Why We Write
82 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsInterviews with award-winning authors from the Lesley University community and beyond. We cover a broad range of genres and topics, all related to books and the writing life.
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Episodes
The trials, tribulations and trauma of dating – with a dash of Michael Bublé
December 10, 2019 05:05 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBNote: This episode discusses sexual abuse. Tracy Strauss's debut memoir, "I Just Haven't Met You Yet," explores her process of healing as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and the pursuit of love in the 21st century. A graduate of Lesley University's MFA in Creative Writing program, Tracy has written extensively on love and dating and her essays have been published in Glamour, New York Magazine, Oprah Magazine, The Millions, Ms. Magazine, The Huffington Post, Salon, Publishers Weekly, Pl...
Funny, fantastic and weird books with Laurie Foos
December 04, 2019 19:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBLaurie Foos is the author of seven novels and novellas. In her own words, Laurie's books “push the limits of reality, to make things seem absurd and grotesque in order for the reader to see things in a new way.” For example, in Ex Utero a woman loses her uterus in a shopping mall. In The Blue Girl, the lives of three sets of mothers and daughters are overshadowed by the appearance of a blue girl, to whom the mothers feed moon pies in secret. Her work has been categorized as fabulist and mag...
Demon fighting teens and musical theater with Michelle Knudsen
November 20, 2019 03:15 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBMichelle Knudsen is the author of more than 45 books for young readers, ranging from children’s picture books to young adult novels. She also teaches in the Lesley University MFA in Creative Writing program and is a freelance children’s book editor and writing coach. Her latest novel, published in August, is the completion of Evil Librarian series, Revenge of the Evil Librarian. In this episode, Why We Write producer Georgia Sparling talks with Michelle about how she got into the publishing...
Singapore's 'Sarong Party Girls' with Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
November 12, 2019 05:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBCheryl Lu-Lien Tan is a New York-based journalist and author of Sarong Party Girls (William Morrow, 2016) as well as A Tiger In The Kitchen: A Memoir of Food & Family (Hyperion, 2011). She was a staff writer at the Wall Street Journal, In Style magazine and the Baltimore Sun. Her stories have also appeared in The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Washington Post, Bon Appetit, among other places. In this episode, she talks about the glitzy and morally complicated world of Singapore's Sa...
Caribbean mermaids and evil spirits with 'Jumbies' author Tracey Baptiste
November 05, 2019 05:05 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBTracey Baptiste concludes her popular 'Jumbies' series, talks about diversity in publishing, and discusses her New York Times opinion on mermaids with Lesley University Professor and poet Danielle Legros Georges. Learn more about Tracey, Danielle, and our low-residency creative writing program at lesley.edu/podcast, where we've also got a link to her NYT piece, Mermaids Have Always Been Black.
The African-American ice skater who broke racial barriers
October 29, 2019 04:05 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBA story about the legendary, but little-known African-American ice skater Mabel Fairbanks is a natural debut for professional skater turned author Rose Viña. Her new picture book, Ice Breaker: How Mabel Fairbanks Changed Figure Skating, tells the story of the first African-American woman inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Born in 1915, Fairbanks skated professionally despite racism that prevented her from entering competitions. She went on to champion diversity in ice skati...
A graphic memoir explores infertility with Sheila Alexander
October 22, 2019 07:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBSheila Alexander lives in Massachusetts with her husband, son, dog, and parrot. She holds a master’s degree in education and a minor in fine art from Lesley University. By day, she works as a teacher, where she shares her love of comic books with her students. She believes that books have the power to change people’s lives, so she wrote her first book, IF: A Memoir of Infertility, in hopes that it will help other people going through infertility treatment. In this interview, Sheila sits dow...
The sound of 'Silence' with Jane Brox
October 15, 2019 04:05 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBJane Brox’s fifth book, Silence, was published in January 2019 and explores the nuances of quiet - both forced and voluntary. Her previous book, Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light, was named one of the top ten nonfiction books of 2010 by Time magazine. She is also the author of Clearing Land: Legacies of the American Farm; Five Thousand Days Like This One, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in nonfiction; and Here and Nowhere Else, which won the L.L. Wi...
