Podcasts about Creative writing

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 36:48

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author Gina Leola Woolsey about her stunning biography, Fifteen Thousand Pieces (Guernica Editions, 2023). On Wednesday, September 2nd, 1998, an international flight carrying 229 souls crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia. There were no survivors. By Friday, Sept 4th, thousands of dismembered body parts had come through Dr. John Butt's makeshift morgue in Hangar B at the Shearwater military base. The Chief Medical Examiner faced the most challenging and grisly task of his career. Five years prior to the plane crash, John had lost his prestigious job as Alberta's Chief Medical Examiner. After 14 years of marriage, John began to think of himself as gay, but remained closeted professionally. Then, after serving a handful of years as Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Examiner, the devastating crash in Nova Scotia cracked his carefully constructed façade. Fifteen Thousand Pieces explores one man's journey to accept his true nature and find his place in the world. Chapters alternate between the fast-paced story of the crash, and the history of the man in the making. It is both fast-paced and introspective; gruesome and touching. Ultimately, it is the story of how death teaches us to live. About Gina Leola Woolsey: CBC Award-winning author Gina Leola Woolsey tugs at your heartstrings with written portraits of people striving to find love, self-acceptance, and belonging in an ever-changing world. She left her corporate career mid-life to pursue an education in creative writing, earning a BFA from the University of British Columbia and an MFA from the University of King's College. She lives wherever the narrative takes her. Currently, her time is split between small-town Alberta, downtown Montreal, and her hometown of Vancouver. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Walt Whitman

american family death reading childhood dying poetry growing up literature creative writing walt whitman headstones passager

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 9:03 Transcription Available

Celebrating the American poet with long-lined poems by Matt Hohner, Lisa Couturier and Mark Elber.Support the show

#213: Diana Evans, novelist and journalist

Always Take Notes

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 60:46

Rachel and Simon speak to the novelist and journalist Diana Evans. Born and brought up in London and Lagos, Diana started her career as a journalist. She has written for publications including the Guardian, Harper's Bazaar, the New York Review of Books, Time and Vogue. After she completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, Diana published her debut novel, “26a”, in 2005; the book won the inaugural Orange Award for New Writers and was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel and the Commonwealth Best First Book. “The Wonder”, which drew on Diana's own experience as a dancer, followed in 2009. Diana's third novel, “Ordinary People” (2018), was widely feted: it won the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Literature and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Rathbones Folio Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Her fourth book, “A House for Alice” (2023), was also shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. We spoke to Diana about “I Want to Talk to You and Other Conversations”, a collection of her journalism, publishing “26a” and moving between fiction and non-fiction. We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (nine are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Gina Leola Woolsey, "Fifteen Thousand Pieces" (Guernica Editions, 2023)

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 36:48

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author Gina Leola Woolsey about her stunning biography, Fifteen Thousand Pieces (Guernica Editions, 2023). On Wednesday, September 2nd, 1998, an international flight carrying 229 souls crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia. There were no survivors. By Friday, Sept 4th, thousands of dismembered body parts had come through Dr. John Butt's makeshift morgue in Hangar B at the Shearwater military base. The Chief Medical Examiner faced the most challenging and grisly task of his career. Five years prior to the plane crash, John had lost his prestigious job as Alberta's Chief Medical Examiner. After 14 years of marriage, John began to think of himself as gay, but remained closeted professionally. Then, after serving a handful of years as Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Examiner, the devastating crash in Nova Scotia cracked his carefully constructed façade. Fifteen Thousand Pieces explores one man's journey to accept his true nature and find his place in the world. Chapters alternate between the fast-paced story of the crash, and the history of the man in the making. It is both fast-paced and introspective; gruesome and touching. Ultimately, it is the story of how death teaches us to live. About Gina Leola Woolsey: CBC Award-winning author Gina Leola Woolsey tugs at your heartstrings with written portraits of people striving to find love, self-acceptance, and belonging in an ever-changing world. She left her corporate career mid-life to pursue an education in creative writing, earning a BFA from the University of British Columbia and an MFA from the University of King's College. She lives wherever the narrative takes her. Currently, her time is split between small-town Alberta, downtown Montreal, and her hometown of Vancouver. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Gina Leola Woolsey, "Fifteen Thousand Pieces" (Guernica Editions, 2023)

New Books in Medicine

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 36:48

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author Gina Leola Woolsey about her stunning biography, Fifteen Thousand Pieces (Guernica Editions, 2023). On Wednesday, September 2nd, 1998, an international flight carrying 229 souls crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia. There were no survivors. By Friday, Sept 4th, thousands of dismembered body parts had come through Dr. John Butt's makeshift morgue in Hangar B at the Shearwater military base. The Chief Medical Examiner faced the most challenging and grisly task of his career. Five years prior to the plane crash, John had lost his prestigious job as Alberta's Chief Medical Examiner. After 14 years of marriage, John began to think of himself as gay, but remained closeted professionally. Then, after serving a handful of years as Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Examiner, the devastating crash in Nova Scotia cracked his carefully constructed façade. Fifteen Thousand Pieces explores one man's journey to accept his true nature and find his place in the world. Chapters alternate between the fast-paced story of the crash, and the history of the man in the making. It is both fast-paced and introspective; gruesome and touching. Ultimately, it is the story of how death teaches us to live. About Gina Leola Woolsey: CBC Award-winning author Gina Leola Woolsey tugs at your heartstrings with written portraits of people striving to find love, self-acceptance, and belonging in an ever-changing world. She left her corporate career mid-life to pursue an education in creative writing, earning a BFA from the University of British Columbia and an MFA from the University of King's College. She lives wherever the narrative takes her. Currently, her time is split between small-town Alberta, downtown Montreal, and her hometown of Vancouver. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/medicine

Frank X Walker, "Load in Nine Times: Poems" (Liveright, 2024)

New Books in African American Studies

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2025 84:30

For decades Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, he reimagines the experiences of Black Civil War soldiers—including his own ancestors—who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation.Moving chronologically from antebellum Kentucky through Reconstruction, Walker braids the voices of the United States Colored Troops with their family members, as well as slave owners and prominent historical figures from Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglas and Margaret Garner. Imbued with atmospheric imagery, these persona poems and more “[clarify] not only the inextricable value of Black life and labor to the building of America, but the terrible price they were forced to pay in producing that labor” (Khadijah Queen). “How do you un-orphan a people?” Walker asks. “How do you pick up / shattered black porcelain and make / a new set of dishes fit to eat off?”While carefully attuned to the heartbreak and horrors of war, Walker's poems pay equal care to the pride, perseverance, and triumphs of their speakers. Evoking the formerly enslaved General Charles Young, Walker hums: “I am America's promise, my mother's song, / and the reason my father had every right to dream.” Expansive and intimate, Load in Nine Times is a resounding ode to the powerful ties of individual and cultural ancestry by an indelible voice in American poetry. Winner of the 2025 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry. A native of Danville, Kentucky, Frank X Walker is the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. Walker has published thirteen collections of poetry, including Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Poetry and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award for Poetry. Voted one of the most creative professors in the south, Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded the Affrilachian Poets Collective, the oldest continuously running predominantly African American writing group in the country. He is a Professor of English, and Director of the MFA in Creative Writing program the University of Kentucky. You can find the host, Sullivan Summer, online, on Instagram, and at Substack, where she and Professor X continue their conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

america american director university black english moving professor african americans kentucky winner union poetry substack abraham lincoln load mfa poems reconstruction creative writing voted frederick douglass expansive professor x naacp image awards danville liveright evoking medgar evers imbued nine times frank x walker united states colored troops margaret garner kentucky poet laureate affrilachia turn me loose the unghosting

