbag’s Quest for Vertical Reason
Resources, blogs, books, etc. mentioned in the interview:
climbingbusinessjournal.com
climbing.com
rockandice.com
gymclimber.com
cruxcrush.com
climbingnarc.com
Plastic Weekly (Youtube)
Fulbright Scholar Program: cies.org
Aaron Gerry 