Writing Remix Podcast

Dan invites Dr. Bailey McAlister, sommelier, Rhetoric & Communications professor, & pop-culture critic to talk all about how she merges her love of wine and the wine community with her PhD research, the impact that 2020 had on the wine & beverage industry, how sommeliers are using personal narratives to introduce people to wine, community building in the world of wine, how she teaches process-oriented writing to her students, and so much more. So, grab a glass, your favorite beverage, and settle in for another Writing Remix!

Dan recorded LIVE from the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference in Albuquerque, NM w/ USC colleagues Jen Sopchockchai Bankard & P.T. McNiff of the Long Take Review podcast. Shoutout to SWPACA, the tech guy who helped make this happen, and everyone that came out to support! Their presentation, “Between Two Scholastic Worlds: Teaching, Blogging, andContinue reading "104. LIVE! from The Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference w/ The Long Take Review Podcast"

Content Warning: This episode has discussions about mental health issues, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, & suicidal ideation. Dan invites artist Dr. Ally Zlatar to talk about the imperative role artists & art play in the world to communicate empathy, create community, & as a tool for empowerment. This is such a deep episode with aContinue reading "103. Being an Artist w/ Dr. Ally Zlatar"

Dan invites Saint John’s University alum and the Founder & CEO of Your Instructional Designer Dr. Nicole Papaioannou Lugara. On this episode, Nicole reflects on her journey from PhD to CEO. She talks about creating and launching an instructional design company, what she believes the role of instructional design is in today’s world, some ofContinue reading "102. Digital Social Learning Solutions w/ Dr. Nicole Papaioannou Lugara"

Dan invites Nancy Stohlman back on Writing Remix to discuss recording the audiobook for her award-winning book Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction, the growing genre of Flash Fiction, the importance of building a creative community to recover from burnout, doing promotion for her book during COVID-19 quarantine in 2022, and so much more.Continue reading "101. Growing Flash Fiction w/ Nancy Stohlman"

On this special episode of Writing Remix, Dan celebrates the 100th episode talking about some of the lessons he’s learned about himself as a writer, teacher, and podcaster. He reflects on the decision to pivot the focus of Writing Remix during the COVID-19 pandemic, how major news events impacted the podcast, how his understanding ofContinue reading "100. What I Learned After 100 Episodes w/ Daniel Dissinger"

Dan welcomes Leah Rubinsky, PhD candidate at the University of Washington and podcaster, to dive deeply into the grad student experience, confronting academic writing genres and styles, writing workshops and feedback, and the challenges of subverting the dissertation style to fit one’s research. Leah also talks about her research on “bad” mothering in Colombian andContinue reading "99. Bringing the Grad Student Persepctive w/ Leah Rubinsky"

On this special episode, Dan speaks to participants at the 2023 SWPACA (Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference) in Albuquerque, NM. In just twenty-three and a half minutes you’ll hear about the Roswell event, making art on scratchboard, the interesting cultural history of the pink flamingo lawn ornament, decolonizing flavors, coffee, and so much more. SpecialContinue reading "98. Writing Remix at SWPACA 2023 in Albuquerque, NM"

Dan welcomes Julia Reade from Nova High School in Seattle, WA to discuss the need for collaboration and communication between college professors and K-12 instructors, her experience teaching at Nova and applying an inquiry model of education, her amazing project “What Would the Mushrooms Say?” her experience as a doctoral student in Kentucky at MurrayContinue reading "97. What the High School Teachers Teach w/ Julia Reade"

On this special episode, Dan talks with participants at the 2023 CCCC (Conference on College Composition and Communication) in Chicago, IL. Special thanks to everyone that took the time to talk, and thank you to the conference organizers. You’re going to hear about Awe Walks from Professor Jessica Shreyer, student podcast projects from Professor MichaelContinue reading "96. Writing Remix at CCCC 2023 in Chicago, IL"

Dan welcomes Dr. Lavar Pope from Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago to discuss the communicative power of Hip Hop music, the multilayered lineage of Hip Hop music, the role of migration and diaspora, regional Hip Hop artists and their influences, and so much more. With longtime friend of the show Dr. Danielle Lee co-hosting,Continue reading "95. Digging into Hip-Hop Scholarship w/ Professor Lavar Pope"

