Shows
The Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Carrying the Thread: A Lifetime of Love, Loss, & What Remainsn this solo episode, Christine Musser opens her heart to share a personal story of profound grief, layered over decades—the loss of her only sister, her middle brother at age 15, and her husband of 43 years. What begins as a reflection on loss becomes a compassionate offering to others walking the same path.
Christine explores what it means to carry grief not once, but over a lifetime—and how healing doesn't erase the ache, but softens it. Whether you've lost a sibling, a partner, a parent, or someone who simply got you, this episode offers comfort, connection, and...2025-07-2534 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Confessional Poetry & Private Pain: From Sylvia Plath to Etheridge KnightWhat happens when poetry dares to tell the truth?
This episode of The Wandering Pen dives into the raw, revealing world of confessional poetry—a groundbreaking literary genre born in postwar America that redefined poetic voice, vulnerability, and truth-telling.
Hosted by writer and educator Christine Musser, this 30-minute literary exploration traces the movement’s evolution from Robert Lowell’s revolutionary Life Studies to the haunting voices of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and John Berryman. Christine examines how these poets exposed their inner lives—grappling with mental illness, trauma, addiction, and identity—while using powerful literary craft to transfo...2025-07-1823 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.The Power of Storytelling: Join the Journey to 1,000 ListensWhat makes a story worth preserving? This episode reflects on the power of oral storytelling, honoring the guests who’ve shared their voices on The Wandering Pen Podcast. Christine shares her vision, her gratitude, and her mission to reach 1,000 listens by July 31—one story at a time. Join the journey, press play, and pass it on.
Featuring episode highlights from Cristen Hemingway Jaynes and Cynthia O’Neil.
#PodcastEpisode #StorytellingPodcast #OralStorytelling #VoicesThatMatter #TheWanderingPenPodcast #CristenHemingwayJaynes #CynthiaONeil #WritingCommunity #EnvironmentalStorytelling
#MixedRaceVoices #HealingThroughStory #LegacyAndVoice
2025-07-1008 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Solo Travel, Grief, and the Camino de Santiago: A Healing PilgrimageWhat happens when you walk 500 miles alone—carrying nothing but a backpack and the weight of grief?
This episode explores the transformative power of pilgrimage, the search for renewal after loss, and the unexpected healing found on the Camino de Santiago. Christine Musser talks with author and artist Maryanna Gabriel about her book Walking the Camino: On Earth As It Is.
Maryanna shares her raw story of grief, the creative process of writing a memoir, and how one woman’s journey across Spain became an act of spiritual alchemy. From moments of exhaustion and uncertainty to f...2025-07-0341 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.From Covered Bridges to Cold Cases: Finding Story in the ShadowsWhat stories lie beneath forgotten headstones, behind the silence of a covered bridge, or along the curve of an old back road?
In this episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, we meet a historian, folklorist, and storyteller who’s made it his mission to uncover Pennsylvania’s forgotten past—one cemetery, mystery, and legend at a time.
Together, we explore haunting tales of unsolved murders, lost grave markers, roadside ghost stories, and the rich but often overlooked history of Pennsylvania’s rural communities. With compassion and curiosity, our guest brings voice to people and places left out...2025-06-2656 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.The Sacred Land Beneath Our Feet: Echoes of the Endless MountainsIn this poetic solo episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, host Christine Musser invites listeners into a world before paved roads and power lines—a time when the Endless Mountains were sacred ground to the Iroquois, Lenape, Delaware, and Shawnee peoples. Through mist and memory, rain and rhythm, Christine reflects on the spirit trails, sacred waterways, and ancestral stories that shaped this land. From Loyalsock Creek to hidden hunting grounds and starlit skies, this episode weaves cultural history, personal experience, and reverent storytelling into a powerful tribute to Indigenous presence, connection to place, and the sacredness of nature.
J...2025-06-1912 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Between Verses and Translations: Nancy Jean Ross on Crafting Literary BridgesJoin Christine Musser as she delves into the creative and academic worl of Nancy Jean Ross, a distinguished poet and literary translator. Our conversation unravels the intricate tapestry of Nancy’s work, where poetry, research, and translation converge to preserve and celebrate female voices across cultures and eras.
