The Underground Writing Podcast

Show Notes:

Today’s featured letters and feedback were written by students and ONE PAGE participants. This episode’s featured poem, “A Day So Happy,” was by Victor. You can support students like these by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies in our website store, and becoming a supporter. You can join our support team by donating to help our ongoing work via our website’s secure donation portal here:

https://undergroundwriting.org/donate

Some items mentioned in today’s episode:

What No One Ever Tells You (student writing anthology): https://undergroundwriting.org/store

Detention Center in the Seattle area: https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-facilities/northwest-ice-processing-center-nwipc

Czeslaw Milosz’ poem, “A Gift”: https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/gift-0/

Seattle Foundation: https://www.seattlefoundation.org/

ArtsWA: https://www.arts.wa.gov/

Paul G. Allen Family Foundation: https://www.allenphilanthropies.org/

Announcements:

1. We regularly hear from folks asking how they can be involved with—or help out—Underground Writing. We’re grateful for the interest. Please check out our “Get Involved” page on our website: https://undergroundwriting.org/get-involved Also, to highlight a few inroads for getting involved: 1) If you live locally, consider joining us for our once-a-month re/vision volunteer day (https://undergroundwriting.org/revision), 2) Spread the word about our Letters to a Young Inmate initiative (https://undergroundwriting.org/letters-to-a-young-inmate), and 3) Consider partnering with us by becoming a patron-donor – we’re only able to do our work because of our individual donors and grant partners . . . and we are always in need of these donor-partnerships so that we can continue our work (https://undergroundwriting.org/donate).

Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

Thanks for listening, Friends. 

Safe journey, and take good care.

:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes:

Today’s featured writing was by Ali, a writer experiencing incarceration in Oregon, who submitted to our ONE PAGE publication opportunity for incarcerated writers.   You can support our students, ONE PAGE, and writers like Ali by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies in our website store, and making a donation to help sustain our ongoing work via our website’s secure donation portal.

Some items mentioned in—or aligned with—today’s episode:

UNICEF: Helping children around the world: https://www.unicefusa.org/  

ONE PAGE (part of our re/vision program): https://undergroundwriting.org/revision

Detention Center in the Seattle area: https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-facilities/northwest-ice-processing-center-nwipc

Announcements:

1. Please consider listening to S5E9, “Victor Manuel Vivanco Reyes,” to learn about/support Victor, former student now alumnus of our program. Victor is currently being detained by ICE in the Seattle/Tacoma area.

2. We regularly hear from folks asking how they can be involved with—or help out—Underground Writing. We’re grateful for the interest. Please check out our “Get Involved” page on our website: https://undergroundwriting.org/get-involved Also, to highlight a few inroads for getting involved: 1) If you live locally, consider joining us for our once-a-month re/vision volunteer day (https://undergroundwriting.org/revision), 2) Spread the word about our Letters to a Young Inmate initiative (https://undergroundwriting.org/letters-to-a-young-inmate), and 3) Consider partnering with us by becoming a patron-donor – we’re only able to do our work because of our individual donors and grant partners . . . and we are always in need of these donor-partnerships so that we can continue our work (https://undergroundwriting.org/donate).

---

We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again . . . Listeners!—You can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

Thanks for listening, Friends. 

Safe journey, and take good care.

:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LINEBREAK is a single piece of student writing, offered as a pause during your daily life. We hope it will be generative of further creativity, perspective, and thought.

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Show Notes:

Today’s featured poem was by student and alumnus, Victor. You can support students like Victor by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies and other merch in our online store, and making a donation to help our work continue – you can donate via our website’s secure donation portal here: https://undergroundwriting.org/donate

Announcements:

1. We regularly hear from folks asking how they can be involved with—or help out—Underground Writing. We’re grateful for the interest. Please check out our “Get Involved” page on our website: https://undergroundwriting.org/get-involved Also, to highlight a few inroads for getting involved: 1) If you live locally, consider joining us for our once-a-month re/vision volunteer day (https://undergroundwriting.org/revision), 2) Spread the word about our Letters to a Young Inmate initiative (https://undergroundwriting.org/letters-to-a-young-inmate), and 3) Consider partnering with us by becoming a patron-donor – we’re only able to do our work because of our individual donors and grant partners . . . and we are always in need of these donor-partnerships so that we can continue our work (https://undergroundwriting.org/donate).

---

We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again . . . Listeners!—You can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

Thanks for listening, Friends.

Safe journey, and take good care.

:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes:

Today’s featured poems were by student/alumnus, Victor. You can support students like Victor by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies and other merch in our online store, and making a donation to help our work continue – you can donate via our website’s secure donation portal here: https://undergroundwriting.org/donate

Some items mentioned in today’s episode:

Detention Center in the Seattle area: https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-facilities/northwest-ice-processing-center-nwipc

Langston Hughes’ poem, “I, Too”: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47558/i-too

Paul Valery’s poem, “The Angel Handed Me a Book”: https://friko-diamonddesigns.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-angel-handed-me-book.html

Czeslaw Milosz’ poem, “A Gift”: https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/gift-0/

Ilya Kaminsky’s poetry book, Deaf Republic: https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/deaf-republic

Announcements:

We regularly hear from folks asking how they can be involved with—or help out—Underground Writing. We’re grateful for the interest. Please check out our “Get Involved” page on our website: https://undergroundwriting.org/get-involved Also, to highlight a few inroads for getting involved:  1) If you live locally, consider joining us for our once-a-month re/vision volunteer day (https://undergroundwriting.org/revision),  2) Spread the word about our Letters to a Young Inmate initiative (https://undergroundwriting.org/letters-to-a-young-inmate), and  3) Consider partnering with us by becoming a patron-donor – we’re only able to do our work because of our individual donors and grant partners . . . and we are always in need of these donor-partnerships so that we can continue our work (https://undergroundwriting.org/donate).

We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again . . . Listeners!—You can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org. You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

Thanks for listening, Friends. Safe journey, and take good care.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes:

Today’s featured writings were by incarcerated adult students at our workshop site with the Skagit County Community Justice Center. You can support students like them by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies in our website store, and donating to help our ongoing work via our website’s secure donation portal here: https://undergroundwriting.org/donate

Announcements:

1. For a 4th year in a row, we have received a very significant organizational grant from an Anonymous Donor via the Seattle Foundation. We want to thank the donor and the Seattle Foundation for believing in the work we’re doing and helping our students continue to read, write, and make their voices heard.

2.  We’re grateful that Podcast Review—a Los Angeles Review of Books channel—recently included us on their list of “7 Indie Podcasts to Listen to This Spring.”  Shout outs to the review’s author, Alice Florence Orr, who wrote in her review regarding the contexts in which we serve: “Some politicians and news outlets paint these communities with a broad and dark brush. But The Underground Writing Podcast offers a different perspective: writing as a communal act, a way to spark connection and hope . . . the podcast amplifies voices often lost in the noise, proving that the power of storytelling isn’t confined to MFA programs or publishing deals.” A big note of gratitude to Alice, Podcast Review, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. We truly, truly appreciate your support.

3. We regularly hear from folks asking how they can be involved with—or help out—Underground Writing. We’re grateful for the interest. Please check out our “Get Involved” page on our website: https://undergroundwriting.org/get-involved Also, to highlight a few inroads for getting involved:  1) If you live locally, consider joining us for our once-a-month re/vision volunteer day (https://undergroundwriting.org/revision),  2) Spread the word about our Letters to a Young Inmate initiative (https://undergroundwriting.org/letters-to-a-young-inmate), and  3) Consider partnering with us by becoming a patron-donor – we’re only able to do our work because of our individual donors and grant partners (https://undergroundwriting.org/donate).

---

Listeners!—Help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

Thanks for listening, Friends. 

Safe journey, and take good care.

:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes

Today’s featured writing was by Max, a student—and now alumnus—at our writing workshop site in Skagit County Juvenile Detention. You can support students like Max by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies and other merch in our online store, and making a donation to help our work continue – you can donate via our website’s secure donation portal here: https://undergroundwriting.org/donate

Announcements:

1. If you recently began listening to our podcast—or if you’ve been with us for a number of years—we want to remind you to check out the first 3 episodes of this reboot season to get an overview of where we’ve been and where we’re going. Check out season 5, episodes 1, 2, and 3.

2.  We’re back from the winter break, and are working on more episodes, including interviews, student writing, and our in-stream serials: Linebreak and KITE. Stay tuned, friends!

3. We regularly hear from folks asking how they can be involved with—or help out—Underground Writing. We’re grateful for the interest. Please check out our “Get Involved” page on our website: https://undergroundwriting.org/get-involved Also, to highlight a few inroads for getting involved:  1) If you live locally, consider joining us for our once-a-month re/vision volunteer day (https://undergroundwriting.org/revision),  2) Spread the word about our Letters to a Young Inmate initiative (https://undergroundwriting.org/letters-to-a-young-inmate), and  3) Consider partnering with us by becoming a patron-donor – we’re only able to do our work because of our individual donors and grant partners . . . and we are always in need of these donor-partnerships so that we can continue our work (https://undergroundwriting.org/donate).

---

We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again . . . Listeners!—You can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

Thanks for listening, Friends. 

Safe journey, and take good care.

:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s featured writings were by Anthony and Carlos, students at our writing workshop site in Skagit County Juvenile Detention. You can support students like Anthony and Carlos by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies and other merch in our online store, and making a donation to help our work continue – you can donate via our website’s secure donation portal here: https://undergroundwriting.org/donate

Laurie Parker is a screenwriter, film and music producer, and teacher. Since 2016 she has led writing workshops for people in the incarcerated, unhoused, undocumented, and foster youth communities. She taught screenwriting at Pacific University’s MFA Writing Program, at Hugo House in Seattle, and at the Calabash Literary Foundation in Jamaica. In 2018, she produced the Emmy Award-winning, PBS documentary, Finding Home, A Foster Youth Story. She co-wrote and produced the film and music for Rodrigo Rey Rosa’s documentary Carcel de Árboles/Prison of Trees in 2015 and his feature film Lo que soño Sebastían/What Sebastían Dreamt, both in Guatemala. More about Laurie

Book Laurie is currently reading: Civilizations by Laurent Benet

Echo Park Unhoused Encampment

We want to thank the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Seattle Community Foundation, and the Renaissance Charitable Foundation for their generosity to us via grants made to Underground Writing in 2024. We are sustained by your generosity! Thanks for seeing and supporting us, and believing in the ongoing work we’re doing.

Book Shucker | A local independent bookstore we love! They sell our books, and we’re spreading the work about what they’re doing. You can buy books in person in Edison, WA, or online at their store. You can also make them your benefitting store on Bookshop.org, and they’ll receive a bit of kickback for every purchase you make.

We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again . . . Listeners!—You can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

Thanks for listening, Friends. 

Safe journey . . . and take good care.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LINEBREAK is a single piece of student writing, offered as a pause during your daily life. We hope it will be generative of further creativity, perspective, and thought.

_____

SHOW NOTES:

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

If you recently began listening to our podcast—or if you’ve been with us for a number of years—we want to remind you to check out the first 3 episodes of this reboot season to get an overview of where we’ve been and where we’re going. Check out season 5, episodes 1, 2, and 3.

Today’s featured poetry is included in our first anthology of student writing, What No One Ever Tells You.

The poems in this episode were written “after” the Swedish poet, Tomas Tranströmer. You can learn more about his life and work here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/tomas-transtromer

Interested in reading more of Tranströmer’s work? We recommend this volume of his poetry (shout outs to New Directions for this lovely edition!): the great enigma (new collected poems)

Learn more about our re/vision program, as well as our re/vision program’s monthly volunteer day, on our website here: https://undergroundwriting.org/revision

Underground Writing’s photo-based NEWS page. (Hover over the images to access text, more information, and links to connected topics.)

Our website – Programs / News / Contact / Donations: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again . . . Listeners!—You can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for listening, Friends. 

Safe journey . . . and take good care.

:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LINEBREAK is a single piece of student writing, offered as a pause during your daily life. We hope it will be generative of further creativity, perspective, and thought.

_____

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Today is Election Day 2024. Listeners, if you have not already done so, we urge you to get out and vote as soon as possible! If you don’t know where to vote, check out Vote.org. You can access their voting location help here: https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/  

If you recently began listening to our podcast—or if you’ve been with us for a number of years—we want to remind you to check out the first 3 episodes of this reboot season to get an overview of where we’ve been and where we’re going. Check out season 5, episodes 1, 2, and 3.

Learn more about the Letters to a Young Inmate initiative: www.letterstoayounginmate.org

Underground Writing’s photo-based NEWS page. (Hover over the images to access text, more information, and links to connected topics.)

Our website – Programs / News / Contact / Donations: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: [email protected]

We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again . . . Listeners!—You can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for listening, Friends. 

Safe journey . . . and take good care.

:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

KITE ['kīt, noun] 1. A note requesting or providing information, passed from one inmate to another in a separate cell, to someone on the outside, or to a guard; 2. Underground Writing’s audio zine featuring a selection of student writing.

SHOW NOTES:

Today’s featured writings were written by our adult students at the Skagit County Community Justice Center (our county jail). These pieces were written during the Covid era. You can support these students, as well as all our students, by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies in our website store, and making a donation to help our ongoing work via our website’s secure donation portal.

For more information about where things are at with regard to our podcast reboot, as well as our organization overall, please listen to the previous two, reboot special episodes: S5E1, The Underground Writing Podcast (September 26, 2024) and S5E2, Linebreak (October 3, 2024).

Underground Writing’s photo-based NEWS page. (Hover over the images to access text, more information, and links to connected topics.)

Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org

You can e-mail us at: [email protected]

The Underground Writing podcast is recorded and produced by Underground Writing. You can access it via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast outlets, as well as on our website where we include links of interest connected to items mentioned in each episode.

We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again . . . Listeners!—You can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. And something new—we may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for listening, Friends. 

Safe journey, and take good care.

:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.