The Written Scene

Poet and professor Daniela Sow has always written poetry. It was in her 20's when she discovered the power of performance poetry.

In this episode of The Written Scene, Daniela discusses the value of having another person help organize poems in a book, the high and lows (and delusions) of submitting for publication, knowing her poetry collection needed the right home, how Dean Koontz got her in trouble as a kid, writing fiction before poetry, the role of place in her recent collection of poetry, her MFA experience at San Diego State University, having a mentorship in writing, what a dedicated weekly writing session does for a writer, writing performance poetry long after first writing poetry for the page, the ways spoken word poetry helped her build community, slam poetry pros and cons, not censoring herself or shying away from tough subjects, the powerful impact poet Jim Moreno had in San Diego on not only individuals but also the community as a whole, and much more.

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Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

Sometimes all it takes is one acceptance to to generate a little hope and drive. For author and professor Daniela P. Sow, this was certainly the case.

Please enjoy this teaser ahead of next week's full episode of The Written Scene.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

Everyone has their own level of what they'd call success. Musician Taylor Hollingsworth makes a living playing guitar on stage, a level of success he's both proud of and humbled by.

In this episode of The Written Scene, Taylor talks about how he creates his sound on stage, the difference in possibilities between electric and acoustic guitars, choosing to perform solo after playing decades with a band, what the genre term psychobilly means, playing both big and small stages, making sure you expand your knowledge of other art being made, his love of pre-1960s music, getting into kid lit thanks to his mother who wrote kid lit, being surprised at how much he enjoys Harry Potter, the role of musicians in depicting history and human behavior, discovering the heart of the song during the writing process, when people you admire turn out to have faults that are hard to ignore, how perhaps we've overcorrected, writing while out on the road, the ways modern technology has changed the music industry, and surprisingly more.

Please be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share this and all episodes of The Written Scene. You can also join our once-a-month newsletter by clicking or tapping here.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

Just as it can be with writing and finding a voice, musician Taylor Hollingsworth discovered his sound by figuring out what most people were NOT doing and experimented with that.

Please enjoy this teaser with Taylor ahead of next week's full episode of The Written Scene.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

If you're an author, surely you've heard the "write what you know" advice. For author and retired educator Deborah Holt Larkin, she knew quite well the story that gripped her town as a child, and also her father's career as a journalist.

In this episode of The Written Scene, Deborah discusses how she's always been a reader and how that helps determine what's a good book, using her writing talents to write grants, why early on the idea of writing a book was a fleeting thought here and there, the usefulness of having a journalist for a father who kept everything, what was easy or difficult to write a book, learning how to be a better writer with each draft, encountering self-doubt during the writing process, how a read and critique group can keep us on task, providing feedback more to help a story than to change it, the ways age can play a role in getting published, what a shopping agreement is for screenplays, how swimming competitively helped her market the book, and much more.

Please be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share this and all episodes of The Written Scene. You can also subscribe to our once-a-month newsletter by clicking or tapping here.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

For author Deborah Holt Larkin, a fatal crime in her neighborhood when she was a child became a catalyst to understand crime and protect herself, as well as write a book about it later in life.

Please enjoy this brief teaser with Deborah ahead of next week's full episode of The Written Scene.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

This episode is our four year anniversary of The Written Scene. Thank you to those that have been listening for a while. To those that are new here, welcome. You have a lot of great conversations about writing to catch up on. Speaking of great conversations...

When it comes to making sure writers and non-writers alike feel comfortable and find joy in the arts community, author and community organizer Melissa McKinstry plays a significant part in making sure that happens.

In this episode of The Written Scene, Melissa discusses being the first author in an inaugural author residency, why it's been so fulfilling to have a quarterly arts event, holding events at small spaces vs. large spaces, the influence her grandfather and his book collection had on her reading path, memories of Bookmobiles when we were kids, how her rural upbringing impacted her writing, getting her MFA later in life, the ways her son was her biggest inspiration, learning to write about emotionally laden experiences without sentimentality, imitation as a way to learn and understanding craft, always having music on in the house, the accountability of having weekly writing sessions with other writers, and more.

The next Poet Tree Productions reading and music event is Sunday, February 22nd, from 1pm to 4pm at Meraki in the South Park neighboorhood. Poetry, prose, jazz, food, and local artisans. Expect a fantastic afternoon and if you see me there, say hi. Get your tickets here.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

For author Melissa McKinstry, the spark to host her own poetry and jazz series came from an inaugural author residency where, while it still holds a dear place in her heart, the rules were still being ironed out.

Please enjoy this teaser ahead of next week's full episode of The Written Scene.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

For author and poet Julia Lemke, discovering the healing and connecting nature of poetry changed the course of her writing career.

In this episode of The Written Scene, Julia talks about how a spiritual epiphany guided her and its effect on her book, loving the library as a kid and how many books she could check out, reading books as a child that are now banned, majoring in Packaging in college and what that really is, the muscle memory of creation as a kid and how it changes as we age, accepting the feeling of not knowing what's next after completing a large project, finding relevancy in a fast paced society, why we can't create if we're not living our lives too, the kind of stories that stick with her, how having patience when writing can pay off, why your reader won't figure out what you're saying if you don't know either, leveling up as a poet, the ways performing poetry improves your writing, and much more.

If you enjoyed this convo, please be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share this and all episodes of The Written Scene. We also have a once-a-month newsletter which you can subscribe to by clicking or tapping here.

Music: Addis Ababa

For author Julia Lemke, poetry felt inaccessible. Fortunately, all it took was finding her voice to unlock and open doors.

Please enjoy this teaser ahead of next week's full episode of The Written Scene.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era