Dan welcomes USC Writing Program instructor Professor Lilit Keshishyan to discuss the power of oral histories, her work with My Armenian Story at The Institute of Armenian Studies. She speaks about the impact of The Armenian Genocide & Diaspora, sheds light on what happened to Armenians during WWII, and so much more. This is such a deep episodeContinue reading "94. Preserving Oral Histories w/ Professor Lilit Keshishyan"

Dan welcomes Roseann Corey from Rosemont College to discuss how rhetoric can bring communities closer, navigating the competitive academic market, breaking the unwritten rules of academic writing with creativity, communicating across multiple generational gaps peacefully, multimodality, and so much more. Read and download the full transcript of this episode at the bottom of this post.Continue reading "93. Unpacking the Power of Rhetoric w/ Roseann Corey"

Dan welcomes Riti Sharma on the podcast to discuss the many facets of the English language. Riti unpacks the complex linguistic landscape of India (where she lives & teaches), how examining the history of English exposes its complicated past, present, & future, essay writing as a genre, and the role orality plays in passing alongContinue reading "92. Remixing & Meshing English(es) w/ Riti Sharma"

Dan reflects on his journey from photography to English Professor using Gary Snyder’s essay “Etiquette of Freedom” to understand the empowering forces of wildness, wilderness, and being wild. He talks about his relationship with photography, how flash photography is like open class discussions, academia being a constant cycle of proving yourself, what it means toContinue reading "91. Solo Remix: Becoming an English Professor w/ Dan Dissinger"

CONTENT WARNING: Please be advised that this episode does contain conversations on abortion, sexual violence, assault and rape, mental health issues, racial violence, and torture. Listener discretion is advised Dan invites Stephanie Renée Payne, Danielle Lee, Leah Rubinsky, & Julia Reade to unpack & respond to the horrifying overturn of Roe v Wade, stripping womenContinue reading "90. Reacting to Roe v Wade Overturn w/ Stephanie Renée Payne, Danielle Lee, Leah Rubinsky, & Julia Reade"

Dan invites Dr. Natalie Byfield, Dr. Raj Chetty, & Dr. LaToya Sawyer to talk about the creation of The Institute for Critical Race & Ethnic Studies (CRES) at Saint John’s University in Queens, NY. To best set the tone for this episode, here’s a quote from Dr. Natalie Byfield, the Founding Director of CRES: “IContinue reading "89. Building The Institute for Critical Race & Ethnic Studies w/ Dr. Natalie Byfield, Dr. Raj Chetty, & Dr. LaToya Sawyer"

This is a celebratory episode to close out PRIDE Month 2022. Dr. Ashley King is an inspiration. Her work empowers students, invites them to thrive and cultivate not just meaningful projects, they cultivate meaningful experiences that show them what they can accomplish. I want to acknowledge all the awe-inspiring work that Dr. Ashely King isContinue reading "88. Crossing the Bridge Between Social Justice & Sci-Fi w/ Dr. Ashely King"

Content warning for discussion of guns, genocide, violence, and mass shootings. Dan is joined by guest host Stephanie Renée Payne to talk to the author of Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz about the constitutional history of the Second Amendment, the rise of white nationalism in the NRA, the role ofContinue reading "87. Disarming the 2nd Amendment w/ Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz"

Dan invites Nat Garcia-Hammon (pronouns: they/them), a faculty member at Nova Southeastern University to discuss the challenges of teaching in Florida, practicing & embodying vulnerability in the classroom and beyond, the relationship between learning/knowledge creation and full-embodiment, Nat’s journey from Law School to Rhetorician, their Freirean classroom pedagogy, how Doctoral programs can better prepare students forContinue reading "86. Embodying Vulnerability w/ Nat Garcia"

Dan invites fellow Saint John’s University alum, Dr. Cristina Migliaccio, from CUNY Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, NY to discuss culturally & linguistically inclusive digital pedagogy, the professional depth & dedication of the Medgar Evers College Adjunct Faculty, loving the craft of teaching, their graduate school experiences, the coded messaging of the phrase, “Oh, you’reContinue reading "85. Being Drawn to Teaching w/ Cristina Migliaccio"

Dan invites fellow Saint John’s University alum Dr. Regina Duthely from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA to talk about the possibilities of digital teaching & digital rhetorics away from current Zoom-emergency pedagogy, the digital space being a place to full embody the self, the burden of extra labor/service that scholars of color,Continue reading "84. Embodying Your Digital Self w/ Dr. Regina Duthely"

