Notes Before Summer Break
Did we really start the podcast just 21 months ago? Yes, the Talking Writing podcast is still a toddler taking its first steps, but all this has been a big milestone for our team of four (under the guidance of
).When we committed to a full podcast format, we wanted to be pragmatic, aiming for one or two episodes per month. Four seasons and 38 episodes later, it’s safe to say that there are more people willing to talk with us about writing, art, music, and creativity than we had imagined.
Small doesn’t necessarily mean limited, and for the past two seasons, we found a good balance in our mix of guests and subjects. All the editors got their share of airtime, and we’ve interviewed influencers, editors, coaches, and a tattoo artist alongside episodes featuring authors, visual artists, and musicians.
Our fifth season is set to start strong in September with an exciting lineup of interviews that we’ve already collected, including writers Minaa B., Sean Michaels, and Maris Kreizman, to name just a few. We’re also starting to plan some virtual and in-person events, another first for TW. But for now it’s time for us to take a hiatus and ease into summer.
Thank you to the TW readers and followers who have stayed with us as we moved into the podcast format, as well as to the new subscribers to our stack.
If you’d like to recommend topics or guests, email us at talkingwritingeditor@gmail.com.
Editors’ Recap
John
I don’t know if you know this, but I’m really into the whole music thing. Like making, performing, and talking about music. Just wasn’t sure if that was something you picked up on. Anyway, things have been getting busier in that realm, so I’ve just been immersing myself as much as I can manage.
In an effort to put together shows in my neighborhood, I played in mid-June at our local Tired Hands Beer Garden with two other solo acts, Dave McDonnell’s Fifth World and Koof. It was a surprisingly cohesive and well-attended event, with all of us fusing horns and electronics in very different ways. Kids were running around, and it was funny to play for people that I had only known through pick up and drop off at our children’s school. They finally got to see what I weirdo I am.
I’m also doing a few things in the south, with a July 4 show just finished up near Atlanta and several shows during the last week of July routing from Birmingham, AL, to Greenville, NC. Otherwise I’ve been building a personal artist website with Russell Baker from A Modern Remedy and plugging away at recording my White Zinfandel album, aiming to have it out in the fall or winter.
Neva
Spring started off with the opportunity to lead a workshop sessions (in partnership with the New York Public Library and the New York Writers Workshop), which inspired and motivated me as much as I hope I did the participants.
I’ve also been recording lecture videos in preparation for the launch of Literary Craft Society with
(publisher, Spirit Bound Press).What kept me distracted from the seemingly interminable cold weather was planning and sowing my garden so it could become an all-season garden in the future.
Sarah
I’ve recently fallen head first into finishing the first draft of my romantasy novel. After joining the NYC Book Hoes writing group in February, I’ve kept up with a few friends, and we meet pretty regularly to talk about our writing and share a meal. After deciding that we’ve been doing too much brunching (no such thing) and not enough writing (entirely plausible), we have decided to stick to a stricter schedule in order to meet our goals.
I cannot write in a vacuum. I need a deadline. And meeting with this group of talented women has been the best thing for my writing. Especially since we decided that we have to write before we are allowed to socialize. And where younger me would have thought that these rules were too restrictive, I’ve never been more creative. It’s fun to try and to keep trying with women who are also trying.
I’ve also told a friend of mine about my writing group, and after a quick Google search, she found a residency in Philadelphia. She applied and got in! Now she’s going to spend a week away on a college campus to write and work on her craft. We thought only published and established authors were accepted into residencies. But because we applied ourselves and believed in our work, our wildest dreams are coming true.
Sarah and Neva
Checked out Blue Fever Dream, the pop-up art show of Carolin Wood at the Louise Court bungalows in Rockaway (April 6, Saturday, 12pm to 4pm).
Half-submerged in the subconscious, Carolin's pieces were an exploration and a reflection of her experience as a self-supporting artist with limitations, staying afloat with the help of Rockaway's restorative blue sea, persisting with fever dreams of a free, creative life.
Jess
Having just moved to the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia in February of this year, I’ve been slowly but steadily getting getting settled within my surroundings. I’ve also been painting occasionally (you can view my latest work at my Instagram) and exploring Philly’s ample green spaces with my dog, Kent (a 9-years-young long-haired husky). Having attended the first in-person Adult Art Club in May, which was held at Libertee Grounds, I plan to go to the next one, on July 24 at LeBus East Falls.