SoundPages Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jack Straw Cultural Center
Rasheena Fountain’s project for the 2026 Jack Straw Writers Program is a series of poems that represent her relationship with her place, history, and her relearning of those relationships. In her conversation with curator Claudia Castro Luna, they speak on what the environment means to Rasheena, on the idea of why there has to be multiple definitions of nature, and how the idea of nature is sometimes separated from culture. “That is something that I’m wrestling with in my work. What does environment mean to me? . . . I’m unlearning a lot and then I’m learning a lot. And so, I think that’s what I’m doing with my work, specifically with place.”
Music by Star Gondola, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Memory Riffing – Rasheena Fountain appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Ruth Marie Tomlinson‘s project for the 2026 Jack Straw Writers Program is a long-form non-fiction manuscript that delves into the river routes from Seattle, WA to Two Dot, Montana, and imagines what it would be like to swim those paths. In her conversation with curator Claudia Castro Luna, they talk about her inspiration for the project, how the space in between two destinations can be a destination within itself, and how following these paths east can perhaps lead to healing. “You cannot go back to what it was before. . . . The hope in the rewinding of the walk, you know the reverse direction, is to see a way forward that can maybe undo damage. It can’t remake what was there, but maybe damage can be undone, or maybe looked at and reworked.”
Music by Star Gondola, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post If I Could, I Would Swim the Columbia – Ruth Marie Tomlinson appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Gabriella Garcia‘s project for the 2026 Jack Straw Writers Program is a series of poems, each overlaid on maps of rivers and mountains where the poems take place. In her conversation with curator Claudia Castro Luna, they talk about the story of her opera A Spring Like This, her interest in writing from non-human perspectives, and the authors in environmental literature that inspire her. “I really enjoy reading a lot of environmental literature and literature about things kind of outside of our understanding or experiences in nature. And honestly, I’m a little tired of the human perspective. . . . I feel like there’s something about the trees and the story of the trees that spoke to me.”
Music by Star Gondola, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Topographies – Gabriella Garcia appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Jason Prokowiew’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a braided memoir about his Russian father’s adoption by the Nazis who murdered his family at the start of World War II, and the trauma he carried into parenthood. In his conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they talk through the reason his father had four different names throughout his life, his experience using the Belarusian national archives, and how his father felt about him sharing his stories. “He liked that these stories were now in my hands. . . . And towards the end of the interviews, he understood that I was turning it into a work of art, that I was transforming it into something that people could read. He just was very into it. . . . He just wanted to see what it would become, and I just felt like I had his support from that point.”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post War Boys – Jason Prokowiew appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Makayla Danielle Gay’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a series of poetry collages that combine poetry with archival film from her family. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they discuss the process of going through archival material, why she says art-making is an act of community, and the challenge of writing about the environment in a poetry collage. “Within that environmental memory is thinking about the way it changes or has changed. I think that’s what feels pretty unique, to me at least, with writing about a place. Writing about a place that people think about in the past tense, and it’s a place that is quickly changing.”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post I Go Back to Both Sides of the Dream – Makayla Danielle Gay appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Mia Tong’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a mythology-inspired Young Adult adventure duology. The story revolves around a young adult named Vana, her caretaker who contracts an illness, and Vana’s journey to find a cure in a vast country she knows little about. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they discuss what got her interested in mythology, the Monkey King myth, and why it’s important to tell stories with strong female protagonists. “It’s sort of about how this heroine can assume different types of roles. Or even subverting what we think about when we think about what women do and kind of reimagining what being a hero or being a heroine really is.”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Parasol Maker – Mia Tong appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Mateo Bracken’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a manuscript of Auburn, Washington’s settler colonial history in verse. In his conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they discuss where he turned for information on the history of Auburn, the multiple meanings of the name “Slaughter,” and why he’s called to write about Auburn’s history. “The reason why Auburn exists is because of this genocide, really. So, as the Auburn Poet Laureate, I want to do everything in my power to really make people from Auburn, and just the Puget Sound in general, investigate the history.”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post A Town Called Slaughter – Mateo Bracken appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Connor Watkins-Xu’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a book of poems covering themes of trauma, depression, and struggling with faith, which he hopes will “carry emotions and revelation.” In his conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they discuss his journey from Alabama to Washington State, some of the poets who’ve influenced him, and the importance of risk and stakes in poetry. “I was always taught that the highest calling of a poem or maybe its purpose is to be kind of a vehicle for emotion. . . . I think all good writing involves some kind of investment from the writer.”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Reruns – Connor Watkins-Xu appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Hillary Behrman’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a novel called All Over the Place and a collection of short stories called Lake Effect that explore human care and intimacy in a world that breeds doubt and isolation. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they discuss some of the themes of her work, how humans affect environmental degradation, and how the characters in her work cope with trauma. “They are people who have had to rely on themselves through some very difficult times. And it’s not that they are defined by trauma but they have experienced significant trauma and they’ve had to rely on their inner self and strength in a pretty profound way.”
Content warning: This podcast contains adult language, including brief descriptions of sex and sexual assault.
