Episodes

Today we bring you another story told live on stage at the Flagstaff Festival of Science in September 2024. This story is by Dr. Jane Marks . Her story is called Saving Fossil Creek. What's cool about this story is how expertly the narrator weaves the personal in with the science. THAT is how a narrator builds trust. It's how listeners understand how their actions impact the greater world. It's how we, as a society, will change our behaviors because the information becomes more than just statistics. The personal draws us in so we begin to trust one scientist at a time. Three years ago, we were hired by Dr. Jane Marks and Dr. Bruce Hungate , two famous ecologists from ECOSS Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS) at Northern Arizona University . at Northern Arizona University. They heard our podcast and then started taking our classes which led to the idea that their students would benefit from taking our classes. So we’ve been doing online workshops and in-person workshops…

Andrea Askowitz shares a personal story about her anxiety over global warming and hurricanes, illustrated through her intense jumping rope routine. The story, performed live at the Flagstaff Festival of Science in 2024, is a braided essay that intertwines her fear of natural disasters with her physical exercise. Andrea discusses the process of writing the essay, including the collaboration with scientists and the editing by Nicole Walker. The narrative highlights the rising numbers of named storms and her preparation for potential flooding by purchasing a boat. The podcast episode also explores the technique of braided essays and encourages listeners to try it.

Today on our show, we bring you a story by student Kim Costigan. Kim wrote this story while on our December 2022 writing retreat in Key Largo. This story crushed us and made us love Kim even more. What I want you to listen for is the anecdote at the end. This is one of our favorite ways to end a story. It shows how the narrator has been impacted by the situation in real time.  Kim has been writing with us for a few years now, and Kim is the perfect example of someone who started green and practiced her way to perfection. Her writing and her vulnerability has come further than almost any student we’ve had. Some people think you can’t teach vulnerability, what we call heart, but we know you can. Kim Costigan is a writer in Winthrop, pursuing a master’s degree in creative writing at Emerson College. She’s also a star at Karaoke.  This story may not be appropriate for children or those sensitive to child abuse.  Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. A…

Today on our show, we bring you a story by Maxine Poupko. Maxine’s story is a great example of character development, showing the tiny details in a complex relationship, and bringing the reader into a different world. Maxine wrote this story for the Writing Class Radio retreat in February 2023. The story was workshopped and refined with feedback and encouragement from the group. If you have a strained relationship with a member of your family, this episode is for you!

Today on our show, we bring you a story by Corey Devon Arthur. Corey has served 25 years on a life sentence for robbery and murder and is currently housed at Otisville Correctional Institution in New York. Corey is an artist and writer who has been published on Writing Class Radio and The Marshall Project, among others. Corey’s stories have aired on Episode 120: My Pen Uncovers the Real Me, Episode 128: My New Manifesto, and Episode 143: Cutting Needless Words.  This story is a great example of metaphor, which is not easy to pull off. Andrea and Allison will talk metaphor and about everything Corey nailed in this story. Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski, Chloe Emond-Lane, and Aiden Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music is by Marnino Toussaint. There’s more writing class on our website including stories we study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classe…

Today on our show, we bring you a story by Jenny Powers. Jenny is a New York-based freelance reporter. She writes for HuffPost, The Cut, Business Insider, Fortune, and more. She is working on a memoir called, "Smooth Operator: Confessions of an Accidental Phone Sex Vixen." You can see more of her work at https://www.clippings.me/jpowers. Jenny’s essay originally appeared in The Cut and is titled “Outsourcing My Orgasm.” We trimmed just slightly for the podcast. We love so many things about Jenny’s essay, and we talk about that in detail on this episode. She is vulnerable, honest, and expertly turns a unique situation into a universal story about weight, sex, and marriage.

Today on our show, we bring you a story by Laurie Eynon. This story is a behind-the-scenes Jeopardy! audition revealed and a good lesson in how every word matters. And the voice of the narrator is amazing. So good!!! Laurie takes us through her one chance at becoming a Jeopardy! champion and what happened.

Today on our show, we bring you a story by Sari Botton. Sari’s story is a great example of how to tell a story that encompasses your whole life. It is also a great example of how to end a story while you are still living with a situation.

Today’s episode features a story by one of our favorite students, Margery Berger. She has been taking classes with us since way before the pandemic. Margery has told stories on our podcast twice before. Episode 46: An Object Is not Just an Object aired in 2018 features a really compelling story about Margery’s obsession with her scale. On Episode 95: What Did It Take to Finally Get Published? Margery told a story about the time her boyfriend said she has ugly hands. That episode is great because...