Frank X Walker, "Load in Nine Times: Poems" (Liveright, 2024)

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 84:30

For decades Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, he reimagines the experiences of Black Civil War soldiers—including his own ancestors—who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation.Moving chronologically from antebellum Kentucky through Reconstruction, Walker braids the voices of the United States Colored Troops with their family members, as well as slave owners and prominent historical figures from Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglas and Margaret Garner. Imbued with atmospheric imagery, these persona poems and more “[clarify] not only the inextricable value of Black life and labor to the building of America, but the terrible price they were forced to pay in producing that labor” (Khadijah Queen). “How do you un-orphan a people?” Walker asks. “How do you pick up / shattered black porcelain and make / a new set of dishes fit to eat off?”While carefully attuned to the heartbreak and horrors of war, Walker's poems pay equal care to the pride, perseverance, and triumphs of their speakers. Evoking the formerly enslaved General Charles Young, Walker hums: “I am America's promise, my mother's song, / and the reason my father had every right to dream.” Expansive and intimate, Load in Nine Times is a resounding ode to the powerful ties of individual and cultural ancestry by an indelible voice in American poetry. Winner of the 2025 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry. A native of Danville, Kentucky, Frank X Walker is the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. Walker has published thirteen collections of poetry, including Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Poetry and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award for Poetry. Voted one of the most creative professors in the south, Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded the Affrilachian Poets Collective, the oldest continuously running predominantly African American writing group in the country. He is a Professor of English, and Director of the MFA in Creative Writing program the University of Kentucky. You can find the host, Sullivan Summer, online, on Instagram, and at Substack, where she and Professor X continue their conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

america american director university black english moving professor african americans kentucky winner union poetry substack abraham lincoln load mfa poems reconstruction creative writing voted frederick douglass expansive professor x naacp image awards danville liveright evoking medgar evers imbued nine times frank x walker united states colored troops margaret garner kentucky poet laureate affrilachia turn me loose the unghosting

Frank X Walker, "Load in Nine Times: Poems" (Liveright, 2024)

New Books in Military History

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 84:30

For decades Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, he reimagines the experiences of Black Civil War soldiers—including his own ancestors—who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation.Moving chronologically from antebellum Kentucky through Reconstruction, Walker braids the voices of the United States Colored Troops with their family members, as well as slave owners and prominent historical figures from Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglas and Margaret Garner. Imbued with atmospheric imagery, these persona poems and more “[clarify] not only the inextricable value of Black life and labor to the building of America, but the terrible price they were forced to pay in producing that labor” (Khadijah Queen). “How do you un-orphan a people?” Walker asks. “How do you pick up / shattered black porcelain and make / a new set of dishes fit to eat off?”While carefully attuned to the heartbreak and horrors of war, Walker's poems pay equal care to the pride, perseverance, and triumphs of their speakers. Evoking the formerly enslaved General Charles Young, Walker hums: “I am America's promise, my mother's song, / and the reason my father had every right to dream.” Expansive and intimate, Load in Nine Times is a resounding ode to the powerful ties of individual and cultural ancestry by an indelible voice in American poetry. Winner of the 2025 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry. A native of Danville, Kentucky, Frank X Walker is the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. Walker has published thirteen collections of poetry, including Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Poetry and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award for Poetry. Voted one of the most creative professors in the south, Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded the Affrilachian Poets Collective, the oldest continuously running predominantly African American writing group in the country. He is a Professor of English, and Director of the MFA in Creative Writing program the University of Kentucky. You can find the host, Sullivan Summer, online, on Instagram, and at Substack, where she and Professor X continue their conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

america american director university black english moving professor african americans kentucky winner union poetry substack abraham lincoln load mfa poems reconstruction creative writing voted frederick douglass expansive professor x naacp image awards danville liveright evoking medgar evers imbued nine times frank x walker united states colored troops margaret garner kentucky poet laureate affrilachia turn me loose the unghosting

Frank X Walker, "Load in Nine Times: Poems" (Liveright, 2024)

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 84:30

For decades Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, he reimagines the experiences of Black Civil War soldiers—including his own ancestors—who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation.Moving chronologically from antebellum Kentucky through Reconstruction, Walker braids the voices of the United States Colored Troops with their family members, as well as slave owners and prominent historical figures from Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglas and Margaret Garner. Imbued with atmospheric imagery, these persona poems and more “[clarify] not only the inextricable value of Black life and labor to the building of America, but the terrible price they were forced to pay in producing that labor” (Khadijah Queen). “How do you un-orphan a people?” Walker asks. “How do you pick up / shattered black porcelain and make / a new set of dishes fit to eat off?”While carefully attuned to the heartbreak and horrors of war, Walker's poems pay equal care to the pride, perseverance, and triumphs of their speakers. Evoking the formerly enslaved General Charles Young, Walker hums: “I am America's promise, my mother's song, / and the reason my father had every right to dream.” Expansive and intimate, Load in Nine Times is a resounding ode to the powerful ties of individual and cultural ancestry by an indelible voice in American poetry. Winner of the 2025 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry. A native of Danville, Kentucky, Frank X Walker is the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. Walker has published thirteen collections of poetry, including Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Poetry and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award for Poetry. Voted one of the most creative professors in the south, Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded the Affrilachian Poets Collective, the oldest continuously running predominantly African American writing group in the country. He is a Professor of English, and Director of the MFA in Creative Writing program the University of Kentucky. You can find the host, Sullivan Summer, online, on Instagram, and at Substack, where she and Professor X continue their conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

america american director university black english moving professor african americans kentucky winner union poetry substack abraham lincoln load mfa poems reconstruction creative writing voted frederick douglass expansive professor x naacp image awards danville liveright evoking medgar evers imbued nine times frank x walker united states colored troops margaret garner kentucky poet laureate affrilachia turn me loose the unghosting

Stephanie Cesca, "Dotted Lines" (Guernica Editions, 2024)

New Books in Historical Fiction

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 32:54

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery interviews Stephanie Cesca about her acclaimed novel, Dotted Lines (Guernica Editions, 2024) which has been named a finalist for the Rakuten kobo Emerging Writer Prize. Dotted Lines is a powerful and binary-breaking story that explores the complexities of families, bringing to brilliant light the vital but underrepresented perspective of a non-traditional family where the step-father is the hero, and it's the person who owes you nothing that gives you everything. Abandoned as a child, Melanie Forsythe seeks stability and belonging after her mom's boyfriend is left to raise her. Despite her raw deal, Melanie grows up to have a good head on her shoulders and a strong bond with her stepdad. But her dream of having a family of her own is shattered when she suffers tragedy and betrayal. Still, the relationship with her step-dad—the one that's illustrated with a dotted line in her family tree—ultimately inspires her to create the life and family she wants. “As a family dissolves and reunites, Cesca's seamless writing traces the unpredictable ways in which those we love stray and return to us throughout our lives. Clean and understated, Cesca's novel reveals the complicated layers of an unorthodox childhood through compelling characters willing to open themselves to new truths.” —Ibi Kaslik, author of Skinny, New York Times Bestseller About Stephanie Cesca: Stephanie Cesca was born and raised in Toronto, where she lives with her husband and three children. A former newspaper editor in both Canada and Europe, she holds an English degree from Western University, a journalism degree from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Certificate of Creative Writing from the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. Her work has been shortlisted for the Penguin Random House Canada Student Award for Fiction and The Marina Nemat Award for Creative Writing. Dotted Lines is her first novel. About Hollay Ghadery:Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health,moir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is the host of the 105.5 FM Bookclub, as well as a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Frank X Walker, "Load in Nine Times: Poems" (Liveright, 2024)