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post All Over the Map – Hillary Behrman appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Nhatt Nichols’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a non-fiction graphic novel about the history of the Białowieża Forest, a World Heritage Area that sits between Poland and Belarus, and how the forest and humanity influence each other. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they explore how she first became interested in the Białowieża Forest, the ethics of being a journalist in a crisis zone, and why it’s important to see humans as a part of nature. “Even though the most protected part of that forest doesn’t have people in it anymore, people very much formed what that forest looks like. People have formed environments in such a really pivotal way. And it’s possible to have something that is healthy and beautiful and natural and have humans in it . . . it’s just got to be done carefully and responsibly.”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Forest Bison – Nhatt Nichols appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Sigrun Susan Lane’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of poems about her immigrant family and their origins in Iceland. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they discuss Icelandic folklore such as the little people, the influence of Icelandic poet Jakobína Johnson on her life, and the importance of poets in Icelandic society. “They’re really admired and looked up to because they continue the tradition of the sagas, which is Iceland’s great contribution to literature . . . and so people are valued for that. The Rimur are valued for their work.”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post When Mother Took Her Hair Down – Sigrun Susan Lane appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Jenny Harrington Lill’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a memoir about her late son, Ewan, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2018. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they discuss Jenny’s writing style, her scientific background as a cell biologist, and her essay titled “How to Write a Eulogy For a 10-Year-Old.” “I am not asking for anyone’s pity, or to feel sorry for me. Just to be seen. I’m asking for space to hold. I’m asking for my child to be remembered. And I’m asking for myself to be remembered. And that’s a huge ask. When others do it well on the page, it feels like a larger community, like a movement. . . . Sadness is as real as any other emotion. ”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post How to Write a Eulogy for a 10-Year-Old – Jenny Harrington Lill appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Asha Dore’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is an autoethnography titled Gravity that focuses on weird crime in Florida, class, and neurodivergence. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they discuss why her father became involved with a Colombian cartel, what her hometown of Pensacola, Florida is like, and why poetics is an important aspect of her writing. “I think resilience is great, but also sometimes the hard things that happen to us tear us up and we are changed. And I don’t know that it always makes us stronger. But I think that if we survive them, then we have survived and we can think about it a little bit and talk about it in different ways. ”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Gravity – Asha Dore appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Bill Hollands’s project for the 2025 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of poems that incorporate pop culture elements from his childhood. In his conversation with curator Kathleen Alcalá, they talk about the ’70s television shows that Bill watched as a kid, gay representation in popular culture, and how the book The Art of Voice by Tony Hoagland helped him with his writing. “What you’re looking for is a unique perspective on the world, and you want to hear that there’s a person behind these words. And so I think voice is what I turn to and am drawn to the most in good writing.”
Music by Greg Kramer, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Distance – Bill Hollands appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Gabriel Moseley’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a speculative fiction novel set at a fundamentalist Christian camp in the Olympic Peninsula, where the revelation of a child’s healing abilities leads to devastating consequences. In his conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, they explore how the genre of science fiction allows him to tackle larger issues, some of his science-fiction influences, and how elements of his upbringing show up in his writing. “I think there’s something fascinating about this set up. You know, these kind of constrained environments and all the dynamics that go into it.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Godspore King – Gabriel Moseley appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Stacy Nathaniel Jackson’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a novel that he describes as “Epic, leaning speculative fiction, with a horror lens.” The Dim centers on a headhunter who has a genetic mutation that causes his sense of physical pain to be dimmed and how that lack of pain affects him. In his conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, they talk about why the ability to feel pain is important and how elements of his activism and trans identity inform his writing. “Even in this piece that I’ve just written, the grandfather is telling the grandson . . . you not having pain, good for you as a rebel, as a warrior. [A] woman . . . having childbirth, if you didn’t feel pain, this is not good. You may not be able to pick up the signals that you need to.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Dim – Stacy Nathaniel Jackson appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Catherine Denardo’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a piece of nonfiction narrative writing that celebrates the sounds of the Southern Residents, a community of endangered killer whales located in coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington State. In her conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, they delve into the importance of scientific accuracy in her narrative writing, why she chose to write about the Southern Residents, and why she feels hopeful for their recovery. “I felt like a lot of the writing was leading me in a sorrowful way. A lot of grief and a lot of exasperation about us not doing enough to save these killer whales. And for the Jack Straw project I felt like I wanted to write something a little more hopeful that was still accurate and truthful and more of a celebration about something wonderful about them.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post A Killer Whale Calls – Catherine DeNardo appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Jarrett Ziemer’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a multimedia project, a collection of poems paired with short films where he uses personification and the conflation of identities to tell introspective stories. In his conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, they delve into how he first became aware of his use of personification in his writing, the importance of recording live readings, and how he was inspired to pair poetry with short film. “I mean as artists, we get to this point in our life where we almost have to be declarative. Like this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to be a poet. I’m going to be a fiction writer. But I very recently am deciding like, ugh, I just want to do it all. And how can these things work together to help tell the story that I’m trying to tell? You know, maybe help the reader see the poem, feel the poem in a different way.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Remora – Jarrett Ziemer appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Amontaine Aurore’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is an autobiographical coming of age novel set between 1963 and 1974, when her family moved to and lived in an all-white neighborhood in Seattle. The novel focuses on her search for a Black identity during a time of cultural, political, and social upheaval and change. In her conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, they explore some of the real life moments from the novel and how she keeps her writing authentic. “Life has always been very very funny to me. We can find humor in anything, I mean we can even find that in the darkest moments. So I want the pain and the joy to live side by side, because I think that’s what life is.