eMerge Unchained

In this episode of eMerge Unchained, host Aubrey Green sits down with writer and professor Paul Juhasz for a candid and often darkly funny conversation about storytelling, teaching, and survival.

Paul talks about his upcoming poetry collection Catabasis, a descent through despair toward unexpected light, and how decades of living with bipolar depression uniquely prepared him to guide others through modern disillusionment. He also shares glimpses into his sprawling new novel-in-progress, where a hitman’s moral reckoning mirrors the violence and sacrifice embedded in parenthood.

From the classroom to the page, Paul reflects on the power of humor in healing, the courage of memoir, and the strange grace that comes from giving words to trauma. The conversation ranges from the ethics of AI in education to the importance of trusting an idea to take its own form.

Raw, reflective, and often unexpectedly hilarious, this episode captures the heart of a writer who believes in art’s ability to confront darkness, find connection, and keep going — one story at a time. 

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In this episode of eMerge Unchained, guest host Aubrey Green sits down with poet, writer, and eco-poetic thinker Simóne J. Banks, whose work listens deeply to land, to lineage, and to the living world.

Banks discusses her lifelong relationship with poetry. Inspired by Sonia Sanchez and Nikki Giovanni and expanded through her current explorations into Black ecologies, water, land loss, and ancestral landscapes, Banks offers an intimate glimpse into her creative process, from treating the blank page as a collaborator to honoring the emotional architecture of grief, change, and the color blue.

Banks also reflects on the tension between emotional depth and technical precision, the influence of environmental justice on her work, and the quiet haunting of truth that threads through both her poetry and fiction. Whether she’s writing about hurricanes, disappearing coastlines, or what it means to “be care-full” in a broken world, Simone writes as if every word, like every seed, is an offering.

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In this episode of eMerge Unchained, host Chad Gurley speaks with writer Martin Perlman about the art and discipline of storytelling — from first drafts and rewrites to the quiet power of subtext. Together, they explore how dialogue reveals character, how tension often lives in what’s left unsaid, and why rewriting isn’t just editing but rediscovery.

Martin reflects on the writer’s process — letting imagination lead, finding rhythm in revision, and embracing the mysterious way characters seem to arrive unannounced. The conversation also turns to the writer’s mindset: slowing down in a fast world, writing with curiosity instead of agenda, and staying open to surprise.

Full of warmth, humor, and hard-earned wisdom, this episode reminds us that writing isn’t only about what’s on the page — it’s about the persistence, patience, and play that shape the storyteller behind it.

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In this episode of eMerge Unchained, host Chad Gurley talks with queer Korean American writer Yuna Kang, whose short story Mi Ha-rin will appear in the September 2025 issue of eMerge Magazine.

Yuna shares how their work blurs the line between poetry and prose, often born from vivid images, abstract phrases, and the emotional tension of love, loss, and alienation. From childhood stick-figure storytelling in library books to shaping speculative and deeply intimate narratives today, Yuna reflects on identity, queerness, and the multiverse of choices that haunt and inspire their characters.

Along the way, they open up about finding their voice in a world that often demands silence, weaving nature and diaspora into their writing, and confronting the political weight of expression in dangerous times. With honesty and humor, Yuna explores how writing can be both a deeply personal practice and an act of resistance.

Whether you’re fascinated by experimental prose, drawn to stories of queer love and longing, or simply curious about how images become narratives, Yuna’s conversation will leave you thinking long after the episode ends.

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In this episode of eMerge Unchained, special guest host Chad Gurley sits down with playwright, fiction writer, poet, and creative powerhouse Alaina Hammond to explore the intersections of storytelling, philosophy, and personal transformation.

From staging her first play at 14 years old to seeing her work performed off-off-Broadway, Alaina shares the joy, vulnerability, and unexpected humor behind writing for the stage while discussing the delicate balance between creative control and collaboration with directors and actors. She also opens up about weaving grief, identity, and imagination into her work, including her short story Captain Hook, Bereft of Her Hand  published in eMerge Magazine.