New Books in Poetry

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 84:30

For decades Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, he reimagines the experiences of Black Civil War soldiers—including his own ancestors—who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation.Moving chronologically from antebellum Kentucky through Reconstruction, Walker braids the voices of the United States Colored Troops with their family members, as well as slave owners and prominent historical figures from Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglas and Margaret Garner. Imbued with atmospheric imagery, these persona poems and more “[clarify] not only the inextricable value of Black life and labor to the building of America, but the terrible price they were forced to pay in producing that labor” (Khadijah Queen). “How do you un-orphan a people?” Walker asks. “How do you pick up / shattered black porcelain and make / a new set of dishes fit to eat off?”While carefully attuned to the heartbreak and horrors of war, Walker's poems pay equal care to the pride, perseverance, and triumphs of their speakers. Evoking the formerly enslaved General Charles Young, Walker hums: “I am America's promise, my mother's song, / and the reason my father had every right to dream.” Expansive and intimate, Load in Nine Times is a resounding ode to the powerful ties of individual and cultural ancestry by an indelible voice in American poetry. Winner of the 2025 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry. A native of Danville, Kentucky, Frank X Walker is the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. Walker has published thirteen collections of poetry, including Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Poetry and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award for Poetry. Voted one of the most creative professors in the south, Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded the Affrilachian Poets Collective, the oldest continuously running predominantly African American writing group in the country. He is a Professor of English, and Director of the MFA in Creative Writing program the University of Kentucky. You can find the host, Sullivan Summer, online, on Instagram, and at Substack, where she and Professor X continue their conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/poetry

america american director university black english moving professor african americans kentucky winner union poetry substack abraham lincoln load mfa poems reconstruction creative writing voted frederick douglass expansive professor x naacp image awards danville liveright evoking medgar evers imbued nine times frank x walker united states colored troops margaret garner kentucky poet laureate affrilachia turn me loose the unghosting

Frank X Walker, "Load in Nine Times: Poems" (Liveright, 2024)

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 84:30

For decades Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, he reimagines the experiences of Black Civil War soldiers—including his own ancestors—who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation.Moving chronologically from antebellum Kentucky through Reconstruction, Walker braids the voices of the United States Colored Troops with their family members, as well as slave owners and prominent historical figures from Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglas and Margaret Garner. Imbued with atmospheric imagery, these persona poems and more “[clarify] not only the inextricable value of Black life and labor to the building of America, but the terrible price they were forced to pay in producing that labor” (Khadijah Queen). “How do you un-orphan a people?” Walker asks. “How do you pick up / shattered black porcelain and make / a new set of dishes fit to eat off?”While carefully attuned to the heartbreak and horrors of war, Walker's poems pay equal care to the pride, perseverance, and triumphs of their speakers. Evoking the formerly enslaved General Charles Young, Walker hums: “I am America's promise, my mother's song, / and the reason my father had every right to dream.” Expansive and intimate, Load in Nine Times is a resounding ode to the powerful ties of individual and cultural ancestry by an indelible voice in American poetry. Winner of the 2025 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry. A native of Danville, Kentucky, Frank X Walker is the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. Walker has published thirteen collections of poetry, including Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Poetry and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award for Poetry. Voted one of the most creative professors in the south, Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded the Affrilachian Poets Collective, the oldest continuously running predominantly African American writing group in the country. He is a Professor of English, and Director of the MFA in Creative Writing program the University of Kentucky. You can find the host, Sullivan Summer, online, on Instagram, and at Substack, where she and Professor X continue their conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/historical-fiction

america american director university black english moving professor african americans kentucky winner union poetry substack abraham lincoln load mfa poems reconstruction creative writing voted frederick douglass expansive professor x naacp image awards danville liveright evoking medgar evers imbued nine times frank x walker united states colored troops margaret garner kentucky poet laureate affrilachia turn me loose the unghosting

Own Your Flaws

Secrets for an Awesome Life

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 14:12

I met a girl last week who had the absolute best way to look at her acne. She was the embodiment of owning your flaws. I share her story and one of my own from this past week when I was called Mr. Clean.--My gamified mindset training app for teens, Sidekick to Hero, is available now! Go to www.sidekicktohero.com to start a two-week free trial.--Follow me on Instagram! www.instagram.com/sidekicktohero--Joey Mascio is a teen confidence coach and motivational speaker. He helps teens eliminate self-doubt, manage emotions, develop social skills, and achieve their goals. He was a middle school teacher and counselor for 7 years, a former Disneyland performer, and an experienced improv comedian. He uses his Masters in Education, Bachelors in Creative Writing, and two professional life coach certifications to teach powerful resilience tools and strategies to teens through humor and stories.

Empowering Neurodivergent Students Through Storytelling and Advocacy

Think Inclusive Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 41:02

About the Guest(s): Riley Mulcahy is the founder and Executive Director of The Riley Project, a nonprofit organization focused on storytelling and community building for individuals with learning differences. A graduate of St. Mary's College of California with a background in English and Creative Writing, Riley is also the Marketing and Admissions Associate at Compass High School, where he champions inclusive, strengths-based education. He is an advocate for neurodiversity, dedicating his efforts to initiatives like the Neurodiversity Education Series, aimed at creating supportive systems for neurodivergent individuals. Episode Summary: In this enlightening episode of Think Inclusive, host Tim Villegas chats with Riley Mulcahy, a prominent advocate for individuals with learning differences. Riley discusses his journey with dyslexia and his commitment to creating inclusive environments through storytelling and advocacy. As the founder of the Riley Project, Riley sheds light on challenges and triumphs within the landscape of neurodivergent education. The episode gives listeners a deep dive into the concepts of multisensory instruction, the implications of the "Wait to Fail" model in schools, and the pivotal role of early intervention in supporting students with learning differences. Listeners will gain insights as Riley emphasizes the transformative power of storytelling in social change, drawing parallels between historical movements and current advocacy for neurodiversity. With a focus on practical strategies and technologies aiding learning differences, the discussion encompasses everything from reading interventions to the potential of AI-driven education tools. Whether you're an educator, parent, or advocate, this episode is packed with valuable information on fostering inclusive, supportive educational environments where all students can excel. Complete show notes and transcript.Key Takeaways: Power of Storytelling: Riley highlights how storytelling has been central to social justice movements, emphasizing its potential to drive change in the education system for those with learning differences. Multisensory Reading Instructions: Discussing the effectiveness of multisensory instruction methods, Riley underscores its importance for students struggling with traditional learning approaches. Early Intervention and Support: The episode stresses the necessity of early intervention and the creation of strength-based IEPs to help neurodivergent students thrive. Future of Education Technology: A spotlight on assistive technologies, text-to-speech, and AI as tools to help students with learning differences achieve better outcomes. Inclusion and Advocacy: The Riley Project aims to create safe spaces for individuals to share experiences, thus fostering a community of support and awareness. Resources: The Riley ProjectEducating All Learners AllianceDyslexic Advantage Proust and the Squid Thank you to our sponsor, IXL. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

california english ai marketing future college executive director storytelling students fail inclusion empowering acast advocacy creative writing neurodivergent early intervention ieps ixl think inclusive

Learning to Write, Better: Sophfronia Scott & Donald E. Quist

The Wabash Center's Dialogue On Teaching

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 38:35

Sophfronia Scott is Director of the Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Alma College in Alma, MI and author a numerous books including Wild Beautiful and Free and The Seeker and the Monk.Donald Quist is Assistant of English at the University of Missouri and Educational Design Manager at the Wabash Center. He is author of many articles, essays, and books including the literary tryptic To Those Bounded, For Other Ghosts, and Harbors. Since ideas change lives - what does it take to write so that ideas are clear and accessible? How do we get our curiosity on the page? What is the writing life when you are a faculty member? How does creativity make you a better scholarly writer?