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Memoirs of Ruby Lovestone – Amontaine Aurore appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Becca Rose Hall’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a family epic novel set in the Pacific Northwest, homing in on the town of Home, Washington, an anarchist colony founded in 1896 on the Kitsap Peninsula. The novel switches between a homesteader living in Home and her great granddaughter, who in the present day inherits a piece of land there as well as a written document from her great grandmother. In her conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, they discuss why she writes about the Pacific Northwest, breaking down the idea of a utopia within the context of colonialism, and the threads between the revolutionary past and the revolutionary present. “There’s so many things that happened in the early 20th century . . . that directly kind of caused what’s happening now. . . . It’s just like a lot of things they just kind of ricochet off each other through time. . . . So you have to look back and look at long threads of kind of cause and effect.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Summer Thinking – Becca Rose Hall appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Mary Pan’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of lyric essays focusing on themes of mental health, caregiving, identity, and the idea of retrospective diagnosis. In her conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, they discuss the challenges of navigating the healthcare system, the stories she encounters during her medical practice as a physician, and how she came up with the title of her work in progress. “I really like this idea of metagnosis . . . which is this idea of coming to an understanding of a diagnosis after the fact, maybe as an adult. Something that you’ve had your entire life . . . and didn’t realize it until many years after the fact. And what does that mean when you look back on your life and look back on those stories of your lives?”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Metagnosis Vignettes – Mary Pan appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
E.J. Batiste’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of poems two years in the making, covering a range of topics including her experience as a person of color in the rural south, femininity, prayer, and history. In her conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, they explore her recent name change and what it means for her work, why she sometimes prefers printed poems, and how her queerness shows up in her writing. “I shall walk in the ethereal energy that I denied myself / That same energy they scoffed at / And told me to tone down.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post I Shall – E.J. Batiste appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
McKenna Princing’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of fairy tale retellings set in the Pacific Northwest that focuses on social justice issues. In her conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, she delves into the stories she wrote as a kid, the process of writing characters with underrepresented identities, and why she gravitates to fairy tales and horror as a genre. “There’s often some kind of truth being expressed in that kind of storytelling that is interesting to unpack and delve into a little bit more.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Boy and the Pennies – McKenna Princing appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Allison Masangkay’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a zine that will be a culmination of past work exploring manananggal (a female presenting winged mythical creature in Filipino folklore) based on her experiences of disability, gender, colonization, imperialism, and more. In her conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, Allison delves into why she decided to make the manananggal the centerpiece of her project, the academic authors she wants to introduce to non-academic audiences, and how her work challenges colonizers’ ways of thinking when it comes to disability and ableism. “Sometimes people take in different media, such as visual art or even speculative fiction . . . versus academic essays and critical theory writing, some people are able to process that information better than an essay. So, kind of part of why the zine will be incorporating all those different genres and media is to hopefully meet people where they’re at.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
Applications are open now for Jack Straw’s 2025 artist residency programs – and Writers Program applications are due October 31st. Visit us on Submittable for more information: https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit
The post They Say Art Is Healing – Allison Masangkay appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Elyse Hauser’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a series of essays covering her work researching the deep sea in Bergen, Norway in late 2023. In her conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, she discusses how the research she did as a journalist has the potential for creative writing works, how deep sea ecosystems can look like cities, and the different methods of deep sea mining. “I would like people to think a little more deeply I suppose, pun intended, about the ocean and our relationship to it . . . to think and maybe have a little curiosity for how things live in these really remote places.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
Applications are open now for Jack Straw’s 2025 artist residency programs. Visit us on Submittable for more information: https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit
The post Searching for a More Real Sea – Elyse Hauser appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Josh Griffin’s project for the 2024 Jack Straw Writers Program is a book of poems dedicated to the life and legacy of his mother, Carolyn Jane Griffin, who passed away in 2018. In his conversation with curator Nisi Shawl, he talks about how his mother encouraged him to pursue his art, choosing to write about the joy of life, and how artists can create change. “One of the most important things a mentor told me is I need to be able to sit across people who might not find value in me and for me to be able to see them as human. ’Cause the moment we’ve gotten past that there is no hope.”
Music by EarthtoneSkytone, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post A Healing Journey – Josh Griffin appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Kaitlyn Teer’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is a non-fiction book about the love, fears, and contradictions of mothering in a climate crisis and how mothering can be a force for social change. In her conversation with curator Priscilla Long, she talks about how her conversations with her daughter have shaped her thinking, the mentors in her life, and her thoughts on the idea of hope in a time of environmental degradation. “I think that’s the task of writers, in both fiction and in non-fiction. To help shape our imaginations for what could be. And I think if we’re going to do it, we first have to imagine it.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Hope in a Time of Disaster – Kaitlyn Teer appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Nancy Mburu’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is a novel titled Sauti, which translates to The Voice. The novel follows a performing poet named Nuru, who loses her voice when she immigrates to the United States from Kenya. In her conversation with curator Priscilla Long, she talks about how she first started writing fiction, how being trilingual enhances her writing, and where she sees her work in 5 years. “Sometimes I bring it up in my own writing . . . I saw this really nice way this writer did, but it was in a Swahili book, and I haven’t seen it in an English book. So I do think it does bring a lot.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Sauti – Nancy Mburu appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Julene Tripp Weaver‘s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is a memoir titled 365/24/7 that delves into Julene’s experience working in AIDS service while keeping her own AIDS status private. In her conversation with curator Priscilla Long, she talks about the strategies she used to prevent burnout while working in AIDS social services, her daily writing practices, and writing projects she’s planning on publishing. “Hike to the top of a mountain, friends enjoy the view . . . but you wonder, how many jumped off this cliff?”