Ad Aster

Hey Asterisks! What do you think happens when there is a collision between mental health and creativity? In this episode of Ad Aster, your host Zara Siddiqui is joined by Aldrin Badiola, Aster's newest associate editor and podcast team member, for an open-hearted conversation about writing, burnout, stigmatization in the literary community, and overall emotional honesty. Join us as we explore the boundaries of creativity and mental health and the point at which they merge together. Make sure to like, comment, and share with your fellow creatives!Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & Introductions02:00 – Are Editors Even Real People?05:00 – Editing with Emotion, Not Just Grammar08:00 – Balancing Aster with School & Family Life12:00 – Meeting Chaos: Food, Family & Final Drafts16:00 – Passion vs. Productivity: Why We Volunteer20:00 – Burnout, Boundaries & the Need for Rest25:00 – The Fun (and Fury) of Literary Debates30:00 – Learning Beyond School: Podcasts & Growth35:00 – Real-Life Lessons Schools Never Teach40:00 – Community, Appreciation & Being Seen45:00 – Editing Pet Peeves & Punctuation Panic50:00 – Final Reflections: Being Human, Doing Our Best53:00 – Ending NotesQuotes:“You can't really tell people things are going to be okay if, in the moment, they're not, because right now things are not okay. And it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel if you're struggling to get out of the tunnel in the first place.”— Aldrin“There does come a time in life when it becomes almost human for us to feel sadness and grief and anger. And I think all of those emotions are just as valid as us feeling positive feelings.” — ZaraTranscript

Hey Asterisks! Have you ever submitted to a literary magazine and wondered what happens next? Who reads your pieces? Are they even real, or are they just highly literate robots running on caffeine?In this episode, Zara Siddiqui and Judy Khaled discuss what it's like being a teen editor. Join them on this lighthearted, real, and somewhat crazy episode! Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & Introductions02:00 – Are Editors Even Real People?05:00 – Editing with Emotion, Not Just Grammar08:00 – Balancing Aster with School & Family Life12:00 – Meeting Chaos: Food, Family & Final Drafts16:00 – Passion vs. Productivity: Why We Volunteer20:00 – Burnout, Boundaries & the Need for Rest25:00 – The Fun (and Fury) of Literary Debates30:00 – Learning Beyond School: Podcasts & Growth35:00 – Real-Life Lessons Schools Never Teach40:00 – Community, Appreciation & Being Seen45:00 – Editing Pet Peeves & Punctuation Panic50:00 – Final Reflections: Being Human, Doing Our Best53:00 – Ending NotesTranscript

Hey Asterisks!

Hey Asterisks! Join us as we explore Asterlit's 2024 summer internship program. Our host, Judy Khaled, a podcast team member and Associate Editor at Asterlit, is joined by three incredible guests: Celina Simone, our Editor-in-Chief; Angie, an Associate Editor and Events Team Member; and Naomi Ferraro, a Managing Editor and Social Media Team Member. Together, they'll share their inspiring journeys from interns to key team members at Asterlit, offering valuable insights and personal stories along the way. Whether you're curious about internships or looking for inspiration, this episode is full of warmth and wisdom! notable moments: 00:00 – Welcome & Introductions 01:00 – Celina Simone on Initiating the Internship Program 05:00 – Angie & Naomi: How They Discovered Asterlit 10:00 – Growth of Interns: Celina's Perspective 15:00 – Challenges Faced by Interns: Angie & Naomi's Stories 20:00 – Feedback & Support from Mentors 25:00 – Celina Reflects on Internship Success & Advice for the Future 30:00 – Angie & Naomi: Final Thoughts and Advice for Future Interns 35:00 – Closing Remarks & Exciting Announcements Links: Transcript

We're joined by our host: Zara Siddiqui, the Podcast Director and Managing editor at Aster, as well as two fantastic guests: Emma Zhang, our Editor-in-Chief; and Judy Khaled, an Associate Editor and podcast team member. They'll share their unique journeys from interns to key team members at AsterLit, offering invaluable insights and personal experiences along the way. Whether you're curious about internships or looking for inspiration, this episode is packed with warmth and wisdom! notable moments: 00:25 - Introduction 00:45 - Introducing EIC Emma Zhang 02:39 - Discussing the Internship's creation 10:00 - Intern Selection process 15:16 - Introducing AE and Podcast Team member Judy Khaled 16:03 - Emma's founding experience for Asterlit 18:21 - Getting to know how the other EICs got involved with Aster 20:36 - Emma questions the former interns (Zara and Judy) 25:57 - Discussing Editorial Reflection Essays 30:22 - Advice for Future Interns 35:09 - End Statements 36:34 - Conclusion Links: Transcript