Axie Oh's 'Rogue Heart'
October 08, 2019 04:45 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBAxie Oh is a first generation Korean American, born in NYC and raised in New Jersey. She studied Korean history and creative writing as an undergrad at the University of California – San Diego and holds an MFA from Lesley University in Writing for Young People. Her passions include K-pop, anime, stationery supplies, and milk tea. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. In today's interview, she speaks with Sara Farizan, author of If You Could Be Mine, Here to Stay, and Tell Me Again How...
God, politics, and Middle America with Lyz Lenz
October 01, 2019 04:10 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBA graduate of Lesley University’s MFA in Creative Writing program, Lyz Lenz’s writing has appeared in the Huffington Post, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Pacific Standard, and others. God Land, published through Indiana University Press, is her first book. Lyz lives in Iowa with her two kids and two cats and is a contributing writer to the Columbia Journalism Review. God Land: A Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America is her first book. See photos from Lyz's time on th...
Self-publishing, ghost hunting lesbians & Dolly Parton with Nicole Mello
May 14, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MBIt's our season finale, and we've got recent graduate and thrice published author Nicole Mello. Nicole talks about how hard it is to actually call yourself a writer, the freedom of self-publishing, and of course, ghost hunting lesbians. Chris Clark, one of Nicole's former teachers at Lesley University, conducts the interview. BIO Nicole Mello is a fiction author who has been writing since before her memory was a functional thing. She has three published works: Venus (2017), The Modern Prom...
A memoir of family and the enduring impact of the Holocaust with Caroline Heller
May 07, 2019 04:00 - 37 minutes - 51.5 MBProfessor Caroline Heller's book, Reading Claudius: A Memoir in Two Parts, explores not only her family's experiences during World War II, but also how the Holocaust affected her own life as the child of a concentration camp survivor. In this interview, she talks about her family history with Rachel Kadish, author of the award-winning novel The Weight of Ink. Check out our episode page to see photos of the Heller family and to hear Edward R. Murro's 1945 broadcast on Buchenwald, where he en...
Strange Fruit and black history in comics with Joel Christian Gill
April 30, 2019 04:00 - 42 minutes - 59 MBWhen Joel Christian Gill realized painting wasn't working for him, he returned to comic books and began writing and illustrating books that tell the largely unknown stories of extraordinary black people in history. Gill is the chairman, CEO, president, director of development, majority and minority stockholder, manager, co-manager, regional manager, assistant to the regional manager, receptionist, senior black correspondent and janitor of Strange Fruit Comics. The New York Times says, "At a...
Poet Richard Blanco learns 'How to Love a Country'
April 23, 2019 04:05 - 43 minutes - 59.6 MBRichard Blanco is the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history—the youngest, first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to serve in such a role. In this interview, he speaks with former Boston Poet Laureate Danielle Legros Georges during a visit at Lesley University. Born in Madrid to Cuban exile parents and raised in Miami, the negotiation of cultural identity and place characterize Richard's body of work. He is the author of the poetry collections Looking for the Gulf Motel, Directi...
YA author Sara Farizan is 'Here to Stay'
April 16, 2019 04:05 - 42 minutes - 58 MBSara Farizan is an Iranian American young adult author. In this interview she talks about Here to Stay, her new book on basketball and Islamophobia, navigating social media as a public figure and introvert, and being a not-quite-full-time writer. She first came on the scene with the breakout YA hit If You Could Be Mine, winner of the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Children’s/Young Adult and followed with Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel. Lesley University Social Media Specialist and YA...
Teaching teens to WRITE with Fabiola Decius
April 09, 2019 04:05 - 34 minutes - 47.1 MBFabiola R. Decius’s is a playwright and the founder of Teens WRITE (Writing, Reading, and Investigating Theater Everywhere), which is a program for teenagers to write, revise, cast, direct, and produce original plays culminating in a Ten-Minute Play Festival. Fabiola graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a Bachelor of Arts, and received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Lesley University in Stage and Screen Writing. Her plays include Haiti Chérie, Final Verdict, In Sync, Ice Crea...