Alaina reflects on learning the rhythms of her characters, navigating the challenges of publishing, and using humor as a counterpoint to loss. Along the way, she offers inspiration for fellow writers, reminding us to embrace rejection, honor our creative instincts, and keep writing — even when life interrupts.

Whether you’re a playwright, poet, or anyone chasing your next idea, Alaina’s insights will leave you inspired, laughing, and maybe rethinking how stories find us in the first place.

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In this episode of eMerge Unchained, host Aubrey Green sits down with Claire Campo, the executive director of Words of the People, a nonprofit that empowers Indigenous communities to normalize Indigenous language creative production as both an artistic practice and a movement that supports rematriation—bridging art, literature, and Indigenous language preservation.

Claire opens up about their journey to reclaim their Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) language and how it informs their poetry. They share the power of oral tradition in both their life and work, discussing the Rematriation Retreat—a space that brings Indigenous people together to reconnect with their land, language, and traditions. From Claire's experiences mentoring youth in Tulsa to founding Poetic Justice, Claire reveals how they have used the arts to empower others, especially those caught in the criminal justice system.

Claire’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and a commitment to preserving cultural heritage. Whether you're a poet, educator, or someone interested in the intersection of language and activism, this conversation will leave you inspired to keep telling your own story.

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In this episode of eMerge Unchained, host Aubrey Green sits down with writer, librarian, and lifelong learner David Corbly. 

From flash fiction to fish fart wars, David shares his eclectic journey through storytelling, touching on children's books, nonfiction curiosities, playwriting, and deeply personal reflections. With humor and humility, he talks about his career in librarianship, his passion for research, and how deadlines (and his closet!) inspire his best writing. David also opens up about loss, healing, and the hope he's channeling into a book on historical figures who've lost children. 

Whether you’re a perfectionist stuck in revision or someone trying to find their writing tribe, David’s story will leave you encouraged, smiling, and maybe even reaching for your notebook.

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In this episode of eMerge Unchained, host Aubrey Green sits down with poet Wendy Carlisle for a wide-ranging and luminous conversation on craft, perseverance, and the poetic life. Wendy traces her path from early influence by her aunt—who rose at dawn to write—to a long and dedicated journey that includes hundreds of published poems, an MFA, and a practice grounded in discipline, revision, and community.

From the influence of Lorca and duende to her embrace of humor and workshops, Wendy shares stories of writing through loss, aging into her art, and the quiet joy of letting go of ego. She discusses her “Arkansas sonnets,” her fondness for 14-line forms, and how even a grocery list can become a poem in the right hands.

With candor and wit, Wendy reminds us that the poet’s job is to write, revise, submit—and to do it again. Tune in for reflections on rejection, the role of readers, and what it means to live a life where poetry is both vocation and devotion.

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In this episode of eMerge Unchained, Aubrey Green chats with Kolby Granville, founder and editor-in-chief of After Dinner Conversation, a unique magazine that delves into ethical and philosophical questions through short fiction. Kolby shares the inspiration behind his magazine, the importance of sparking thoughtful discussions, and how storytelling can challenge our perspectives on difficult topics. 

Tune in for an engaging conversation about literature, ethics, and the power of stories to transform the way we think.

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In this moving episode of eMerge Unchained, host Aubrey Green sits down with poet and playwright Annie Newcomer during her writing residency at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs. Annie shares the story of how writing entered her life after the death of her beloved brother, a Russian and Jewish scholar whose intellectual spirit still guides her pen. What began as a way to tether herself to grief has become a vocation—and a means of mentoring others into the writing life.

Annie reflects on the difference between writing plays and poems, the joy of finding community through writing, and her belief that a poem must “pass through hurdles” before it deserves to be written. From her candid thoughts on doubt and dyslexia to her deep love for the haiku form and the poems of Jo McDougall, Annie offers a portrait of a writer who leads with heart, humility, and hope.

With humor, clarity, and generous insight, Annie reminds us that writing is both a practice and a gift—one that can be shared, celebrated, and used to become a better human being. Whether she’s talking about her husband’s uncanny talent for titling poems or encouraging others to simply begin, Annie’s words stay with you long after the conversation ends.

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