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post 365/24/7 – Julene Tripp Weaver appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Jim Cantú’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Program is a collection of poems that cover the ignored historical stories of People of Color, Indigenous People, and Latinos. In his conversation with curator Priscilla Long, they talk about how Jim first got interested in studying his indigenous heritage, the way his wife encouraged him to keep writing, and the importance of sharing one’s writing with other people. “My great great grandfather was the County clerk for Cameron County in Texas in the late 1800s, early 1900s. And so we would see ledgers with his hand-writing. And so, it was this sense of a history and a past. And so that really interested me.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Remembering Indigenous and Latino History – Jim Cantú appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Brian Dang’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of poems inspired by Brian’s ability to speak their family’s language (Cantonese) but not being able to read or write it. In their conversation with curator Priscilla Long, they talk about how Cantonese has framed the way they think, how realistic writing can limit their ability to write about their whole self, and about one day having their poems translated in a way their family can understand them. “It wouldn’t work right. And so much of the project is also being like this is where I’m at right now, and I can’t wait any longer.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post I Can’t Wait Any Longer – Brian Dang appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Carla Shafer’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of poems exploring the themes of family, the natural world of the Pacific Northwest, and social justice. In her interview with curator Priscilla Long, she talks about the relationship between political activism and art, the founding of Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater Open Mic in Bellingham, Washington, and the time she’s spent outdoors in the Pacific Northwest. “[My father] would say, ‘Carla, these are really good ideas, but I don’t think people are ready for them yet.’ So I interpreted that to mean it was okay for me to take a stand and to speak out. But then I had to find a way to do that. And poetry seemed like a really good way to do that.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Making a Foothold For Peace – Carla Shafer appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Sumu Tasib’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of short fiction covering on themes of gender, relationships, and psychology that uses characters and narratives to create empathy and understanding. In their conversation with curator Priscilla Long, they talk about their 2023 Jack Straw Program, their earliest artistic influences, and the mentors that opened their eyes. “My path to writing new stories . . . a lot of that came from writing about things that did happen but kind of noticing that by telling and retelling these stories I was editing them. And forming them into something to drive a particular point.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Golden Threads – Sumu Tasib appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Stephen Reed Griggs‘s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is an essay titled “How Long Should Music Last?” In this essay, Stephen muses on the legacy of recorded music in Seattle. In his conversation with curator Priscilla Long, he reflects on the first time he played music, his first time he was truly interested in writing, and his goals as a writer. “I need to invest the time and the love to establish and nurture those relationships. That’s what’s the most important thing.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Time Beautified Is Music – Stephen Reed Griggs appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Hana Choi’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is a piece of short fiction that takes place at an immigrant detention center. The piece focuses on a group of detainees who perform a séance to summon the spirits of their fellow inmates who committed suicide. In her conversation with curator Priscilla Long, she speaks about her decision to start writing, her perspective on who she writes for, and her experience working as a pro bono lawyer for detained asylum seekers. “I’m an immigrant, so I often write about immigrants. And my Jack Straw project about detained immigrants, I think their stories need to be told more. More often. More loudly.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Séance – Hana Choi appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
David K. Rea‘s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Program is a collection of poems and prose writing. In his conversation with curator Priscilla Long, he talks about his life after newspaper work, his daily writing practices, and how he considers himself a lifelong student of poetry. “I’d like to have a few people I’m friends with and close to remember some of my work, things I’ve done, that might help them see a little more how life is.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Words Were Writing Themselves – David K. Rea appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Geri Gale’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Program is a memoir titled PK, Cancer & the Tragic Ruts of Time that delves into the emotional complexity of breast cancer while also being a love letter to her wife PK and to the world. In her conversation with curator Priscilla Long, she talks about the artistic influences in her life, how PK helped her survive through cancer, and the impact cancer has had on her work. “PK is the rock, the foundation, and she’s the one that helped me survive through this cancer. I don’t think that I would have ever been able to do it without her.”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post PK, Cancer & the Tragic Ruts of Time – Geri Gale appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Garfield Hillson’s project for the 2023 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of poems that explore what it means to practice joy in a world that is constantly trying to take it away from marginalized people. In his conversation with curator Priscilla Long, he talks about why he decided to investigate joy in his poems, the ways he is inching towards hope, and where he sees his work in 10 years. “There’s been so many times where I performed sadness and grief and pain. . . . I don’t want that pain in my body to be honest, right? I don’t want that stress that it does to you, no matter how well it performs. I’m like, what would it feel like, to actually like, hold joy in your body?”
Music by Bryan Smith, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Inching Towards Joy – Garfield Hillson appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Ruth Schemmel’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Program is a collection of short stories about women who don’t fit in. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, she talks about the series of events that led her to take her art seriously, as well as the expectations placed on women in the modern day. “I’m sort of exploring dissatisfactions and frustrations through these stories. Definitely my characters are not role models.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Difficult Women – Ruth Schemmel appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Carrie Beyer’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Program is a collection of poems in which she explores giving voice to church women who would normally be silenced. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they talk about the German-American Anabaptist community which inspired her project, the hidden soundtrack for survival and liberation in her writing, and the idea of “writing into descent.” “I think that type of honesty is something I really try to connect with in my poems. . . . That piece of conveying emotion, no matter how harrowing it may be, I think is an entrance to connecting with other people through art.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Windows Into Desire – Carrie Beyer appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Erin Langner’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Program is a collection of essays in which she uses works of art to reflect on her time growing up in the Chicago suburbs. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they discuss how the music from her adolescence inspired her project, why objects can be vessels for truths, and how her experience as an art critic helped shape her intentions as a writer. “Understanding yourself is a way of becoming a better citizen, becoming a better parent, becoming a better member of the community, and becoming the best person that you can be.