Risky memoir writing with Janet Pocorobba
April 02, 2019 04:00 - 40 minutes - 55.1 MBIt took Janet Pocorobba 15 years to write "The Fourth String: A Memoir of Sensei and Me," a biography of a non-traditional Japenese sensei teaching a very traditional instrument and an autobiography of the author's immersion into Japanese culture. In this episode, she talks about the challenges of writing about real people and how Japan changed her life. Janet teaches is the associate professor and associate director of Lesley University's MFA in Creative Writing program. Her work has been ...
Dreaming about Joan of Arc with YA author David Elliott
March 26, 2019 04:05 - 44 minutes - 60.9 MBYA and children's author David Elliott's most recent titles are Bull, a raucous, rhyming retelling of the Minotaur myth that's been compared to Hamilton and Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc, a story idea that came to Elliott in his sleep. In this interview with Georgia Sparling, David talks about his first encounter with Greek mythology (it involves Scrooge McDuck), a stint as a cucumber washer in Greece, and his writing process. Learn more about David on our episode page, and be sur...
Chasing poetry with Jess Rizkallah
March 19, 2019 04:00 - 40 minutes - 55.6 MBBoston-based poet Jess Rizkallah is the award-winning author of The Magic My Body Becomes. She first decided to "chase poetry" as an undergrad at Lesley University and went on to study creative writing at NYU. A native of Boston, Jess often writes about her experiences as a Lebanese-American woman, family, love, religion, and gender expectations. On today's episode, she is interviewed by her former professor, Mary Dockray-Miller. See a video of Jess performing one of her poems and read more...
Making hard science easy for kids with Sara Levine
March 05, 2019 06:05 - 32 minutes - 44.5 MBSara Levine is writer, educator and a veterinarian. Her books for children include Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons; Tooth by Tooth: Comparing Fangs; Tusks and Chompers; Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones — which make comparative anatomy accessible to kids (and adults). Her latest book is Flower Talk: How Plants Use Color to Communicate with Animals. Sara also writes science-related essays for adults, one of which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2007. Read more about ...
Recommending kids books with The Classroom Bookshelf
February 26, 2019 05:17 - 59 minutes - 81.1 MBHundreds of new books for kids and young adults hit shelves every year, yet teachers often stick with the same titles year in and year out. The educators behind The Classroom Bookshelf, a blog on the School Library Journal website, encourage teachers to try new and diverse books by giving them ideas on how to incorporate them into their existing lessons. In their words, they share "thoughts and ideas on some of the most exciting, arresting, profound, and beautiful books for children and youn...
Enzo Silon Surin's poetry for the broken spaces
February 19, 2019 05:02 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBEnzo Silon Surin, Haitian-born poet, educator, publisher, and social advocate, is the author of two chapbooks, A Letter of Resignation: An American Libretto and Higher Ground. He is recipient of a Brother Thomas Fellowship from The Boston Foundation and is a PEN New England Celebrated New Voice in Poetry. Enzo’s work gives voice to experiences that take place in what he calls “broken spaces” and has appeared in numerous publications. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley Universit...
'Watch Us Rise' author Renée Watson
February 12, 2019 05:01 - 47 minutes - 38 MBRenée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author, educator, and activist whose latest novel for teens is Watch Us Rise, co-written with Ellen Hagan. A native of Portland, Oregon, Renée writes books for kids and teens that reflect the diversity she often found missing in books when she was a child. She recently won the Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbury Honor for Piecing Me Together. Renée is also a community advocate and the founder of the I, Too, Arts Collective, based in the home of...
Honest history books for kids, monster trucks, and The Truth About Poop with Susan Goodman
February 05, 2019 05:01 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBChildren's book author Susan Goodman writes books that are humorous, honest, and sometimes historical. Case in point, her book titles include The Truth About Poop, The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial, and See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House. Her award-winning books grow out of Susan's myriad interests and never fail to engage, enlighten, and challenge young readers. In this episode, Erika Thulin Dawes interviews Susan about ...