director university learning english masters write missouri assistant fine arts monk creative writing seeker quist harbors donald e alma college sophfronia scott

Discipleship Strategies for Moms of Littles with Guest Alexandra Jensen

5â€“Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 14:48

Send us a textJoin 5-Minute Parenting for a special guest, fellow Ambassador author Alexandra ("Alex") Jensen, who will share simple strategies for discipling young children from her real-world experience as a busy mom of three. "Alex" is author of A Place of Grace for Moms of Littles, helping moms navigate the messy moments of motherhood, while connecting with God's heart. Alex is a Steering Team Leader for the MomCo. Organization (formerly MOPS), and has a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a Minor in Creative Writing, and a Master's degree in Math and Science Education. She is a former Elementary school teacher, wife, stay-at-home mom, and antiques dealer. When Alex is not busy changing a diaper, packing lunches, or sneaking in a few pages of reading for her book club, she enjoys quilting. Be sure to visit her website, order her book, and follow her on social media: www.instagram.com/authoralexandrajensen www.facebook.com/Authoralexandrajensen www.alexandrajensen.orgLink for Alex's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Place-Grace-Moms-Littles-Sanctified/dp/1649606931Additional Resources:Awana https://www.awana.org/The MomCo (Formerly MOPS) https://www.themom.co/homeVeggie Tales Podcast https://veggietales.com/podcast/ Love this episode? Leave a positive rating/review by scrolling down to the bottom of this page. Your reviews are so important and so appreciated! Please share this episode with a friend ❤️ For more information and helpful resources, visit our websites at: https://www.karenferg.com/ https://www.sandrakaychambers.com/ Find our books on Amazon: Karen Ferguson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-Ferguson/author/B075SHZ1WV?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Sandra Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sandra-Chambers/author/B00OHLARMO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1740085397&sr=1-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM! @karenfergusonauthor @sandrakaychambers.com

god love master strategy bachelor moms math ambassadors discipleship minor elementary creative writing elementary education littles isdramintegrated science education mops alexandra jensen

Working from the Inside Out: Paths to Personal and Global Transformation with Renée Lertzman

Accidental Gods

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 69:54

We've known for decades that the 'Yell, Tell and Sell' strategy of belittling people, endeavouring to cajole—or shame—them into some kind of change doesn't work - in fact it can't work. It's not how we're wired. Cognitive neuroscience has been telling us this for decades but it's only recently that people have begun to listen. One of those who has been speaking in the wilderness for a long time—and is now finally being heard—is this week's guest, Renée Lertzman. Dr. Renée Lertzman is a researcher, advisor and strategist who translates relational psychology to change our approach to our planetary crisis. Applying her graduate training as a psychosocial researcher, she designs frameworks and methods, grounded in public health, clinical psychology and neurosciences, that guide people to take action and create impact on climate and sustainability issues. Over the past two decades, Renée has worked with global leaders, startups, governments, and mission-driven companies—including Google, IKEA, the California Academy of Sciences, and WWF—helping them navigate the emotional complexities of climate engagement. She's also the founder of Project InsideOut, an initiative that equips changemakers with psychologically grounded resources for collective transformation.This is the key to our survival. We need to learn how to engage ourselves and each other in ways that will transform ourselves and each other. We need to bring serious emotional literacy to the table so that we can create the containers, and attune to the anxieties and aspirations of people around us. We need, above all, to equip people to make sustained and sustainable change. This is the core of Renée's work and hearing her talk about it in depth is the first step to making it happen. Enjoy!Learn more at reneelertzman.com and projectinsideout.net.Renée on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneelertzman/Renée's TED talk https://www.ted.com/talks/renee_lertzman_how_to_turn_climate_anxiety_into_action

The Healing Power of Creative Writing with Ty Scott King

Healing Her Halo

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 36:05

In the season premiere of Healing Her Halo, I sit down with GRAMMY®-nominated poet Ty Scott King for an intimate conversation about the healing power of creative writing. Ty shares how writing began as an escape during her childhood and has since evolved into a vital tool for emotional release. She emphasizes the importance of finding the "beautiful" in every experience and capturing it through words.Ty also discusses her latest song, Look Momma, written as a heartfelt tribute to the mother she lost, and her creative fiction book Doses: Love & Friendship in Vibrant Pieces, which offers a soul-stirring journey through love, friendship, and self-discovery. In this episode, we also share a surprise project Ty has been working on—though we won't spoil the surprise just yet!Tune in for a heartfelt conversation and get ready for our new song Pen Cry dropping this Friday, May 23rd—pre-save now and stay tuned for more exciting content in this new season of Healing Her Halo.Stay Connected with Ty Scott King:Instagram: @tyscottkingOfficial Website: tyscottking.comStream "Look Momma" https://linktr.ee/iamtyscottking Order "Doses" https://tr.ee/dfS_MUhuKl Pre-Save "Pen Cry": https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/paemurray/pen-cry-feat-ty-scott-king/ #CreativeWriting #HealingThroughWords #MentalHealthAwareness #PoetryHeals #TraumaRecovery #WritingForHealing #SelfDiscovery #EmotionalHealing #PoetryCommunity #HealingHerHalo #DosesBook #LookMomma #PenCry #HealingThroughArt #WritersOfInstagram #PoetryInMotion #MentalHealthMatters #WritingTherapy #HealingJourney #TyScottKing #HealingThroughCreativity #SpokenWord #AuthorsOfInstagram #MusicAndHealing #ExpressYourself #OvercomingTraumaSend us a text

friendship grammy healing power creative writing stay connected doses scott king

Jarad Bruinstroop on queering the expressive power of poetry - winner of the 2024 Five Islands Prize for poetry

Spoken Word

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025

Jarad Bruinstroop's debut poetry collection, Reliefs (UQP, 2023) won the Wesley MichelWright Prize, the Five Islands Poetry Prize, the Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize, and wasshortlisted for the Judith Wright Calanthe Award.He is the recipient of the Val Vallis Award, the Queensland Writers Fellowship, and the Fryer Library Creative Writing Fellowship.His work has appeared in The Best of Australian Poems, Meanjin, Overland, HEAT, Island,Westerly and elsewhere including at the Queensland Art Gallery, QUT Art Museum, andGeorge Paton Gallery.He holds a PhD in Creative Writing from QUT where he now teaches.He is currently at work on a short story collection. Photo: Torrey AtkinProduction & Interview: Tina Giannoukos

phd island heat winner poetry prizes islands creative writing overland queering expressive qut westerly meanjin jarad queensland art gallery

MMM Condo Mnemonic Bend Me Shape Me

BH Sales Kennel Kelp CTFO Changing The Future Outcome

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 78:22

Grandpa Bill's Grunts & GroansGrandpa Bill! is using Anthony Metivier's insights on resistance to fuel my mnemonic practice for "The Greater Portland Crab Caper". GB is crafting a mini-mnemonic to help mysef remember that quote and its connection to my novel's themes, incorporating Memory Palaces and PAO (Person, Action, Object) examples.Mini-Mnemonic for "Resistance in Psychoanalysis"The core idea is to remember resistance as a hurdle, specifically in sharing vulnerability, and connect it to my creative process. Quote Excerpt: "part of the game of psychoanalysis is to consciously recognize your resistances, it's grueling to confront how fickle and feeble you can be as you wrestle to get yourself to share things that should have no consequence to the stranger you're paying for this privilege."Memory Palace: Your Office/Writing DenLet's use a familiar and relevant Memory Palace: my office for writing in my den where GB works on "The Greater Portland Crab Caper."Loci & PAO#TheVictoriousMind,#MagneticMemoryMethod,#Mnemonics,MemoryPalace,#PAOMethod,#Psychoanalysis,#CreativeWriting,#NovelWriting,#GrandpaBillWrites,#TheGreaterPortlandCrabCaper#WritersLife,#OvercomingResistance,MindsetForWriters,Creative Solutions for Holistic Healthcare

action resistance shape bend gb object creative writing condo psychoanalysis mnemonics creative solutions grunts memory palace holistic healthcare loci anthony metivier memory palaces