Our summer interns are back with another episode of Ad Aster! Join Aster Lit interns Judy, Angie, and Nabeeha for a deep dive into all things writing routines—the famous, the personal, the pros and the cons. Like our last episode, this episode was produced from start to finish by our summer interns. Thank you to our hosts for their hard work, to Joyce for the episode transcript, to Elizabeth for editing, and to Naomi for providing timestamps and quotes. notable moments: 0:00 - Introduction  0:35 - Finderscope check-in 2:11 - What is a writing routine? 2:42 - Nabeeha, Angie and Judy share their writing routines 5:15  - The hosts compare their writing habits to Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, Charles Dickens, and Haruki Murakami 9:46 - Discussion of how writing routines differ between professional and amateur writers 11:48 - Do writing routines differ based on the genre? 19:45 - Discussion of the hosts' preferred medium for writing 20:37 - How being in jail affected a writer's work 22:10 - Writing routines and wellness 27:56 - How can we avoid the negative effects of writing on health? 31:38 - The hosts' writing and reading quirks 37:23 - Conclusion  Links Episode Transcript Reddit post about the writer in jail The most unusual writing rituals of famous authors  The Daily Routines of Great Writers – The Marginalian Psychological Benefits of Routines 

Welcome to our first-ever summer intern edition of Ad Aster! Join Aster Lit interns Judy, Angie, and Zara for an eye-opening and laughter-filled episode on some of our favorite children's stories (and their darker histories). Learn about Disney favorites and classic tales as we celebrate the stories that have inspired us since childhood. This episode was produced from start to finish by our first group of summer interns. Thanks to our hosts for their hard work, as well as to Jane for the episode transcript, Judy for editing, and Zara for highlighting timestamps and quotes. notable moments: 0:12 - Introduction: Meet Angie, Judy, and Zara! 0:40 - Finderscope check-in. 3:19 - Insight on The Brothers Grimm. 4:19 - Discussing Tangled's origin. 5:58 - Insight on Hans Christian Andersen. 6:21 - Hans Christian Andersen's popular works. 8:55 - Zara explains the original Tangled (i.e. Rapunzel) story, which the Grimm brothers collected. 18:22 - Judy and Angie discuss the differences between the original Rapunzel and the adapted Disney version. 22:21 - Discussing Beauty and the Beast. 34:28 - Angie discusses Jane Eyre. 36:31 - Judy discusses Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly. 37:30 - Judy, Angie, and Zara talk about taking inspiration from other books and writing their materials through these inspirations. 37:55 - Angie and Zara talk about Greek mythology and books (e.g. Percy Jackson). 40:48 - Judy and Angie talk about story variations and dive deeper into the symbolism in Jane Eyre. 43:34 - Judy asks a question for the listeners! 43:58 - Zara gives a short episode summary. 44:39 - Outro ⁠Information on The Brothers Grimm⁠ ⁠Information on Hans Christian Anderson ⁠ ⁠Rapunzel collected by The Brothers Grimm ⁠ ⁠Beauty and the Beast - Wikipedia ⁠ ⁠Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly ⁠

Join Emma and Sara for a dive into one of our favorite genres at Ad Aster: magical realism! In this episode, Emma and Sara discuss all things magical realism, with—in true Ad Aster fashion—tangents galore. How is magical realism uniquely powerful for processing difficult realities? How does it intersect with other genres? Who are some of our favorite magical realism authors and their stories? Tune in to explore the surreal blend of reality and fantasy that defines this genre, and discover why it holds a special place in our hearts.