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Resee – Erin Langner appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Vincent Rendoni’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program is a poetry book titled A Grito Contest in the Afterlife that celebrates the lessons he’s learned from his elders. In his conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they talk about his origin story as a storyteller, his inspirations as a writer, and the way he finds elation in morbid moments. “If anything, the joy and whimsy comes from death . . . This will all end, so who cares if your parents don’t like what you write or who cares what people think. Do what makes you happy, because it will conclude.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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Emily Parzbok’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of essays centered on female archetypes. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they talk about how her relationship with these archetypes has changed over time and the grace in telling complicated stories. “I think I often want there to be confusion and messiness, but of the kind that isn’t painful, of the kind . . . that just really leaves space for the mystery of being human.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Constraints and Jumping Off Points – Emily Parzybok appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Jessica Gigot’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program is a poetry manuscript in response to ecological grief. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they discuss the unique aspects of ecological grief, the lessons she’s learned about nurturing from being a farmer and a new mother, and how the ideas in her previous poetry collection Feeding Hour led her to her new work. “Just that that change is happening and not knowing how that’s going to affect the world that I know now or the community that I know now, I can’t grieve that loss yet, it hasn’t happened yet . . . it fills me with a lot of different feelings, and I think that’s where this work is coming from.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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Helen Anderson’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of short stories living at the intersection of the recognizable and the uncanny. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they talk about the writers that inspire her, maintaining relationships in the age of social media, and what she thinks makes for funny writing. “To be really funny, something should have a strong foundation in a sort of truth, as sort of something we recognize about ourselves or the world.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Absurdity of Life – Helen Anderson appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Julie Feng’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of poems in the framework of the Hakka hill song that layer themes of love, labor, and leisure with themes of deeper cultural contexts. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they delve into Hakka hill songs, centering people’s desires versus centering their traumas, and moving away from stories that reinforce violent constructions. “I want my poems to be like little protest songs in a lot of ways, little riots in some ways.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Are We Asking the Right Questions to Our Stories? – Julie Feng appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Danielle Hayden’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program is an essay collection titled Entropy that delves into both the different identities that she holds and the identities that are trying to find her. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they talk about the challenges of witnessing oneself, the beautiful and ugly truths in her writing, and the dark night of the soul that instilled a sense of urgency in her. ”I’m talking about some things that are taboo . . . but there are other people who feel like I feel. And so I want to kind of say, ‘Hey, you’re not the only one.’”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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2022 Jack Straw Writer Jory Mickelson’s ekphrastic poetry project deals with queerness, art history, and the imaginative connections between things. In his conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they discuss Jory’s process for researching art pieces, a photograph of genderplay from 1891, and the challenges that come with writing ekphrastic work. “I want to think about, how can I present different little songs for each piece.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Every Poem Is Its Own Kind of Music – Jory Mickelson appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Katharine Strange’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program is a snarky memoir that explores the PTSD that came with her decision to get married and move to the UK when she was 22. In her conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they delve into Katherine’s comedic style of writing, the ways she stays motivated, and the theme of empathy that comes through in her writing. “In my writing I like to make fun a lot, but I try to always leave room to see the humanity, even in people who are kind of more antagonistic.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Everybody Is Redeemable – Katharine Strange appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Ally Ang’s project for the 2022 Jack Straw Writers Program is a full-length poetry collection they call an offering to their ghosts and ancestors. In their conversation with curator Michael Schmeltzer, they talk about the importance of documenting for future generations, processing feelings of loneliness and anger, and the discipline of hope. “Even when I am writing from a really dark and seemingly hopeless place, I do try to tap into that joy, that levity, that hope, and that kind of helps me feel like I am building something.”
Music by Ran Park, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Writing Towards a Better World – Ally Ang appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Michael Overa‘s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is a novel he calls an elegy for his youth, about the origins and career of a punk band in Seattle. His conversation with curator E.J. Koh touches on Michael’s favorite ‘90s punk bands, authenticity in art, and his own Seattle youth. “It’s not necessarily […]
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Daniel Tam-Claiborne’s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is a novel about a Chinese woman and a Chinese-American woman navigating the experience of being transplants in different ways. In his conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss Daniel’s connection to these characters, the relationship between China and America, and how it effects individuals […]
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Grace Jahng Lee’s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is a novel about a Korean-American family, incorporating themes of memory and intergenerational trauma. In her conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss the enduring impacts of the Korean War, and the challenges of preserving stories from the past. “Sometimes you have to forget […]
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Tochukwu Okafor’s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is a story about a young gay man coming of age in Nigeria. In his conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss what it’s like to be gay in Nigeria and bond over their shared experiences with both Catholicism and the engineering world. “I don’t […]
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Greg November’s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of short stories that explore fatherhood and masculinity. In his conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss the conflicts and challenges of being a caregiver and a role model. “At times I feel like I’ve got to . . . be a […]
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José Luis Montero’s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is a series of short essays about his journey to the United States from Mexico. In his conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss dispelling the myths of Mexican migration, how storytelling has always been integral to his life, and what it means to […]
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2021 Jack Straw writer S. Erin Batiste’s full-length poetry collection, Hoard, deals with the complexity of memory and the ways in which we collect possessions and stories. In her conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss confessional poetry, mall culture of the 1980s and ‘90s, and the intersection of privilege and minimalism. “I think for […]
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Kristie Song’s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of memoir vignettes that explore her family’s history. In her conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss the intersections of queer culture with Northern and Southern Chinese culture, the challenge of not speaking a relative’s first language, and food as a point […]