Water: An Ode

water nature writing reading poetry literature morrison creative writing harbor passager

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 7:11 Transcription Available

Harbor and danger, featuring four poems about water by Winifred Hughes, Sandy Longley, B. Morrison and Colin McKim.Support the show

Shadow of the Eternal Watcher aka Sticky Note Quotes

Dark Waters

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 82:12

We're joined by Josh Mendoza to discuss switching between screenwriting and novels, $1,000 lego sets, and finding light in the darkness. We also get a sneak peak of his book Shadow of the Eternal Watcher, the fun parts of editing, and creepy Twilight Zone episodes. Josh Mendoza is a screenwriter, director, producer and author. Mendoza is the founder of Strike the Sun Entertainment, and his movie work has been recognized by film festivals and competitions alike. Mendoza's debut novel, Shadow of the Eternal Watcher, was released in January 2025. The novel is a noir detective mystery that spirals into a science fiction adventure. The novel has already received positive reviews from Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews. It was recently featured as one of the best upcoming sci-fi books for 2025 in New Scientist. Prior to his writing career, Mendoza received a BA in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University and an MFA in Film and Television Production from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. He was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and lived for over 15 years in Los Angeles, California. He splits his time between the deserts of Arizona and the city of angels with his wife and two children.Mendoza is currently developing multiple feature-length scripts and writing his next novel.Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.comIntro/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Trans Kids, Our Kids

In The Den with Mama Dragons

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 60:53 Transcription Available

Send us a textWe have all been watching the unprecedented attacks on trans healthcare for youth and adults by anti-trans extremists from the local to the federal levels. The trans legislation tracker reports an alarming 857 anti-trans bills under consideration in 2025 alone. Many of us, our kids, and our families find ourselves caught in the eye of this storm. Today In the Den, Sara sits down with special guest Alexis Stratton of The Campaign for Southern Equality to discuss the book that Stratton co-authored called Trans Kids, Our Kids: Stories and Resources from the Frontlines of the Movement for Transgender Youth. They explore the importance of supporting and loving and affirming the trans community, and they talk about what we can do to help. Special Guest: Alexis StrattonAlexis Stratton has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of South Carolina, and their stories and essays have appeared in Hayden's Ferry Review, Matador Review, and Oyez Review, among other publications. In 2024, they co authored Trans Kids, Our Kids: Stories and Resources from the Frontlines of the Movement for Transgender Youth with Adam Polaski and Jasmine Beach-Ferrara (Ig Publishing), and in 2025, their book of travel essays, Eating Turtle, was published with Small Harbor Publishing. Alexis has also written for the Rebel Girls book series and podcast and provides grant writing support to several LGBTQ+ nonprofits. Before transitioning to writing full-time, Alexis educated organizations in South Carolina on LGBTQ+ rights, violence prevention, and serving marginalized populations. They live in Richmond, VA.Links from the Show:Kin*dom Camp Community: https://kindomcommunity.org/home Kin*dom Campfire Chats: https://kindomcommunity.org/podcastFind Trans Kids, Our Kids in the Mama Dragons Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/trans-kids-our-kids-stories-and-resources-from-the-frontlines-of-the-movement-for-transgender-youth-jasmine-beach-ferrara/21195291?ean=9781632461674&next=t&aid=108866&listref=parenting-an-lgbtq-child&next=t Trans Youth Emergency Project: https://southernequality.org/tyep/ QMed Website: https://queermed.com/ Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.orgSupport the showConnect with Mama Dragons:WebsiteInstagramFacebookDonate to this podcast

university lgbtq movement va south carolina campaign richmond mfa front lines creative writing stratton trans kids our kids rebel girls transgender youth

Manahil Bandukwala, "Heliotropia" (Brick Books, 2024)

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2025 33:44

In this NBN episode, host and poet Hollay Ghadery speaks with Manahil Bandukwala about her second collection, Heliotropia (Brick Books, 2024). This book of poems is a meditation on love during times of social and political upheaval. As a sunflower's growth reaches toward the sun, so, she suggests, is a lover's growth compelled by the gravitational pull and soul-light of their beloved. Many of these poems are in conversation with other poets and artists, creating a lineage of call and response. Against a backdrop of terrestrial crisis, come, spend your precious minutes in love's Heliotropia, where we are magnetized by the unfathomable dark matter of another person, and know ourselves as celestial bodies flowering in spacetime, together. Manahil Bandukwala is a writer and visual artist based in Mississauga and Ottawa, Ontario. She is the author of MONUMENT (Brick Books, 2022), which was shortlisted for the 2023 Gerald Lampert Award, and was selected as a Writer's Trust of Canada Rising Star in 2023. See her work at manahilbandukwala.com. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Manahil Bandukwala, "Heliotropia" (Brick Books, 2024)

ai creative writing translations

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2025 33:44

In this NBN episode, host and poet Hollay Ghadery speaks with Manahil Bandukwala about her second collection, Heliotropia (Brick Books, 2024). This book of poems is a meditation on love during times of social and political upheaval. As a sunflower's growth reaches toward the sun, so, she suggests, is a lover's growth compelled by the gravitational pull and soul-light of their beloved. Many of these poems are in conversation with other poets and artists, creating a lineage of call and response. Against a backdrop of terrestrial crisis, come, spend your precious minutes in love's Heliotropia, where we are magnetized by the unfathomable dark matter of another person, and know ourselves as celestial bodies flowering in spacetime, together. Manahil Bandukwala is a writer and visual artist based in Mississauga and Ottawa, Ontario. She is the author of MONUMENT (Brick Books, 2022), which was shortlisted for the 2023 Gerald Lampert Award, and was selected as a Writer's Trust of Canada Rising Star in 2023. See her work at manahilbandukwala.com. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Manahil Bandukwala, "Heliotropia" (Brick Books, 2024)

New Books in Poetry

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2025 33:44

In this NBN episode, host and poet Hollay Ghadery speaks with Manahil Bandukwala about her second collection, Heliotropia (Brick Books, 2024). This book of poems is a meditation on love during times of social and political upheaval. As a sunflower's growth reaches toward the sun, so, she suggests, is a lover's growth compelled by the gravitational pull and soul-light of their beloved. Many of these poems are in conversation with other poets and artists, creating a lineage of call and response. Against a backdrop of terrestrial crisis, come, spend your precious minutes in love's Heliotropia, where we are magnetized by the unfathomable dark matter of another person, and know ourselves as celestial bodies flowering in spacetime, together. Manahil Bandukwala is a writer and visual artist based in Mississauga and Ottawa, Ontario. She is the author of MONUMENT (Brick Books, 2022), which was shortlisted for the 2023 Gerald Lampert Award, and was selected as a Writer's Trust of Canada Rising Star in 2023. See her work at manahilbandukwala.com. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/poetry