Nancy shares her journey from the lyrical exploration of motherhood in her award-winning chapbook A Gold Seed, Green Pain to her profound research on the Mexican writer Rosario Castellanos. Through vivid storytelling, we explore how Nancy’s translations bring Rosario’s intimate and politically sharp letters to life for English-speaki...2025-06-1245 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Writing from the Wild: Cynthia O’Neil on Horses, Land, and Living Between Worlds In this heartfelt episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, Christine Musser sits down with writer Cynthia O’Neil. From the moss-covered hills of Western North Carolina, Cynthia shares her journey as a triracial writer, her deep bond with horses, and how land, resilience, and ancestral memory shape her voice.
Together, they explore Cynthia’s roots in Massachusetts, her experiences as a teenage mother, loss, her Native heritage, her journey living with lupus, and the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Cynthia also opens up about her creative process, her writin...2025-06-061h 04The Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.From Vulnerability to Voice: A Personal Reflection & Future GlimpseIn this heartfelt solo episode, host Christine Musser pauses to reflect on the growth, gratitude, and genuine connection that have defined the first 21 episodes of The Wandering Pen. What began as a podcast rooted in vulnerability and storytelling has blossomed into a meaningful space for authors, historians, artists, and everyday people to share their truths.
Christine opens up about her challenges with anxiety and finding her voice again—and shares exciting news about upcoming guests, including triracial writer Cynthia O’Neil, resilient real estate trailblazer Natalie Crawford, and literary scholar Nancy Jean Ross. She also announces her upco...2025-05-3010 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.History, Heritage & Nonconformity: Anne Deeter Gallaher Reflects on Her RootsToday’s episode tells the story of a trailblazing Pennsylvania family who challenged expectations and left a powerful legacy.
Based in the Harrisburg area during the early 1900s, this family defied societal norms: a mother who began a professional singing career at 50, a daughter who became one of the highest-earning women of her time and later led the National Girl Scouts, another daughter who became a doctor and suffragist, and a son who founded a theater—still active today—that’s now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Join me for a...2025-05-2233 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.The Power of Grit: Mari Sandoz’s Legacy as the Story Catcher of the Plains
In this episode of The Wandering Pen, host Christine Musser welcomes historian and author Shannon D. Smith, President of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society, for a compelling conversation about the life, work, and enduring legacy of Mari Sandoz—one of the most powerful voices of the American High Plains.
Born in 1896 in a sod house in northwest Nebraska, Mari Sandoz faced relentless hardship, rejection, and personal sacrifice on her path to becoming a published author. With only an eighth-grade education and a fierce determination, she rose to literary prominence with books like Old Jul...2025-05-1456 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Resilience and the Writer’s Journey: Julie Burtinshaw on Grief and Renewal
In this heartfelt episode, author Julie Burtinshaw joins host Christine Musser to explore the healing power of writing through personal loss and life’s most challenging moments. Julie opens up about her journey back to writing after deep grief, sharing how creativity can be both a refuge and a path to renewal. Together, Christine and Julie reflect on resilience, the challenges of staying motivated, and finding hope even when life feels overwhelming. This candid conversation blends laughter with honest emotions, offering inspiration for writers and anyone navigating grief or creative roadblocks.
If this epi...2025-05-0158 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.From Hemingway to EcoWatch: Cristen Hemingway Jaynes on Storytelling and Sustainability
In this episode of The Wandering Pen, Christine Musser welcomes Cristen Hemingway Jaynes—great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, author, and environmental journalist—for a thoughtful conversation on legacy, creativity, and the natural world. From retracing her famous ancestor’s steps to carving out her own voice through fiction, nonfiction, and environmental advocacy, Cristen’s path is one of curiosity, courage, and connection.
You’ll hear about:
How her JD, creative writing, and journalism converge
The story behind her biography on the places Ernest Hemingway traveled to and lived - Ernest’s Way: An International Jo...2025-04-1752 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Dennis Owens on 30+ Years in Journalism and the Changing Face of Local News
In this episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, Christine Musser sits down with Dennis Owens—longtime ABC27 anchor, political reporter, and host of This Week in Pennsylvania—for a compelling conversation about the transformation of journalism over the past 30 years.
