Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.

In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we explore how language shapes history—and how stories shape culture.

We first speak with Laura Spinney, author of Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global. She takes us into the world of Proto-Indo-European, a language spoken thousands of years ago and never written down, yet one whose descendants—including English, Sanskrit, and Latin—are spoken by nearly half the world’s population today.

“There is no such thing as a pure language.” — Laura Spinney

Then, Tonya Todd joins us to discuss Comics Lit, Volume 1, a groundbreaking anthology of essays that treat comic books as serious literature. We talk about mythology, feminism, censorship, and how comic narratives challenge societal norms while giving voice to underrepresented communities.

“Comics themselves can be a form of high art.” — Tonya Todd

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Key Words: Laura Spinney, Proto-Indo-European, Proto book, Yamnaya, ancient DNA, language origins, Maria Gimbutas, Tonya Todd, Comics Lit, Catwoman, Irene Adler, comics and mythology, feminist comics, Black Panther, Ta-Nehisi Coates, comic book literature,

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READ THE TRANSCRIPT ON SUBSTACK

Where did English come from? What was our proto-tongue, the one that came before? In her book Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global, Laura Spinney reveals the extraordinary story of Proto-Indo-European, a language spoken thousands of years ago and never written down, yet one whose descendants—including English, Sanskrit, Celtic and Latin—are spoken by nearly half the world’s population today. Drawing on linguistics, archaeology, and genetics, she explains how the study of ancient DNA has revolutionized our understanding of language origins, migration, and cultural exchange.

Writer and activist Tonya Todd discusses Comics Lit, Volume 1, a collection of essays exploring comics as literature. We dive into the mythic roots of superhero stories, the feminist reclamation of the femme fatale, and how representation in comics matters more than ever in today’s culture wars.

Watch Tonya Todd video on Comics Lit