To celebrate National Poetry Month, Dan invites Elz on to discuss the release of their debut book did I tell You What Happened? a fragmented memoir, living & writing in Oxford, MS, the role writing plays to communicate and navigate Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, why we still have the need for genres, andContinue reading "83. Writing From the Velvet Ditch w/ Up and Coming Writer Elz"

In the final special episode celebrating American author Jack Kerouac’s centennial birthday, Dan invites Advanced PhD scholar of American Literature Saloni Srivastava & Poet David O’Connor to talk about the all-consuming meditative power of driving on the road, living at The Kerouac house in Orlando, FL, the spiritual depth of Kerouac’s writing, seeking one’s lineage,Continue reading "82. Scratching Beyond Kerouac’s Surface w/ Saloni Srivastava & David O’Connor"

In the second of three special episodes celebrating Kerouac’s 100th birthday, Dan invited S.A. Griffin & Richard Modiano to talk about Kerouac’s contribution to American poetry, his haiku mastery, spiritual questing, the challenge of adapting Kerouac’s novels on film, and so much more. Listen to the first Kerouac episode: 80. Celebrating Jack Kerouac's 100th BirthdayContinue reading "81. Honoring Jack Kerouac’s Impact on American Poetry w/ S.A. Griffin & Richard Modiano"

In honor of Jack Kerouac’s 100th birthday, Dan invited writers and fellow Naropa alumni Tim Hernandez & Nate Jordan to talk about how Kerouac influenced their writing & personal journeys. They discuss Tim’s 2013 novel about Bea Franco (Terry/”The Mexican Girl” from On the Road) Mañana Means Heaven, understanding the influence of the published JoanContinue reading "80. Celebrating Jack Kerouac’s 100th Birthday w/ Tim Hernandez & Nate Jordan"

In Episode 79, Dan Dissinger is joined by guest host Danielle Lee to talk to Saint John's University alum Tara Bradway about life after the PhD, the complex issues facing contingent faculty, the challenges of being the artistic director of the Adirondack Shakespeare Company during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of isolation and mental health.

In Episode 78, we talk to Brandon Martin about writing movie trailers, creating a comic strip, and finding inspiration in life experiences and other artistic pursuits.

In Episode 77, we talk with writer & Tulane professor Merissa Nathan Gerson about her book Forget Prayers, Bring Cake: A Single Woman’s Guide to Grieving, the many ways people experience grief in their daily lives, and the interconnected impact grief has on the mind, body, & spirit. Also, Dan & Merissa do some reminiscingContinue reading "77. Processing Grief w/ Merissa Nathan Gerson"

In Episode 76, we talk to Dr. Cara Marta Messina about the academic job market, open-access research and critical fan studies, the parallels between fanfiction and fantasy football, and teaching writing for podcasting.

In Episode 75, Dan & Katie answer questions from the audience about the Metaverse, the cost of higher education, teacher training and experiences, identity, and much more. If you have questions for us to talk about and answer on another Office Hours episode, you can email them to writingremixpodcast@gmail.com. This episode was recorded on NovemberContinue reading "Episode 75: Office Hours with Dan & Katie"

In Episode 74, Dan interviews Katie about her science fiction and fantasy novels, her background in medieval literature, her journey getting into podcasting, and her new role as a book writing coach.

Content Warning: Discussion of sexual and domestic violence, please listen with care. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual and/or domestic violence/abuse, you can find support through: RAINN & RSVP (for USC community). More resources available here. In Episode 73, Dan is joined by Writing Program faculty Chris Belcher & Stephanie Renee Payne, USC alum Jordan Broberg, andContinue reading "Episode 73: Confronting Campus Rape Culture with Chris Belcher, Stephanie Renée Payne, & Jordan Broberg"

In Episode 72, Dr. Steven Mentz of the Saint John's University English Department interviews three SJU Alums about what academic, writing, and teaching life is like after the Ph.D. This was a special episode for Dr. Mentz's graduate theory course, and some of these questions come straight form his students

In Episode 71, Dan talks to comedian Christian Cintron about creating uplifting comedy, processing trauma through stand-up, and punching up instead of down.

In Episode 70, we talk to Danielle Mastrogiovanni about the intersectional issues misinformation creates for students, teachers, and administrators.