From his early days in sports broadcasting to becoming a trusted political voice at the Pennsylvania state Capitol, Dennis shares personal stories from the newsroom, reflects on the decline of local journalism, and weighs in on the public’s shifting trust in media. He also addresses the challenges of covering politics in a deeply divided tim...2025-04-1144 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.The Peebles' Homestead: A Piece of Pennsylvania’s Past Worth Saving
In this episode of The Wandering Pen, Christine talks with Brian Fritz, a historic preservation advocate who has spent the past five years working to save the Peebles Farmstead—a limestone homestead built in 1773 just outside Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Once home to Revolutionary War veteran Alexander Peebles Sr., this historic property tells the story of early Scotch-Irish settlement, enduring architecture, and the ongoing fight to preserve what remains.
Brian shares how his interest in documenting the farmstead evolved into a passionate mission to protect it from commercial development and demolition by neglect. We explore the property’s archaeologic...2025-04-0327 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Grounded and Growing: Martha Judy Bailey on Land, Legacy, and Leadership
In this episode of The Wandering Pen, host Christine Musser welcomes guest Judy Bailey—a retired nurse anesthetist, lifelong conservationist, and now candidate for Upper Allen Township Commissioner. Judy shares her inspiring journey from her early days in a student conservation program in the Smoky Mountains to her leadership in the South Mountain Trolley Greenway project.
They discuss the power of community-driven conservation, the legacy of trails and open spaces, the urgent need for sustainable township planning, and how Judy’s personal story—raising two daughters as a single parent, maintaining her family farm, and step...2025-03-3059 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Launching a Beauty Brand with Purpose: Darci Henry’s Journey
In this episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, Christine Musser chats with Darci Henry, founder of Darcy Henry Beauty, about how beauty, confidence, and authenticity come together through her brand. Darci shares her inspiring journey of launching her cosmetic line, the importance of clean ingredients and U.S.-based manufacturing, and why beauty should always enhance—not mask—who you are.
They also discuss product formulation, industry trends, simplifying your skincare routine, and finding the proper foundation for your skin tone. Whether a beauty enthusiast or an entrepreneur, you’ll walk away with fresh insi...2025-03-271h 14The Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania
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Exploring Pine Grove Furnace State Park: Its History, Industry, and Natural Beauty with Andre Weltman
What hidden history lies beneath Pine Grove Furnace State Park’s trails and lakes? In this episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, I sit down with Andre Weltman, local historian, and chair of the Friends of Pine Grove Furnace State Park, to uncover the park’s fascinating past and vibrant present.
Once a bustling iron-making site, this South Mountain treasure has become a valued destination for hikers, campers, anglers, aqua adven...2025-03-2059 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.South Mountain Appalachian Trail: State of the RegionDid you know the Appalachian Trail’s halfway point lies within Pennsylvania’s
South Mountain Region part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range?
Julia & Katie
This ecologically and culturally rich area faces opportunities and challenges—from conservation successes and rare species preservation to increasing land development pressures.
In this episode, Katie Hess and Julia Chain from the South Mountain Partnership discuss key findings from their State of the Region Report, revealing insights on wildlife
corridors, historic preservation, outdoor recreation, and sustainable land use. We’ll explore how changes i...2025-03-1155 minThe Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.Cradle of Conservation: An Environmental History of Pennsylvania
In Episode 10, host Christine Musser welcomes historian and author Dr. Allen Dieterich-Ward to discuss his latest book, Cradle of Conservation, published by Temple University. They explore Pennsylvania’s pivotal role in the conservation movement, highlighting influential figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Rothrock, and Myra Lloyd Dock.
During the episode, DW explains the significance of the Meadowcroft Rock Shelter. This archaeological site reshaped the understanding of early human habitation in the Americas. He also discusses why he included Native American creation stories in his book, emphasizing their importance in providing a more balanced and inclusive hi...2025-03-0847 min