In 2024, how do we want to redefine the role of writing in our lives? According to co-hosts Kate and Emma, “I write, therefore I think, therefore I am”—as in, writing is the most fundamental catalyst and medium of new thoughts, ideas, and interpretations of the world. Join them as they explore writing as a mindset (a philosophy for directing attention and intention), set new year's resolutions (it's never too late!), and chat about how writing has evolved to intersect with other newfound interests.  INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM THEORY by Franny Choi Point At Which Parallel Waves Converge & From Which Diverge - Tin House Haruki Murakami's daily routine

Join Daniel and Sunny as they explore their friendship in the teen writing community—from their friendship origin story to being founders and Editors-in-Chief of teen writing magazines to meeting writers as people after reading their works intimately. Navigating the constellations of online competition, college matriculation, plagiarism, and gaining confidence in their work,  Daniel and Sunny have a heart-to-heart about the joys and intricacies of growing together as teen writers.  Daniel Liu is a writer. He is the recipient of the 2023 Lin Arison Excellence in Writing Award. He was selected as the 2022 Foyle Young Poet of the Year by The Poetry Society and as a finalist for the 2022 Adroit Prize in both poetry and prose by Arthur Sze and Kali Fajardo-Anstine. He was a 2023 YoungArts National Finalist and has been recognized by the Pulitzer Center, Bennington College, Columbia College Chicago, and others. His works are forthcoming or have appeared in The Adroit Journal, Diode, Tinderbox, Sixth Finch and elsewhere. He is currently working on a collection on memory. Sunny Vuong is a Scholastic Awards National Gold and American Voices medalist, and a scholarship winner with a Silver with Distinction medalist for her portfolio.  She was the 2022-2023 second place winner for poetry in the Bennington Young Writers' Awards contest. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Interstellar Literary Review. Her work is featured or forthcoming in Diode, Strange Horizons, and Kissing Dynamite, among others. She currently studies molecular biology and English at Yale.

Join poet, editor, and translator Poupeh Missaghi as well as Ad Aster hosts Emma and Celina to reflect on her work. We discuss Missaghi's book trans(re)lating house one, what it means to be a writer and reporter during times of violence and crisis, and how to subvert traditional narratives of backwardness and victimhood with aesthetics, form, and emphasis of questions over answers. ad as•ter ep•i•sode 23/ˌad ˈa-str ep ˌ-sōd 'twen-ty /ˈθri / /n. / What is the role of the writer or artist in times of turmoil and crisis? What does it mean to translate(re)late? What should we keep in mind when joining together stories? What is lost in creating content for the “other”? How does one subvert expectations of “traumaporn” and victimhood in marginalized literature through questions, aesthetics, and form? What is the relationship between searching for the truth and searching for how to tell the truth? In what ways can fragmentation reveal a more accurate truth? What is the strength in revisiting questions and open ended text, in intentional form and style? How do we ask questions when we know there isn't an answer? Is reporting/writing/exploration just a labyrinth of stories? How can young writers and artists explore and create for positive social change? Poupeh Missaghi is a writer, translator, and editor. Her debut book trans(re)lating house one (Coffee House Press, 2020) is a hybrid investigation of the role of the witness through the frame of the 2009 protests in Iran. her second book Sound Museum, forthcoming from Coffee House Press in 2024, investigates the history of global torture enterprise. her translation of Nasim Marashi's I'll be Strong for You was published in 2021 (Astra House), and she has two other translation books forthcoming in 2023 and 2024. An assistant professor of literary arts and studies at the University of Denver and a faculty mentor at Pacific Northwest College of Art MFA, she is currently based in Denver, Colorado. links ⁠trans(re)lating house one Poupeh Missaghi - Words Without Borders Mapping Tehran Visual Spotlight: Some Artists on Developing a New Visual Language of Protest The Many Voices of the Displaced Nowruz Journal 

In part 2 of our series on writing competitions, Emma, Ari, and Daisy talk about how to find competitions and opportunities, submitting strategies, and introduce some international writing competitions in poetry, short stories, and more, with input from guest Anna Feng on her own experience winning a Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award.  In addition to the international contests mentioned in the episode, we've compiled a list of many others for you to explore! The link to that list is here. The transcript for this podcast episode is available on our website, asterlit.org. Listen to part 1 of this series on writing competitions wherever you get your podcasts. ad as•ter ep•i•sode 23/ˌad ˈa-str ep ˌ-sōd 'twen-ty /ˈθri / /n. / notable moments:  0:33 - Finding writing opportunities & how to connect with the writing world 10:44 - Submission strategies & advice 11:30 - Different approaches to writing & submission 16:05 - Introducing international contests! 27:45 - Guest Anna Feng on the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 29:29 - Outro links Chill Subs Duotrope Princeton High School Contests  National Youth Poet Laureate Program Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes UK Poetry Society San Jose EASTSIDE Escapril Inktober (drawing) Golden Triangle haiku contest Sundress Publications MORE COOL CONTESTS!