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2021 Jack Straw writer Patrycja Humienik’s poetry project grapples with the concept of devotion in relation to religion, longing, and naming. In her conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss finding community in writing, how movement impacts the writing process, and the intersection of the creative with the political. “Poetry has always been a way […]
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Paulette Perhach’s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is an exploration of mental health, anxiety, and addiction. In her conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss meditation practices, the influence of research and travel on writing, and the vulnerability that writing can demand. “There’s a kind of nudity in writing. . . . […]
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2021 Jack Straw writer C.R. Glasgow’s poetry project was born from the desire to be in communication with the stories of West Indies ancestors through an intersectional lens. In C.’s conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss the link between sound and memory, the relationship of time to place and culture, and the transformative power […]
The post Conception* – C.R. Glasgow appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Abi Pollokoff’s project for the 2021 Jack Straw Writers Program is “a collection of poems that is a womaning, a reclaiming of agency and voice.” In her conversation with curator E.J. Koh, they discuss reclaiming what it means to be a woman, the relationship between sound and language, and the reckoning occurring within the literary […]
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Troy Osaki’s project for the 2020 Jack Straw Writers Program is a chapbook manuscript of poems that he began writing after visiting the Philippines for the first time in 2017. In his conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss poetry’s ability to create social change, his history with Youth Speaks, and cultural and familial connections. “I […]
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2020 Jack Straw writer Jose Trejo-Maya’s project is an extract of his poetry that is intended for a three-dimensional museum exhibit based on the Tonalpohualli, a Mesoamerican conception of time. In his conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss his organic writing process, his connection to the immigrant experience, and listening to the voices of his […]
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Arianne True’s project for the 2020 Jack Straw Writers Program is a poetic “museum” that creates a safe space to engage in difficult subjects such as childhood sexual abuse. In her conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss the ritual of writing, engaging with experimental forms, and creating visceral experiences with words. “Through poetry, you can […]
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2020 Jack Straw writer Jeffrey Lee Cheatham II’s project is a graphic novel titled Uhuru, a pirate adventure story centering Black characters. In his conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss the lack of Black representation in children’s literature, professional wrestling and Archie comics, and creating Black stories that expand beyond a monolithic experience. “One of […]
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2020 Jack Straw writer Helen K. Thomas’s project is a collection of short stories that feature Black girl protagonists from the Pacific Northwest. In her conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss Young Adult fiction and expanding representation of young Black girls in those stories. “To be a part of that and to choose to be […]
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Rob Arnold’s project for the 2020 Jack Straw Writers Program is a poetic memoir that tackles the complex legacies of familial trauma. In his conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss cross-genre writing, the distance and connection created by language, and matching linguistic precision with visual expansion. “I started thinking about these things in a much […]
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2020 Jack Straw writer Ching-In Chen’s project is a series of experimental prose poems inspired by their relationship to breath, and the Texas Tax Day Flood of 2016. In their conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss their process of creating in a hybrid genre, representation in art, and creating within community. “What surprised me is […]
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Michelle Goodman’s project for the 2020 Jack Straw Writer’s Program is a creative nonfiction piece that deals with dying and grief. In her conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss navigating the balance between telling the truth and what remains untold, shaping nonfiction, and writing as an act of understanding. “I’ve always liked telling true life […]
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2020 Jack Straw writer Ebo Barton’s poetry project is both a printed work and an audiobook. In their conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss the differences between spoken word and page poetry, the pressure on artists to constantly produce, and what it means to share work aloud. “When I say the stage is my church, […]
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Wryly T. McCutchen’s project for the 2020 Jack Straw Writer’s Program is part of a “drag-a-licious” show of “of weird, solo, interdisciplinary, poetry-fueled content.” In their conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss the physical nature of their work, their destructive poetry practice, and the importance of sharing one’s work. “Poetry offers the opportunity to use […]
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2020 Jack Straw writer Elaina Ellis’s poetry project could be described as a book-length exploration of the story of Ezekiel, but that’s just the beginning. In her conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss bringing one’s whole self to the creative process, love-bombing, and the multiple resonances, from the erotic to the traumatic, that can be […]
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Maisha Banks Manson’s project for the 2020 Jack Straw Writers Program is “myth building in the future.” In their conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss their strategies for making a life in the arts, the speculative/narrative nature of their work, and reimagining fairytale narratives. “Part of it is taking how I feel, right now, about […]
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Suzanne Warren’s 2019 Jack Straw Writers Program project is a collection of short stories called In the Country of Husbands that marries domestic realism with magic realism and focuses on the lives of women and girls. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Flenniken, they discuss her background in experimental film, themes of rape culture, and […]
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Putsata Reang’s project for the 2019 Jack Straw Writers Program is a memoir that chronicles her life growing up in rural Oregon and her family’s journey escaping the war and genocide in Cambodia. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Flenniken, they discuss the difficulty of writing a memoir involving people who are living, displacement in […]
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2019 Jack Straw writer Gabrielle Bates spoke with curator Kathleen Flenniken about her collection of poems about growing up in the South. In their conversation, they discuss her array of projects, including a poetry comic collection, surrealism in her writing, and finding patience during a project. “I keep going back, lately, to this great quote […]
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Josh Axelrad began his storytelling career on The Moth, and his Jack Straw project is a collection of short stories meant to live in the world of prose rather than performance. In his conversation with curator Kathleen Flenniken, they discuss his circuitous path to becoming a writer, the way we present our lives online, and […]
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Jack Straw Writer Michael Schmeltzer spoke with curator Kathleen Flenniken about his poems that explore the line between good and bad, and his own history as a biracial Japanese-American man. In their conversation, they discuss the juxtaposition of tenderness and atrocities, the conflicting narratives about the Japanese during war, and the value of empathy and […]