My Head for a Tree with Martin Goodman

treehugger podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 55:17

In this special episode, we welcome author and storyteller Martin Goodman to explore the extraordinary living story of the Bishnoi people—a community in the Western Thar Desert of India who have made protecting life, in all its forms, their deepest devotion. Three centuries ago, 363 Bishnoi villagers led by Amrita Devi gave their lives to defend the sacred khejri trees from destruction, speaking the words still taught to Bishnoi children today: “My head for a tree is a cheap price to pay.” But the Bishnoi are not just a story of sacrifice from the past—they are still here, still tending, still fighting for the beings and ecosystems that sustain us all. Martin shares the serendipitous journey that brought him to the Bishnoi, the profound lessons he learned among them, and the creation of his new book, My Head for a Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Bishnoi, Guardians of Nature. We talk about devotion, care as daily practice, the ecology of love, and what it means to live in relationship with the smallest creatures. We hope this conversation reminds you: Love is not only an action. It is also a meditation. A daily practice of belonging. A vow, renewed again and again, to defend life-affirming practices. ✨ Highlights include: The origin story behind the term "treehugger" and why it still matters today The 29 rules of the Bishnoi faith: a life built around ecological care The emotional and spiritual legacy of Amrita Devi's sacrifice How the Bishnoi resist extractive forces with devotion and fierce tenderness Reflections on love as an ecosystem, not just an emotion How we can follow the Bishnoi's example without appropriating their sacred ways

Little Atoms 951 - Cate Baum's Land Of Hope

Little Atoms

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 27:59

Cate Baum was born in Cambridge to a magician and a big band singer. She grew up in the East Anglian countryside, spending summers roaming the wilds of the UK. She studied screenwriting at UCLA and gained a master's with Distinction in Creative Writing from City, University of London. On this episode of Little Atoms she talks to Neil Denny about her first novel Land of Hope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

uk land ucla acast cambridge creative writing baum distinction university of london east anglian neil denny little atoms

41 - AI in Creative Writing and Translations with Olivia Rigal

Brave New Bookshelf

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 46:40

In this episode of Brave New Bookshelf, hosts Steph Pajonas and Danica Favorite engage in a compelling discussion with author Olivia Rigal, exploring her innovative use of AI in the publishing industry. Olivia shares her journey from law to literature, highlighting how she harnesses AI tools to enhance creativity, streamline translations, and expand her global reach. Visit our website https://bravenewbookshelf.com to view the full episode notes, links and apps mentioned in the episode, and the full transcript.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: secrets of multi POV stories

Story Nerd

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 37:50

This movie looks like an innocent little story about seniors who want to make the most of their golden years, but the craft behind it will knock your socks off. It's a multiple POV, multiple plot film and believe me, this is NOT an easy format to pull off. So if you're writing a story with more than one protagonist and/or more than one plot line, do yourself a favour — listen to this episode and learn from these master storytellers. -V. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle.To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francisFollow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Episode 48: Niña Mata, Author-Illustrator

The Good Story Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 51:19

Children's author-illustrator Niña Mata joins the Thriving Writers Podcast to chat about her publishing journey—from illustrating educational materials, working with Olympian athletes, to finally writing her own stories! Listen to hear Niña share some tips on what illustrators gravitate towards in manuscripts and ways writers can make the collaborative process smoother. Plus, get her thoughts on the value of storytelling and what she hopes readers take away from her work.Niña MataWebsite: https://www.ninamata.com/Social: @ninamataartGood Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we're here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for an editor to help polish up your pitch, your idea, or your entire manuscript? We have all of it and more in our community. If you're ready to take the next step (or the first step) on your writing journey, we're here to help you.Website: https://www.goodstorycompany.comMembership: https://www.goodstorycompany.com/membershipWriting Workshop: https://www.storymastermind.comMary Kole: Former literary agent Mary Kole founded Good Story Company as an educational, editorial, and community resource for writers. She provides consulting and developmental editing services to writers of all categories and genres, working on children's book projects from picture book to young adult, and all kinds of trade market literature, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and memoir. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked at Chronicle Books, the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Movable Type Management. She has been blogging at Kidlit.com since 2009. Her book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, a writing reference guide for middle grade and young adult writers, is available from Writer's Digest Books.Manuscript Submission Blueprint: https://bit.ly/kolesubWriting Irresistible Kidlit: http://bit.ly/kolekidlitIrresistible Query Letters: https://amzn.to/3yg511KWriting Irresistible Picture Books: https://amzn.to/3SrApRUHow to Write a Book Now: https://BookHip.com/ZHXAAKQWriting Interiority: Crafting Irresistible Characters: https://amzn.to/4evsX0BNEW! Writing Irresistible First Pages: https://amzn.to/4gxgslqFollow us on social:YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/goodstoryBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodstory.bsky.socialInstagram: https://instagram.com/goodstorycompanyTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodstorycoFacebook: https://facebook.com/goodstorycoSubstack: https://goodstoryco.substack.com/

children writing writer write olympians publishing mfa mata illustrator creative writing illustration children's books book publishing picture books kids books middle grade chronicle books book now kidlit middle grade fiction digest books bookhip commembership andrea brown literary agency

Day 1 - Combining Confidence and Humility - a StoryADay Update

StoryADay

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 8:28

These mini episodes bring you in-the-moment updates from my StoryADay May challenge, in the hope that what I'm learning will also be helpful to you! Episode 1 - In which I talk about confidence and humility as a creative person join the challenge: https://storyaday.org/

confidence writing humility creative writing

This Is How You Actually Make Money with ChatGPT | Ep. #169

Startup Gems

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 19:53

Check out my newsletter at TKOPOD.com and join my new community at TKOwners.com.I went deep on ChatGPT in this episode and broke down exactly how I'm using it every single day. I shared a ton of hacks, prompt ideas, workflows, tools, and even real business ideas I've actually tested. I explained why you should treat ChatGPT like a business partner, not a search engine, how to build repeatable systems, and why layering your prompts is the secret sauce. We also got into stuff like building SEO blogs from customer reviews, spotting market gaps using one-star reviews, and making all the AI models compete against each other. Plus, I dropped a bunch of my own favorite prompts you can steal and use right now.Check out the Limitless pendant here: https://www.limitless.aiTimestamps below. Enjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---00:00 Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT02:51 Strategic Prompting Techniques06:11 Building Effective Workflows09:02 Leveraging ChatGPT for Business Ideas11:48 Creative Writing and Content Generation15:02 Advanced ChatGPT Hacks and Tips

power ai tips chatgpt unlocking seo make money limitless creative writing

Lesh Karan on studying poetry, assemblage, movement and lineages

Spoken Word

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025

‘to write of skin is to discredit the self'- from Home's Duplex by Lesh Karan In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 17 April 2025, you will hear poet Lesh Karan talk about studying poetry, assemblage, movement and lineages.Lesh Karan is an emerging poet of Indo-Fijian descent based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her work has been published in Meanjin, Overland, Griffith Review, Cordite, Island, Rabbit, Strange Horizons (USA), and Best of Australian Poems (2022, 2023). She won the 2023 Liquid Amber Poetry Prize, was shortlisted for the Judith Wright and South Coast Writers Centre poetry prizes, and received an honourable mention in the 2024 Red Room Emerging Poets in Residence program. Lesh holds a Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing from the University of Melbourne.Poems written and performed by Lesh Karan in this episode:Twenty-one+ answers to your questionHome's DuplexRed Writing Hood NoteSpoken word and poetry come from the heart and touch on all the topics peculiar to the human condition. As such there may be content in this show that could cause distress. Please practice self-care when listening and seek help if you need it. CreditsRecorded, produced and edited by Indrani Perera.Thank you to Lesh Karan for sharing her poetry and to you for listening!