Join Emma and Daisy as they explore the application process for upcoming (U.S. based*) writing competitions! Listen to first hand advice and experiences from Bennington, YoungArts, and Scholastic Winners ad as•ter ep•i•sode 22 /ˌad ˈa-str ep ˌ-sōd 'twen-ty /to͞o/ /n. Mosaic of tips and reflections from past Bennington Young Writers Awards, YoungArts, and Scholastic winners Joanna - Meaningful form (hermit poems!) (as a reformed STEM + Elon Musk stan) Emily - “Someone should be able to pick up your piece off the ground and know that it's yours”+ send what you love! Kate - You learn a lot from the process of applying + last-minute submitting panic + Covid YoungArts experience David - Be true to your craft and style Emma - Slightly stealing mini jam from scholarship breakfast in NYC Daisy - Contests or not, it's all about the craft notable moments: 0:25 - Meet Daisy! 2:12 - Bennington Young Writers Awards (international) 2:57 - Joanna Liu (2022-2023 Bennington YWA Winner in Creative Nonfiction) 9:50 - YoungArts Competition (US) 12:16 - Emily Pickering (2023 YoungArts Finalist in Creative Nonfiction) 15:46 - Kate Choi (2021 YoungArts Finalist in Play) 20:40 - David Chen (2022 YoungArts Merit Winner in Creative Nonfiction, 2023 Honorable Mention Winner in Creative Nonfiction) 26:28 - Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (US) 28:10 - Emma Zhang (2022 Scholastic Best in Grade and Gold Medal in Personal Essay & Memoir) 31:10 - Other contests 34:03 - Outro links Bennington Young Writers Awards (poetry, fiction, nonfiction | Nov 1) Joanna Liu, “Diagnosis of Familial, Lateral Curvatures” Ran Zhao, “How Did Li Bai Die?” (hermit crab poem) YoungArts Competition (creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, spoken word | Oct 13) Emily Pickering, “Speak” (p. 71) Kate Choi, “All's in the Past Now” (p. 28) David Chen, “Two-Faced” (p. 35) David Chen, "Self" (p. 75)  Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (critical essay, dramatic script, flash fiction, journalism, humor, novel, personal essay & memoir, poetry, science fiction & fantasy, short story, writing portfolio for seniors | varies) *Some other contests* Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest Columbia College Chicago Young Authors Writing Competition The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose *P2 will include international comps + advice on finding writing opps!

Join Editor in Chief Emma Zhang and Managing Editor Celina Naheed as we discuss our literary magazine theme for fall 2023: Lacuna.   Originating from the latin etymon Lacus, meaning “lake,” the word Lacuna is defined as an unfilled interval, or gap; as in, a gap filled with water, like the ones in history, or like our perception of the world, translation, black-out poetry, the editing process, and the diaspora experience.  What does lacuna mean to you? Submit your own exploration to our Fall 2023 Issue of Aster Lit: asterlit.org/submit⁠! Pieces referenced: Erasure in Three Acts: An Essay by Muriel Leung https://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet-books/2021/11/erasure  Dispatch in Two Parts: The Arab Body Writes Itself In https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/dispatch-in-two-parts-the-arab-body-writes-itself-in/ Winter Tangerine Skins Issue: http://www.wintertangerine.com/shedding-skins-toc Someday I'll love [Redacted] by Daniel Liu https://www.indigoliteraryjournal.com/issue-four/daniel-liu  Follow us on Instagram:  @ aster.lit Or email us general@asterlit.org Submit to our fall issue: Lacuna by November 10th: asterlit.org/submit Guidelines and details on the website. If you have any episode ideas or feedback, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/zyF2NWsBQ8qX8Cg36