What An MFA in Creative Writing Can Do For You
December 20, 2018 05:01 - 56 minutes - 45.7 MBIf you've ever contemplated getting your MFA in Creative Writing, this is the episode for you. We've got a panel on the MFA in Creative Writing experience with three members of the Lesley University community: Boston Poet Laureate and Lesley University MFA in Creative Writing Interim Director Danielle Legros Georges, Associate Director Janet Pocorobba and alumna Heather Hughes, an associate editor at Harvard University Press. The three authors writers talk about Lesley's low-residency prog...
Surviving New Jersey with Scott Loring Sanders
December 13, 2018 05:01 - 39 minutes - 31.7 MBScott Loring Sanders is the author of "Surviving Jersey: Danger and Insanity in the Garden State," a collection of personal essays on growing up in New Jersey and life beyond the state. In this interview, Sanders speaks with Lesley University Director of Communications John Sullivan about murder and mayhem in his home state, the advice he gives to young writers and going on a police ride along for his upcoming novel. Sanders teaches creative writing to Lesley University undergraduates. In a...
From the page to the stage with playwright Jami Brandli
December 06, 2018 05:01 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBJami Brandli is an award-winning playwright based in Los Angeles and a faculty member in Lesley University's MFA in Creative Writing program. In this episode she discusses "making it" as a playwright, writing strong female characters and her trilogy based on Greek mythology with Emily Earle, Lesley's social media specialist. Jami’s plays include Technicolor Life, S.O.E., M-Theory, ¡SOLDADERA!, Sisters Three, Through the Eye of a Needle, Medusa’s Song, O: A Rhapsody in Divorce and BLISS (or ...
Jason Reynolds: Writing books for kids who don't read books
November 29, 2018 05:01 - 38 minutes - 31.1 MBJason Reynolds is the New York Times bestselling author of Long Way Down and many other books for kids, middle grade and young adults. His novels feature diverse characters and are unfailingly compelling, compassionate, and timely. They take an unflinching look at gun violence, police brutality, family, loss, and friendship. In this interview, he speaks with fellow author Chris Lynch. Read more on our podcast page where we also have a link to Jason's 2018 Commencement speech at Lesley Unive...
Searching for the real Shakespeare with Cheryl Eagan-Donovan
November 15, 2018 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBCheryl Eagan-Donovan is a graduate of Lesley University's MFA in Creative Writing program, where she also teaches screenwriting. Her first documentary film, All Kindsa Girls, screened in London, Toronto and throughout the U.S. and was short-listed for the PBS series POV. Her latest documentary, Nothing Truer than Truth, premiered earlier this year and posits that the A-list playboy Edward de Vere was the real Shakespeare. Let's just say, it's an idea that is not without controversy. More i...
Rachel Kadish: Women, history & The Weight of Ink
November 08, 2018 05:00 - 36 minutes - 29.6 MBRachel Kadish is the acclaimed author of The Weight of Ink, winner of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award, as well as the novels From a Sealed Room and Tolstoy Lied: a Love Story. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, Tin House, the New England Review and Salon. In this episode, Kadish, a faculty member in the Lesley University MFA in Creative Writing program, talks about her most recent novel — the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect:...
Bestelling YA author & love junkie Katie Cotugno
November 01, 2018 12:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MBLesley University MFA in Creative Writing alumna Katie Cotugno is a self-proclaimed "love junkie" and the author of How to Love, 99 Days, Fireworks, Top Ten, and 9 Days & 9 Nights. She writes feminist love stories with main characters who make mistakes and get into some messy situations. In this interview, she talks about taking the leap to become a full-time writer, ghostwriting romance novels, how she writes for young adults and lots more. More info: Lesley University's MFA in Creative W...
Coming soon: Why We Write
October 17, 2018 20:21 - 2 minutes - 2.64 MBLaunching Nov. 1! Why We Write is a new podcast for writers (aspiring and otherwise) and book lovers. Each episode we'll speak with an author from the Lesley University community and beyond about their work, inspiration, and more. Join us this season to hear from Jason Reynolds, Katie Cotugno, Rachel Kadish, Susan Goodman, Enzo Silon Surin and more. vyKYPwEZ6hT8IhtSODr0