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Leanne Dunic’s project for the 2019 Jack Straw Writers Program is a book of lyric pose called Wet that takes place in Singapore, inspired by the thick haze of forest fires during a writing residency. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Flenniken, they discuss rolling with the punches, the influence of nature, and the overlap […]
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2019 Jack Straw writer Christianne Balk spoke with curator Kathleen Flenniken about her series of poems of early 20th century voices inspired by her grandmother’s life as a young nurse serving in France during WWI. They discuss the importance of research in her writing, her background as a biology major, and inspiration taken from naturalists […]
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2019 Jack Straw Writer Samar Abulhassan’s poetry project unites several different bodies of work: in particular, a project called “Lena,” set near bodies of water. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Flenniken, they discuss the relationship between writing and listening, writing and movement, and the parts of our identity that sometimes stay hidden in the […]
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Jack Straw writer Rena Priest spoke with curator Kathleen Flenniken about her poetry project Sublime Subliminal, inspired by Jim Simmerman’s “20 Little Poetry Projects.” They discuss the richness of languages, where poems start, and expectations of identity. “In a way, language, using it for poetry or powerful prose that changes a person’s mind or changes […]
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Sylvia Byrne Pollack’s project for the 2019 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of prose poems written from the perspective of two fictional characters who deal with disability and mental illness. In her conversation with curator Kathleen Flenniken, they discuss Sylvia’s history as a scientist, her return to writing, and personification as a tool […]
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Jack Straw Writer Shankar Narayan’s manuscript “Circuit Breaker” grapples with the impact of technology on society and the body. In his conversation with 2019 Writers Program curator Kathleen Flenniken, they explore themes of bias in technology, how his writing is influenced by with his work as a lawyer for the ACLU, and the intersection of […]
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2019 Jack Straw writer Dianne Aprile spoke with curator Kathleen Flenniken about her memoir-in-progress on the story of her aunt’s long-held secret of rape and subsequent lobotomy. They discuss how Aprile’s background as a journalist helped her to uncover the truth of the story, the evolution of mental health, and where her aunt’s story fits […]
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Rachel Trignano’s project for the 2018 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of essays called Home[sic] that deals with family, memory, and the changing of truth over time. In her conversation with curator Daemond Arrindell, they discuss the intersections of storytelling, intimacy, and perspective. “You can have an intimacy and familiarity with your family […]
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Jack Straw Writer Daniel Atkinson’s contribution to the 2018 Jack Straw Writers Anthology, “To Know Your People Is to Know Yourself,” deals with the complicated interracial history of his Southern family. He spoke with curator Daemond Arrindell about George Walker, a founding father of the Harlem Renaissance; being “hired to ‘be diversity’ as opposed to […]
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Sarah María Medina’s contribution to the 2018 Jack Straw Writers Anthology is a collection of poems from her poetry manuscript Oshun’s Daughter. In her conversation with curator Daemond Arrindell, they discuss the decolonization of art and its form, responding to music, and spontaneity on the page. “I’m not knocking the sonnet, but for me I […]
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Jalayna Carter’s poems in the 2018 Jack Straw Writer’s Anthology are both a “report on human behavior” and a “love story to how humans cope.” In her conversation with Daemond Arrindell, they discuss being Southern, legacies, and exploring fear. “It’s great to be someone who people can look up to and say, ‘Oh, that person […]
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2018 Jack Straw writer Danielle Bero is working on a chapbook of poetry about her relationship to her body and queer identity. She and curator Daemond Arrindell talk about finding passion and connection with an audience, the rhythm of her writing, and working in schools. “Even my own students, you know, I want to get […]
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Dujie Tahat‘s project as a 2018 Jack Straw Writer is a chapbook length manuscript about grief in relationships and the political sphere. In his conversation with curator Daemond Arrindell, they discuss what grief teaches, the grief within immigrant experience, and fatherhood. “I think the relationship between turning and facing yourself—I think that’s what teaches you […]
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Jack Straw writer Natasha Kochicheril Moni spoke with curator Daemond Arrindell about her collection of poetry and creative non-fiction, As a Dark Bird in a Light Egg. Their conversation covers the duality of being biracial, the idea of home, and her experiences as a naturopathic doctor. “It’s this feeling of belonging: How do I belong […]
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Juan Carlos Reyes’s project for the 2018 Jack Straw Writers Program is a collection of stories that investigates father-son relationships. In his conversation with curator Daemond Arrindell he discusses cultural norms, contradictions, and the celebrations of group and individual identity. “Every story, eventually, is about that little place and about our moving away from that […]
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2018 Jack Straw writer Meredith Clark writes about the experiences of the body, both known and unknown. In her conversation with curator Daemond Arrindell, they discuss queer identity, the difficulty of embodiment, and documenting experiences before perspective unfolds. “I think embodiment is, at least for me, and I think for a lot of people, not […]
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Corbin Louis’s zine poetry project “Hypomania” investigates mental illness, addiction, and chronic pain. In his conversation with curator Daemond Arrindell, he discusses his subversive approach to poetry, the toxicity of American culture, and the Via Dolorosa. “In the land of commercials, in the land of big studio movies, in factory-made clothes . . . anything […]
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2018 Jack Straw writer Kamari Bright spoke with curator Daemond Arrindell about her poetic film project “Respek” and the myth of a post-racial America, the visibility of black female writers, and the methodical nature of her work. “A lot of what I do focuses on understanding of yourself and of your surroundings. I think there […]
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2018 Jack Straw Writer Bryan Edenfield’s contribution to the 2018 Jack Straw Writers Anthology is a collection of opening paragraphs to books that have never been written to create a literary history of a fictional community that reflects the history of America. In his conversation with curator Daemond Arrindell, he discusses the inspiration behind this […]
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Ashlan Runyan’s project for the 2017 Jack Straw Writers Program combines an essay, “All That Is Seen and Unseen,” exploring the creation of work and healing with a poem/quilt project entitled nothing is sacred, everything is holy. Her conversation with curator Jourdan Imani Keith covers religion in modern times, finding the sacred in the everyday […]
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2017 Jack Straw writer Hera McLeod’s memoir in progress chronicles her experience of surviving an abusive relationship and her fight to protect both herself and her son. In her conversation with curator Jourdan Imani Keith, Hera discusses her journey, the process of discarding illusions, and using her voice as a warrior. “I can’t protect anyone […]
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2017 Jack Straw Writer Ellie Belew’s mytho-historic novel, Isotopia, examines the intersection of science, one’s sense of place, and the personal life of a female physicist working on the Manhattan Project. In her interview with Jourdan Imani Keith, Ellie discusses Post-WWII America, the emergence of the modern woman, and the ways in which these themes […]