Florence Nightingale and Nursing

uk british ireland baseball dublin fields jacobs fundraisers creative writing aberdeen slough makeshift

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 6:44 Transcription Available

Three poet-nurses, featuring work by Marilee Pritchard, Laura Secord and Mary Hennessy.Support the show

film friendship reading vietnam poetry growing up nursing creative writing florence nightingale passager literary journal laura secord

Makeshift Fields - Dr Dale Jacobs

British Baseball Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 43:47

Dr Dale Jacobs is an author and Creative Writing teacher at Windsor University, one day he accidentally searched for the wrong topic online and stumbled across baseball in the UK and Ireland, he then went on a seven week trip interviewing people and watching Baseball from Dublin to cork, Aberdeen to Slough and a few other stops in between. we chat a to his works, teaching comic books and his love for grassroots baseball, the challenges he faced when writing the book, research, the amazing people involved in British and Irish Baseball and lots more.the book is available in the UK from the 15th of May 2025 via the below link -https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/chasing-baseball-dale-jacobs/7724356?ean=9781778430619or https://neighborhoodbooksmaine.com/ in the USADr Jacobs is going to be on a book tour too, you can find him at:17/05/2025 - Leicester - The Exchange at 15:0024/05/2025 - Dundee - St Andrews Brewing (Fundraiser in support of Baseball Scotland)29/05/2025 - Edinburgh - The Orchard Bar at 19:00 (Fundraiser in support of Baseball Scotland)31/05/2025 - Cork - The Long Valley Bat at 19:00 (Fundraiser in support of Baseball Ireland)05/06/2025 - Dublin - The Back Page at 19:00 (Fundraiser in support of Baseball Ireland)

Creative Writing as Healing, Play, and Power with Michelle Ringle and Alyssa Jewell

Motivation Made Easy: Body Respect, True Health

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 32:40

Episode 150: Writing, Play, and the Power of Creative Connection with Michelle Ringle & Alyssa Jewell Have you ever felt the quiet nudge to write something down, even if just for yourself? In this heartwarming and deeply thoughtful episode, I sit down with two gifted educators and writers, Michelle Ringle and Alyssa Jewell, to explore the transformative power of creative writing. This conversation was one I truly looked forward to—and it didn't disappoint. Michelle and Alyssa bring so much depth, honesty, and encouragement to the question so many of us carry: What might open up if we let ourselves write? We cover so much ground: how writing can be a form of self-connection and healing, how creative practice doesn't have to look like rigid daily routines, and how society's productivity obsession often blocks our creative energy before we even begin. Whether you've been writing for years or feel creatively stuck, this one's for you. In this episode, we explore: ✨ Why writing is for everyone—not just “writers”✨ How creative writing can help us heal grief, rage, and burnout✨ What happens when we write with no agenda (and why that's powerful)✨ Why play is essential for adult women—and how Michelle created a whole Secret Society around it✨ Bridging the gap between language learning and creative expression✨ The real reasons many of us feel creatively blocked—and how to unblock✨ The power of story to reconnect us with ourselves and others Meet the Guests: Writers, Educators, & Creative Facilitators Michelle Ringle is a mother, educator, adventure facilitator, and poet currently pursuing her MFA in Poetry at Western Michigan University. With over two decades of teaching experience, Michelle brings her trauma-informed, feminist lens to creative and educational spaces. She's also the founder of the Secret Society of Ladies Uniquely Trying Stuff—a playful initiative encouraging women, especially mothers, to re-engage with physical play and joy. Alyssa Jewell holds a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Poetry, and her work explores the connection between creative writing and English as a Second Language (ESL) education. She teaches college-level ESL, English composition, and creative writing in Grand Rapids, MI. Alyssa's poetry has appeared in Cherry Tree, Poetry Daily, Virginia Quarterly Review, and more, and she's passionate about using writing to heal and connect across differences. Writing as a Life-Giving Practice For both Michelle and Alyssa, writing is less about producing something for others—and more about tuning into their own inner worlds. Michelle shares how morning pages and nature walks help her process emotions and stay grounded, while Alyssa opens up about writing her grandfather's eulogy and the healing power of naming truth through story. Writing doesn't need to look like publishing a novel. It can be 10 minutes in the morning. It can be one sentence you write down while walking in the woods. It can be a eulogy, a journal entry, or a line of poetry that cracks you open. “Our bodies often know before we do,” Michelle reflects. “Writing gives those feelings space to live.” From Burnout to Creativity: Permission to Choose What's Life-Giving Michelle shared how pursuing an MFA while raising three children was a radical act of reclaiming joy. After years of teaching others how to write, she realized she wasn't making space for her own creative voice—and that needed to change. Alyssa describes the journey of bridging her two worlds—ESL education and poetry—and why giving ESL students space to tell their stories is not just powerful, but essential. “I think we're meant to create,” Alyssa says. “We heal through it. We grow through it. And sometimes, we even find our people through it.” A favorite quote from this episode: “We are in a culture that values logic—and I believe that's a patriarchal ideal. Emotional knowing is just as important, but it takes practice.

Ep 268 The Editor-Author Partnership with Melissa Burnham

Pencils&Lipstick podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025

Today I'm talking with Melissa Burnham from Embers Igniting. Melissa is a writer herself and sees editing as a partnership, walking beside writers through the editing process, encouraging growth while respecting their unique style and explaining the “why” behind her suggestions. Melissa is offering a 2000 word sample edit for Pencils&Lipstick listeners. Just mention the podcast in the contact form at: https://www.embersigniting.com/contact/Be sure to download the Rock-Solid Fiction Foundations Workbook. https://www.embersigniting.com/Join Rebecca Dolence and me for the workshop Symbolism: Utilizing Mythical Creatures in Storytelling on May 20th at 1pm EST. https://writeyourstory.thrivecart.com/symbolism-workshop/

writing storytelling partnership fiction editing creative writing nonfiction lipstick pencils burnham

What You Wanted, In the Winter, God Shows Off, & Double Barrier (w/ Taylor Byas)

My Bad Poetry

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 42:16

Dave and Aaron learn that good sonnets do not always make for great poems. While these poems may be technical to a tee, Taylor cringes at missed opportunities, as one may flinch at their own distorted reflection in the Bean. You know that famous art work in Chicago? My Bad Poetry Episode 7.15 "What You Wanted, In the Winter, God Shows Off, & Double Barrier (w/ Taylor Byas)"Taylor Byas is a nominee for multiple Pushcart and Best of the Net awards, and her debut full length poetry collection I Done Clicked My Heel Three Times won the Maya Angelou Book Award in 2023. She received her doctorate in Creative Writing and Literature through the University of Cincinnati. You can pre-order her newest work Resting Bitch Face here. Follow her work at https://www.taylorbyas.com/.Podcast Email: mybadpoetry.thepodcast@gmail.com Bluesky: @mybadpoetrythepod.bsky.social Instagram & Threads: @MyBadPoetry_ThePod Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mybadpoetry.com

university chicago cincinnati wanted literature bean blue sky creative writing barrier podcastemail pushcart resting bitch face what you wanted

Ep. 301 Eric Clayton - Finding Peace Here and Now

Shifting Culture

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 57:56 Transcription Available

