Write For You

Write For You

By Odegaard Writing and Research CenterEducation
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Write For You episodes

  • Jeevan

    In this episode, we talk to Jeevan (he/him), a recent graduate from the University of Washington’s Master of Arts for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) program (Department of English) and future first-year Ph.D. student, about inspiration, writing with goals in mind, and the importance of knowing when to take a break. Listen in to hear more!


    Audio transcripts available here.

    30 min
  • Madalena

    In this episode, we talk to Madalena (she/her), a first-year Ph.D. student in the University of Washington’s  Department of Geography, about gaining confidence, working through translation, and getting to know your process. Listen in to hear more!

    Audio transcripts available here.

    36 min
  • Sarah & Maria

    In this episode, we talk with former graduate students Sarah and Maria. Now a few years out from earning their doctorates, Sarah and Maria reflect on writing both within and beyond the scope of their dissertations, and what they wish they knew before they finished. Listen in to hear their tips, insights, and recommendations!

    Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:

    • National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) – Access the NCFDD’s vast range or resources and support for free through the University of Washington’s institutional membership.
    • Scrivener – Scrivener is a an app designed with lengthy writing projects in mind. Learn more here.
    • The Pomodoro Technique – This time management strategy is summarized by Dr. Amrita Mandal in “The Pomodoro Technique: An Effective Time Management Tool.”
    • Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success­ – Wendy Laura Belcher (University of Chicago Press, 2019)
    • Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott (Penguin Random House, 1995)
    • Find collected essays from John McPhee on writing through The New Yorker here.
    • How to Write a Thesis – Umberto Eco (The MIT Press, 2015)
      • 55 min
    • Anna & Safi

      In this episode, we hear from Anna and Safi, doctoral candidates in the fields of history and English. Together, they talk about writing and research practice, reflections on their own habits and processes from a teaching perspective, and clarifying the audiences and stakes of their work. Listen in to learn more!

      Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:

      • Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott (Penguin Random House, 1995)
      • This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage – Ann Patchett (2014, HarperCollins)
      • The Creative Habit – Twyla Tharp (Simon & Schuster, 2006)
      • A Disability History of the United States – Kim E. Nielsen (Beacon Press, 2013)
      • “Beach Boys” – Barb Rabe (poem)
      • Yến Lê Espiritu – Learn more about Espiritu’s work on critical refugee studies and peruse her publications here
      • The Theory of the Novel – Georg Lukács (The MIT Press, 1974)
        • 45 min
      • Megan & Mikhail

        In this episode, we hear from Megan and Mikhail, graduate students in Clinical Informatics and Patient-Centered Technologies and Archeology, respectively. In their discussion, we hear about utilizing multiple forms of communication, negotiating audiences, and the ongoing process of refining your approach. Listen in to learn more!

        Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:

        • The Pomodoro Technique – This time management strategy is summarized by Amrita Mandal in “The Pomodoro Technique: An Effective Time Management Tool.”
        • Zotero – Zotero is a citation manager. Find links to Zotero and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity."
        • StatQuest with Josh Starmer – Find engaging digital content about statistics and mathematics from Josh Starmer on his YouTube      page.
        • Atul Gawande – Learn more about Gawande’s work in writing, medicine, and public health on his website here.
        •  “To Save The Science Poster, Researchers Want To Kill It And Start Over” -- Nell Greenfieldboyce (NPR, 2019).
        • “Why Doctors Hate Their Computers”– Atul Gawande (The New Yorker, 2018)
        • Bitch Doctrine: Essays for Dissenting Adults – Laurie Penny (Bloomsbury, 2017)
          • 45 min
        • Christina & Ayda

          In our final episode of the season, we chat with doctoral students Christina and Ayda and get their takes on beginnings, challenges of interdisciplinary practice, seeking out feedback, and finding inspiration.

          Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:

          • Evernote – Evernote is a notes and productivity app. Find links to Evernote and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity” https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341991&p=2300129
          • Muddying the Waters: Coauthoring Feminisms Across Scholarship and Activism — Richa Nagar (University of Illinois Press, 2014) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71226542700001451
          • Epistemologies of the South: Justice Against Epistemicide – Boaventura de Sousa Santos (Paradigm Publishers, 2014). https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71208530250001451
          • Unruly Visions: The Aesthetic Practices of Queer Diaspora — Gayatri Gopinath (Duke University Press, 2018) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71287365330001451
          • The OWRC facilitates regular semi-formal open writing circles for University of Washington graduate students. To learn more, check out the program webpage here: https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/open-writing-circles. For resources on starting your own writing circle, see here: https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/startyourownwritingcircle
          • Borderlands: The New Mestiza = La Frontera (Fourth edition, 25th anniversary) — Gloria Anzaldúa, Norma E. Cantú, and Aída Hurtado (Aunt Lute Books, [1987] 2012). https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP99109694020001452
          • Dicteé — Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (University of California Press, [1982] 2009) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71166731740001451
            • 50 min
          • Brittney & Christopher

            In this episode, we talk to Brittney and Christopher, doctoral candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences. Listen in as they discuss transformation, problematizing the production of knowledge, sustaining oneself, and engaging conversations outside of traditional academic spaces.

            Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:

            • Image Matters: Archive, Photography, and the African Diaspora in Europe — Tina Campt (Duke University Press, 2012) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71338954830001451
            • Heaven – Emerson Whitney (McSweeney's Publishing, 2020) https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/heaven
            • “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” – Audre Lorde in Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches (Crossing Press, 1984) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71327239980001451
            • The Black Embodiments Studio – The Black Embodiments Studio is a creative residency program from the Jacob Lawrence Gallery and the School of Art + Art History + Design at the University of Washington. https://www.blackembodiments.org/
            • #CiteBlackWomen – https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CiteBlackWomen&src=typeahead_click
            • Evernote – Evernote is a notes and productivity app. Find links to Evernote and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity” https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341991&p=2300129
              • 39 min
            • Biljana & Lily

              In this episode we hear from pre-candidacy doctoral students Biljana and Lily as they chat about experiences of writing early on in a doctoral program, finding your niche, balance, and thinking about feedback.

              Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:

              • Actionable Community-Oriented Research Engagement (ACORN): https://pcc.uw.edu/research/acorn-program/
              • Zotero – Zotero is a citation manager. Find links to Zotero and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity” https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341991&p=2300129.
                • 38 min
              • Lily & Madison

                In this episode, Lily and Madison – both nearing the end of their dissertation writing – share their takes on time management, responsibility in writing, and the specter of critique.

                Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:

                • What I Talk About When I Talk About Running – Haruki Murakami (Alfred A. Knopf, 2008) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71174932920001451
                  • 47 min

                About Write For You

                From the publisher's feed

                Writing in graduate school is hard, but it doesn't have to be. Through open-ended interviews with graduate students, this podcast from the University of Washington's Odegaard Writing and Research…