Join Emma and Fiona as we talk to Lucy Zhang about hybrid writing, growing tech implications for the literary arts (or the lack thereof), self-teaching writing from works we admire, and how to have creative freedom in a competitive world and economy. ad as•ter ep•i•sode 20 n. An interview with the incredible Lucy Zhang Hybrid form (aka the undoing of form), writing + technology meditations: the authors joy of expression Writing in a competitive/tech cooperate culture "Great writers steal, bad writers copy" — learning writing from training wheels, and what it means to have a literary voice The exploring of "Emotional Truths" Can writing/humanities be taught? Advice for young writers! Lucy Zhang writes, codes, and watches anime. Her work has appeared in CRAFT, The Spectacle, Redivider, and elsewhere. Find her at https://lucyzhang.tech or on Twitter @Dango_Ramen.

In this interview with the incredible poet & translator Sean Zhurav, we discuss Zhurav's experience translating The Starchild and The Starlit Path by German poet Theodor Däubler. We explore linguistic, cross-cultural, and generational identities and connections, especially as they are enriched or represented through translated literature. We also examine experience vs. expression and ways in which we all translate!

Ariana Thornton is a teen poet, artist, and environmental activist whose many awards include being recognized as the poetry theme winner for Issue 5 of Aster Lit! Today we chat with Ariana about her journey as a storyteller, how she self-published her chapbook Creation Stories while in high school, and her advice to young writers wanting to get their work published and shared with a wider audience.

Do we write to remember or do we remember in order to write? To what extent do we change our memories to write better stories? How does writing filter and dictate what matters enough to be remembered? Join Zara and Emma for an episode of reminiscence and existential musings as we explore the relationship between writing and memory, inspired by our Fall 2022 theme: remembrance.

Join Liz and Caroline as they traverse a conversational journey that transcends space (Caroline is currently in Oregon and Liz is IN NYC, which are sadly not within driving distance), and the titular topic (Time); coming of age during the pandemic and beyond, the time-bending nature of love, and our favorite literature on time. If you're a fan of heart-wrenching New Yorker poems,  hopeful romantics, or passionate rants about the non-linear progression of time aka Jeremy Bearimy (shout out to “The Good Place”, beloved), this is the podcast episode for you!

Hi Asterisks! We hope that you're all doing well! In this episode, Maddy, Abby, and Emma discussed their experiences on the teen writing world and reflected on some lessons they've learned. Whether you're just beginning to enter competitions and programs or a veteran of the teen writing community, this episode will definitely have something you relate to.

If you ever want to have an incredible conversation about having incredible conversations, Sophie Beren is your girl! She is the founder and CEO of The Conversationalist, a multimedia digital platform empowering 15,000+ Gen Z leaders to break out of their echo chambers, have difficult conversations, and unify together. Through The Conversationalist's Gen Z Talk Show, "POVz"; their digital network on the Geneva app; and their text line, Sophie is helping unifying diverse young people from across the globe, once voice at a time. Sophie was recently recognized for her work as a 25 Under 25 by Social Entrepreneurs Magazine and 21 Womxn Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2021. Today, Sophie chats with Liz, Abby, and Hesandi about her journey from Kansas to the University of Pennsylvania to starting the Conversationalist, why echo chambers matter, and how writing and art can be used to build unifying communities.

Hello Asterisks, long time no see! We hope you've had a great 2022 so far. In this episode, Caroline, Hesandi, and Maddy shared their New Year's Resolutions and plans they hope to accomplish in the new year. Join us as we discuss how to balance all of your goals (and provide some tips for your resolutions too!)

Hi Asterisks, and welcome back to the 11th episode of Ad Aster! Today, Maddy and Liz discussed productivity and writing, fall, English classes, and college applications (dun dun dun!!) Join us as we discuss how to avoid writer's block and burnout or if you want some tips to remain engaged and in love with writing.

Hey Asterisks, and welcome back to Ad Aster's tenth episode! Today, Maddy and Liz were joined by Binaka Norris, the Director of Marketing for Diversify Your Narrative, an organization seeking to increase anti-racism curricula and representation in schools. Join us as we chat about all things diversity and inclusion (as well as some #PublixLove). As we turn our lens onto the youth writing community, learn what YOU can do to help this next generation have the most diverse media yet. We had an amazing time talking to Binaka, and we hope you enjoy the episode!