In Episode 69, Dan Dissinger talks to the founder of Progress Playbook, Lloyd Cambridge about practicing mindfulness to be a better entrepreneur and person, community building, and supplementing the gaps in higher education with experiential project-based learning. Lloyd J. Cambridge is the founder & CEO of Progress Playbook, a small business training and economic developmentContinue reading "Episode 69: Practicing Mindful Entrepreneurship with Lloyd Cambridge"

In Episode 68, Dan Dissinger talks to the founder of Storybilder, Tanya Gough about breaking the rules for the sake of creativity, currating the first ever Shakespeare on film catalog, and teaching English in Japan pre-internet. Tanya Gough has been an ESL teacher, a retail store owner, a corporate digital marketer, and a freelance contentContinue reading "Episode 68: Building Your Story with Tanya Gough"

In Episode 67, Dan Dissinger talks with to Actor, Director, and Board Certified Music Therapist Spencer Frankeberger about adaptability in Music Therapy, how being scared of improv is the best reason to do improv, we discuss systemic ableism in standardized testing from the bar exam to the GREs, and this all somehow ends up inContinue reading "Episode 67: Learning to Adapt with Spencer Frankeberger"

In Episode 66, Dan Dissinger talks with recent graduate of USC’s Film and Television Production program Sydney Laws about how Black stories are represented in media, cultural anthropology, and Storytelling versus Story-breaking. Sydney Laws is a very proud ATLien and recent graduate of USC’s Film and Television Production program. She defines herself as a creative, particularlyContinue reading "Episode 66: Unpacking Cultural Anthropology with Sydney Laws"

In Episode 65, Dan Dissinger talks with filmmaker Scott Barber about storytelling through documentary, why Nickelodeon was such a positive creative force in the early 90s, and the role of writing when making a documentary. And who can forget GWAR. Scott made his directorial debut with his film, The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story, featuring KenanContinue reading "Episode 65: Documenting the Nickelodeon Story with Scott Barber"

In Episode 64: Dan Dissinger talks with Vocalist/Educator/Actor/Writer Viva Vinson about the positive impact of performing arts education, overcoming Dyslexia and ADHD, and harnessing the power of the performing arts to have deeper DEI discussions with students and teachers. Born of an Italian American mother, and African American father, Viva has always had multiple artisticContinue reading "Episode 64: Performing Arts Advocacy with Viva Vinson"

In Episode 63, Dan Dissinger and special guest host Dr. Meghan Nolan talk with friend, colleague, and fellow Saint John’s University Alum Dr. Melissa Rampelli from Holy Family University about the impact of the Victorian Age, Medical Humanities, and what sea monsters have to do with the 2008 Great Recession. On top of all ofContinue reading "Episode 63: Expanding the Victorian Conversation with Dr. Melissa Rampelli"

In Episode 62, Dan Dissinger and special guest host Stephanie Renée Payne talk with Chris Muniz of the USC Writing Program about reconnecting creative writing back to academic writing, developing meaningful and authentic student-centered projects, and how the personal journey leads the way towards student agency. Chris Muniz is a faculty member in the University of SouthernContinue reading "Episode 62: Seeing Each Other’s Humanity with Chris Muniz"

Content Warning: Discussion of sexual and domestic violence, please listen with care. In Episode 61, Dan Dissinger & special guest host Danielle Lee talk to USC alum Emma Collins about being an advocate for survivors of relationship and sexual violence, working for RSVP (Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services) at USC, and rape culture on and off the college campus.

In Episode 60, we talk to USC alum Andre Luna about what it means to be a First Generation college student, his commitment to a life of service and advocacy, and how a film about surfing is helping him meet his goals.

In Episode 59, we talk to USC alum Jordan Broberg about staying creative during the pandemic, finding a voice in poetry, and coming into her own as an artist and a person.

In Episode 58, we talk to Cody Lake about the collaborative power of poetry, web development, and videography, the pressure of commodification, and the surprising inventiveness of Pinterest. 

In Episode 57, we talk to Megan Tebbenhoff about the U.S.'s response to the pandemic, the role and responsibility of the government when it comes to public health messaging, and the work that needs to be done regarding climate change and population displacement.

In Episode 56, we talk to USC student Jordyn Jones about the expectations placed on marginalized creators, the real meaning of diversity, and making movies that challenge the status quo.

In Episode 55, we talk to Jephtha Prempeh about creating new spaces for marginalized voices, working in community, and forging paths outside of mainstream media outlets.