The English Suite podcast

Ken Pobo’s been writing for more than 50 years. What keeps him going and how has his work grown and stayed vital? Ken shares poems from his latest chapbooks Lavender Fire, Lavender Rose (Brickhouse Books) and Gold Bracelet in a Cave: Aunt Stokesia (Ethel) and gives advice for budding poets on how to discover your voice and find a community of supportive writers.

Widener students, alumni, and faculty read creative writing by themselves and others. The event was held on Zoom in October 2022. 

Author Asali Solomon reads from her novel, The Days of Afrekete, which the New York Times calls "a feat of engineering...a reverie, a riff on Mrs. Dalloway and a love story...in prose as clear as water." Solomon was visiting writer at Widener University in October 2022. For more information, see https://www.asalisolomon.com/ 

Join us for a conversation with Professors Jayne Thompson and Andrea Zittlau, who talk about their work on collaborative community writing workshops and publishing projects in schools and prisons.

We celebrate National Poetry Month by sharing some original poetry and favorite poems, presented by members of the Widener University community. 

Is the English major worth it? Are any of the myths about studying English and Creative Writing true? Widener undergraduate student Gabby Norris hosts. We hear stories and insights from alumnae Taylor Blum and Josh Schneider, current student Ashley Serrano, and professor Christine Woody. 

Jim Esch and Shpresa Ymeraj talk with Rob Reutter, director of the Lone Brick Theatre Company, about the history of the company and their  cutting edge performances in and around the Widener University community. Lone Brick's newest production is Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman. It runs March 26, 27, 29, 30 and April 1, 2 at 8:00 pm in Lathem Hall on the Widener campus. Tickets are $12 and seating is limited.  Tickets are available HERE. 

You can follow Lone Brick Theatre on Facebook.

Sherrie Flick was the Widener University visiting writer in October  2021. She held a virtual reading by Zoom. In this episode, hosted by Gabby Norris with an introduction by Shpresa Ymeraj, you will hear excerpts from Sherrie Flick's short fiction,  as well as her responses to questions from the audience. Sherrie Flick is the author of the novel Reconsidering Happiness  (University of Nebraska Press), the flash fiction chapbook I Call This  Flirting (Flume Press), and two short story collections with Autumn  House Press: Whiskey, Etc. (2016) and Thank Your Lucky Stars (Fall  2018). Her nonfiction has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Creative  Nonfiction, Pittsburgh Quarterly, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. You can follow her at sherrieflick.com.

Poet, editor, and critic Luiza Flynn-Goodlet talks with the editors of The Q&A Queer Zine about the challenges and opportunities involved when building an LGBTQ+ magazine from the ground up. Luiza is the editor-in-chief of Foglifter: a San Francisco Bay Area magazine by and for LGBTQ+ writers and readers. 

In this episode Jim Esch chats with Jillian Benedict about the impact Covid19 had on her writing life, her launching of an Instagram account  to feature her short-form writing "doodles," long-form fiction projects, and the progress she is making during Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing  Month). Jill shares a selection of her flash fiction. You can follow her Instagram account @writerwithtoutacause. Her recently published short story "Problem Visit" can be found at Feels Blind Literary.