In this podcast, hosts Maddy, Liz, and Celine discuss how the current teenage writing community fixates on negative emotions and offer solutions to solve this problem and find more inspiration in positivity. Whether you're a writer yourself or not, this discussion is more relevant than ever, especially as media can seem more focused on sadness and negativity. 

Christina Li is a young writer from Canada and the inaugural winner of Aster Lit's Starlit Award in Prose. Her winning story, "Always Human," can be read in Issue 1 (Spring 2021) of Aster Lit at https://www.asterlit.org/spring2021. Today we chat with her about the inspiration behind her writing, her experience as a member of the Aster Lit community, and her favorite books. We hope you find this interview enjoyable and insightful, particularly as you consider submitting your prose or poetry to Issue 2 of Aster Lit (Summer 2021) by May 20 at https://www.asterlit.org/summer2021/submit!

Hello Asterisks, and welcome to our seventh episode! Join us as we discuss the drawbacks of competition in many facets of our lives and our tips for surviving and thriving in this culture. If you're a young writer, teenager, or person in general, you'll find yourself relating to at least one of the topics we discuss here. Join hosts Maddy, Hesandi, Zoe, and Liz as they conquer competition and show you how you can too!

Behold: our glorious interview with the one, the only, Rhiannon McGavin! The 2016 Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate and National YoungArts Finalist in Spoken Word, Rhiannon is an internationally-acclaimed poet and author who’s graced venues such as the Teen Vogue Summit, NBC News, Button Poetry, The NAACP Awards, and the LA Times Festival of Books. Join Liz, Zoe, and Hesandi as Rhiannon shares her most memorable spoken word experiences, her advice for aspiring writers, and a poem from her upcoming book “Grocery List Poems” (plus a few visits from her very adorable cats and dog).

hello Asterisks, we hope you had a great holiday and are enjoying 2021 so far! Close out the holiday season by joining hosts Maddy, Liz, David, and awesome guest Nithya as they share their favorite holiday memories, traditions, and some epic song recommendations!

Hey Asterisks, it’s been a while! We’re so excited to share Part 2 of our "Litany of Self-Care Lessons" series (alliteration ftw!). If you're a young writer, high school/college student, or general human being who is struggling to find motivation during the pandemic -- never fear, Ad Aster is here! In this episode, you'll learn our top 10 self-care tips to improve your mental health, productivity, and overall happiness during COVID-19 and beyond. Join hosts Maddy, Nafira, and Caroline as they describe their personal journeys with self-care and celebrate the unparalleled joy of dancing in the street!

Welcome to Ad Aster’s third episode, and join as we discuss the importance of self-care not only as writers, but as youth living in these strange and usual times. This week we welcome our first guest Meera Dasgupta, the U.S National Youth Poet Laureate! As an avid spoken word artist and the youngest/first Asian-American National Youth Poet Laureate, Meera’s performances have been featured by PBS, Apple, the Apollo, the United State of Young Women, and many more. Listen to us interview Meera about her self-care tips as a youth writer and activist, as well as our own tips on how to take care of your well-being. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our self-care series! Self Care Playlists :) Caroline’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5WT4U6Po4VBhG5f3tFqJJf?si=6ZsFMIHpThK9JrIhjjz8ew Maddy's Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0igdb4TYlgPmCRjJOKzdP0?si=w-KQsx6BT7ydS0CbqGV4xg

Join your hosts Celine, Hesandi, Caroline, and Liz as we discuss our unique experiences with culture as both minorities and majorities in our respective countries! Topics range from the importance of cultural representation in media and literary curriculum, to how culture impacts our writing, to how you can build your own cultural awareness and competence. Be sure to check out Liz and Caroline's organizations! Bridge to Literacy --> Instagram: @bridgetoliteracy | Website: https://bridgetoliteracy.com/ The World in Us --> Instagram: @the_world_in_us | Website: https://linktr.ee/theworldinus

Hop aboard for our first episode and get to know our hosts and origin story! We explore six-word memoirs, how we found community through the Between the Lines international writing program, the multi-faceted meanings behind our name, and what inspired us to create the constellation known as Aster Lit.

Introducing our podcast Ad Aster, an offshoot of Aster Lit! Come aboard as we traverse the creative universe together, interview published authors, and share our experiences as young writers from around the world. Stay tuned for the first episode! Instagram: @aster.lit