Shows
Then AgainAmerican Spirit Photography
In this week's episode, Lesley talks with Dr. Louis Kaplan, a distinguished History Professor at the University of Toronto, as they delve into the captivating world of spirit photography in America. Prepare to uncover the origins of spirit photography, led by William Mumler, gain insights into the intricate process behind these photographs, and unravel the intriguing narrative of P.T. Barnum's mission to debunk spirit photographers.
Link to the book by Dr. Louis Kaplan:
www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/the-strange-case-of-william-mumler-spirit#:~:text=In%20the%201860s%2C%20William%20Mumler,the%20talk%20of%20the%20nation.
2023-10-1341 min
Why We WriteMargaret Chen's 'Suburban Gothic'Margaret F. Chen's short story collection Suburban Gothic peers behind the facade of life in the 'burbs...and it gets a little dark.In this episode, Margaret discusses her fascination with suburbs, choosing to publish independently, and why she's going to stick to writing short stories.Mentioned in this episode:Lesley University's low-residency MFA in Creative Writing programA Short-Story Writer Publishes on Her Own TermsKirkus review of Suburban GothicSuburban Gothic and Three Terrible Tales are available from Politics and ProseFind all our episodes, show notes, and transcriptions at https://lesley.edu/podcasts...2022-02-0123 min
Why We WriteA journey into the 'Blue Desert' with Celia JeffriesIn "Blue Desert," Celia Jeffries tells the story of a young English woman abducted by a nomadic tribe into the Sahara. In this episode, Celia talks about writing a story in a culture and time completely separate from her own as well as her long path to getting published.Celia is a graduate of the Lesley University MFA in Creative Writing program. For more info, visit our episode page.This is our final episode of the year. We'll be back in February with new shows. Email news@lesley.edu if you have ideas for future...2021-12-1428 min
Why We WriteWhy we need to talk about mental health with YA author Cameron Kelly RosenblumFor our last episode of the season, young adult author Cameron Kelly Rosenblum talks about "The Stepping Off Place," her heartbreaking novel about friendship, mental health, suicide, love and growing up.This episode does discuss suicide at length. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, please seek help.Chat with someone at the Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 1-800-273-8255. You can also text a crisis counselor at 741741.If you live in Canada, call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT...2021-05-2538 min
Why We Write'My City of Dreams' explores a family torn apart by the HolocaustIn her debut, physician and author Lisa Gruenberg writes a lyrical memoir about her family, pieced together from her father's letters, research, and reconstructing the lost histories of a family torn apart by the Holocaust.Learn more about Gruenberg, Lesley University's low-residency creative writing program and our other episodes at lesley.edu/podcast.
2020-03-0344 min
Why We WriteCaribbean mermaids and evil spirits with 'Jumbies' author Tracey BaptisteTracey 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.
2019-11-0553 min
Why We WriteSelf-publishing, ghost hunting lesbians & Dolly Parton with Nicole MelloIt'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 Prometheus (2018), and Phantasmagoria (2018). She has her B.A. in Creative Writing from Lesley University. She currently resides in...2019-05-1443 min