We are living in a world that seems to be unraveling at the seams - where chaos, polarization, and anxiety have become our default settings - we need a different way of being. Today, I'm sitting down with Eric Clayton, who's been wrestling with the question: What if peace isn't just the absence of conflict, but a transformative way of living? Eric's new book, "Finding Peace Here and Now," isn't another self-help manual. It's an invitation - a roadmap drawn from Ignatian spirituality that challenges us to look deeper. How do we build peace when everything around us seems designed to tear us apart? How do we find stillness in the storm, not by escaping the world, but by showing up differently? We'll explore how peace starts within us, how it's cultivated through compassion, creativity, and a willingness to see the humanity in everyone - even those we disagree with. This isn't about being passive. It's about a strength so profound it can disarm violence without raising a hand. If you're feeling overwhelmed, if you're searching for hope in a world that seems to have lost its way, this conversation is for you. So join us as we walk through what peace really means. Eric Clayton is an award-winning writer and author of three books on Ignatian spirituality and everyday living, including, "Finding Peace Here and Now: How Ignatian Spirituality Leads Us to Healing and Wholeness," "My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars," and "Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith." He has a children's book, "Our Mother, Too: Mary Embraces the World," which was co-authored by Shannon K. Evans releasing this year. Eric is the deputy director for communications at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States where he manages the award-winning weekly column, "Now Discern This," guest hosts "AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast" and provides filming, writing and audio support for a range of multimedia projects. He has an MA in International Media from American University, a BA in International Studies and Creative Writing from Fairfield University and a graduate certificate in the Ignatian Tradition from Creighton University. He lives in Towson, MD with his family.Eric's Book:Finding Peace Here and NowEric's Recommendation:Changing PlanesSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Support the show

Don't Believe the Mob

Secrets for an Awesome Life

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2025 18:20

People love to judge and the internet makes it easy. But just because the mob says something doesn't mean it's true. In this episode, Joey Mascio unpacks why we're so quick to jump on the judgment train (whether online or in real life) and why compassion is your secret weapon against the angry crowd. With real-life examples and science-backed insights, teens will learn how to pause, question the story they're being fed, and become the kind of person people trust and respect.

EPISODE 113: HANNAH

PSYCHO THERAPIST

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 132:10

When Hannah was seven months old, her parents sent her to live with a foster mother, and it would be four years before she was reunited with her family. The strangest part about this is that it wasn't strange at all; at the time, this was a common arrangement for Nigerian families in the UK. Hannah's story continues to be unpredictable and unique: she went from military school and the Merchant Marines to earning an MFA in Creative Writing and hosting a cannabis literary club. She comes to the show because she wants to stop making herself smaller for others' comfort. Hannah's intelligence, drive, and self-possession are abundantly clear when she talks - so what's going on? As Renée searches for the source of Hannah's discomfort, it becomes clear that there is much more trauma in Hannah's story than is immediately evident. They sort through the layers of familial, cultural, and racial variables to isolate the trauma strands and identify the pieces that are blocking Hannah's growth, ultimately identifying the healing tools and wellness strategies that will uncover Hannah's voice. And then just when it seems like the conversation is over, Hannah brings some fabulous last-minute content; they talk sleep hygiene, the 7 types of rest, revenge procrastination, burnout, activism, and more. Plus, Renée talks about moving, depression, and mice - yes, mice - in the intro. This one is all over the place, in the best possible way.Support the show

family art uk writing creativity therapy self care ptsd self love therapists nigerians mfa childhood trauma creative writing foster care ifs internal family systems cptsd merchant marines

Writing Fiction around True Stories w/ Author Constance Squires

Okie Bookcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 39:18

Text the Bookcast and say "hi"!Welcome to Chapter 71!My guest today is Dr. Constance Squires. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Oklahoma State University and teaches Creative Writing at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. In her new book, Low April Sun, Constance creates a novel around the events and the aftermath of the Murrah Bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995. She is also the author of the novels Along the Watchtower, which won the 2012 Oklahoma Book Award for Fiction and Live from Medicine Park, a 2018 Oklahoma Book Award finalist. In addition to these novels, Constance has a short story collection called Hit Your Brights and her short fiction has also appeared in Guernica, The Atlantic Monthly, Shenandoah, Identity Theory, Bayou, the Dublin Quarterly, This Land, and a number of other magazines. Constance's nonfiction has appeared in Salon, the New York Times, the Village Voice, World Literature Today, the Philological Review, Largehearted Boy, and has been featured on the NPR program Snap Judgment. She contributed to the RollingStone500: Telling Stories in Stereo (thers500.com). and wrote the screenplay for Sundance fellow Jeffrey Palmer's 2015 short film, Grave Misgivings. In our conversation, we talk a lot about Low April Sun and the challenges of creating fiction around significant real-world events. We also talk about the publishing journey and she gives some great advice for emerging writers. Connect with Constance: website | Instagram | FacebookMentioned on the Show:Falling Man - Don DelilloExtremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran FoerLibra - Don DelilloThe Secret Garden - Frances Eliza Hodgson BurnettLittle House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls WilderLittle Women - Louisa May AlcottUniversity of Oklahoma PressT.S. EliotEzra PoundDrive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk James - Percival EverettRoots - Alex HaleyBlue Sky Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John le CarreConnect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | FacebookShop the Bookcast on Bookshop.orgMusic by JuliusH

Kyle Flemmer, "Supergiants" (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025)

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 31:27

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Calgary poet Kyle Flemmer about his collection of poetry, Supergiants (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025). For millennia humanity has looked upwards and traced stories in the night sky, projecting our human wants and desires outward. In Supergiants, Kyle Flemmer turns his gaze in the other direction. What does our reach for the stars say about us? Working with the technical language of engineering and astrophysics, Flemmer reorients the reader within our galaxy. Families of asteroids expand to contain their physical attributes, the mythic stories of their names and the histories of real people. We see the course of lunar exploration through the fate of the flags planted on each mission. Nebulae, blue giants and black holes enfold us. Interspersed throughout are a series of found/collage poems that visually reconfigure the elements of space exploration and our understanding of it. Through it all, Flemmer shows how we turn to the stars to make sense of ourselves and our place in the universe. About Kyle Flemmer: Kyle Flemmer is a writer, publisher, and digital media artist from Calgary in Treaty 7 territory. He founded The Blasted Tree Publishing Co. in 2014 and released his first book, Barcode Poetry, in 2021. Flemmer is the author of many chapbooks and his work has appeared in anthologies and exhibitions in Canada and abroad. Supergiants is Kyle's first trade book of poetry, and his next, The Wiki of Babel, is forthcoming from the University of Calgary Press. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

152: Documenting the Undocumented through Food with Jill Damatac

AnthroDish

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 30:27

The idea of a pristine kitchen with clean countertops feels distinctively American, or an all-American idealist. However, the concept of the American ideal, or the American dream, desperately needs to be challenged. How better to do that than through food? My guest this week, author and filmmaker Jill Damatac, does just that in her new memoir, Dirty Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family. Jill was born in the Philippines, raised in the US, and is now a UK citizen living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her film and photography work has been featured on the BBC and in Time, and at film festivals worldwide; her short documentary film Blood and Ink (Dugo at Tinta), about the Indigenous Filipino tattooist Apo Whang Od, was an official selection at the Academy Award–qualifying DOC NYC and won Best Documentary at Ireland's Kerry Film Festival. Jill holds an MSt in Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Documentary Film from the University of the Arts London. Her new book, Dirty Kitchen, is a food memoir of 22 years undocumented in the United States. In today's episode, we explore her memoir as a unique narrative that combines recipes, Filipino histories and mythologies, American immigration experiences, food writing, and personal narratives. Jill describes how she structured the book, how Filipino diasporic recipes relate to diasporic and migrant experiences, and the relationship between American foods and rebuilding a sense of self through Filipino foods after living undocumented for many years. Resources: Buy Dirty Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family Website: https://www.jilldamatac.com/ Instagram: @jilldamatac

Freud & the Mental Health Trades