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Quenton Baker’s project for the 2017 Jack Straw Writers Program was to write a series of erasure poems, exploring the omission of certain events and narratives of enslaved people in the United States. In his conversation with curator Jordan Imani Keith, Quenton talks about the slave revolt of 1841, his process for creating this kind […]
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In 2017 Jack Straw Writer Wancy Young Cho’s piece “The Men on the Hill”–from his collection in progress tentatively titled Let’s Pretend We Don’t Know Each Other–a man describes his romantic encounters with a series of men who move in and out of his housing complex. Though his work is fiction, the bulk of his […]
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Calvin Gimpelevich’s piece in the 2017 Jack Straw Writers Anthology is an excerpt from his novel Tenderloin, set in an alternate reality present-day San Francisco, tracing the intersections of various movements and communities through the 1970s. His conversation with curator Jourdan Imani Keith covers his love of history, using writing as a tool to build […]
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2017 Jack Straw Writer Catalina Marie Cantú has been working a on a series of short creative non-fiction stories as a way to speak to young women about feeling okay with who they are in a Photoshop world. Her conversation with curator Jourdan Imani Keith covers bullying, the influence of teachers, and the ubiquity of […]
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After a series of personal transitions, 2017 Jack Straw Writer afrose fatima ahmed went from “running around and achieving” to spending a year and a half on the Olympic Peninsula to be with herself in nature. Her collection of poems blood gold and honey, which grew out of poetry commissions at farmer’s markets and festivals, […]
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2017 Jack Straw Writer D.A. Navoti describes his piece “One Pima Pilgrim” as a love-letter/goodbye letter to the Gila River Indian Community outside of Phoenix, AZ, in the Sonoran Desert. In the 2017 Jack Straw Writers Anthology, Dan explores the beauty of the landscape and what it feels like to be an outsider in his […]
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2017 Jack Straw Writer Brandon Young spoke with curator Jourdan Imani Keith about hoarding and its range of meanings and expressions, from bountiful treasure to suffocating trash. Brandon and Jourdan explore the idea that hoarding can provide salvation from an emotional trauma and is often a sign of an insecure environment. For Brandon’s work, he […]
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Steph Kesey‘s piece in the 2017 Jack Straw Writers Anthology is an excerpt from a book-length memoir in progress about her father’s battle with mental illness. She talks with curator Jourdan Imani Keith about this experience, how she began as a sculptor and became a writer, and how she finds form by putting the brutal […]
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2017 Jack Straw Writer Jamaica Baldwin talks with curator Jourdan Imani Keith about finding her voice in poetry, adopting silence as a kind of armor, and the male gaze in art and literature. “Women’s lives are surrounded by violence; some of them endure it, some of them go through it, and I like the poets […]
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Jack Straw Writer Shontina Vernon‘s piece in the 2016 Jack Straw Writers Anthology is inspired by her youth in rural Texas and subsequent departure to the big city to attend a performing arts school. She talks with curator Karen Finneyfrock about this experience, her current work with youth through 4Culture’s Creative Justice program, and the […]
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2016 Jack Straw Writer Carolyne Wright talks with program curator Karen Finneyfrock about her current work in progress – a collection of poems about important women in her life, including her mother and sister – as well as her long career, global travels, and postgrad brush with the influential poet Elizabeth Bishop. “She said things […]
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2016 Jack Straw Writer EJ Koh found her calling as a poet at the very end of her college experience, after years of acting as her own guardian while her parents worked in Korea. She talks about her unusual adolescence and the sudden realization that she was a poet with program curator Karen Finneyfrock. “Everyone’s […]
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2016 Jack Straw Writer Ramon Isao‘s short stories combine obsession, fear, and disaster with humor and absurdity. He talks with program Curator Karen Finneyfrock about his fascination with worst-case scenarios, his early realization that he could be a writer, and how he knows a story is finished. “I know that I’m done with them when […]
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2016 Jack Straw Writer Alison Stagner‘s poems balance lyricism and beauty with threat and violence as she attempts to bridge the seemingly insurmountable gap between our internal selves and the outer world. She talks to program curator Karen Finneyfrock about this and other fascinations, as well her method of writing poems orally, often while walking […]
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2016 Jack Straw Writer Casandra Lopez has worked in several literary forms, including poetry, fiction, and essays. Her project during her Jack Straw fellowship was a hybrid work of creative non-fiction, crossing and blending genres to explore the grief and loss that followed her brother’s murder. She talks to program curator Karen Finneyfrock about making […]
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2016 Jack Straw Writer Anis Gisele‘s project for the Writers Program is Pinweight, a young adult novel inspired by her own experience. She talks to program curator Karen Finneyfrock about her connection to the book’s main character, finding herself as a writer in the slam poetry scene, and surviving as an artist in a rapidly […]
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2016 Jack Straw Writer Corinne Manning talks with program curator Karen Finneyfrock about the development of her novel Potential Monsters and the feedback she received that led her to reevaluate her relationship to the narrow confines of contemporary literature. “That . . . fueled me to explore how I can tell my stories authentically without […]
The post Monsters – Corinne Manning appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Multidisciplinary writer and artist Shin Yu Pai, known primarily for her poetry, worked on a collection of personal essays about her relationship to Taiwanese identity during her time as a 2016 Jack Straw Writer. She talks with curator Karen Finneyfrock about her writing and research practices, and why she chose to explore these particular themes […]
The post Firstborn – Shin Yu Pai appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
2016 Jack Straw Writer Robert Lashley talks with program curator Karen Finneyfrock about Up South, the forthcoming collection of poetry he was working on during his Jack Straw residency. Robert also shares his thoughts on his favorite forms of poetry and some of the writers who’ve inspired him, including his uncle, Moses Williams. “He considered […]
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2016 Jack Straw Writer Ruby Hansen Murray‘s novel The Heart Stays People tells the story of Maria, a 16-year-old Osage girl raised by Cherokee who longs for her own people and doesn’t know what to do next. She talks with Curator Karen Finneyfrock about the challenges of creating an original story that reflects history accurately. […]
The post Maria – Ruby Hansen Murray appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
2016 Jack Straw Writer Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum talks with Curator Karen Finneyfrock about her in-progress collection of short stories addressing many forms of disaster, from the personal to the geological. She also shares some of her process as a writer and her thoughts on the perfection of the short story: “There’s a sense of complete […]
The post Disaster – Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Linda Andrews‘ work – whether poetry, prose, or a hybrid of the two – is always written with an ear for the spoken word. She talks with 2015 Jack Straw Writers Program Curator Kevin Craft about writing for the ear, her experience as a teacher, and doing rewrites while driving through the Palouse. ” I […]
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For her Jack Straw Writers Program project, L. J. Morin (Lisa Carcia) wrote a series of poems inspired by the tale of a parrot in Venezuela who was the last known speaker of a dead language. She speaks with 2015 Writers Program Curator Kevin Craft about Alexander Von Humboldt, the tirelessly curious discoverer of this […]
The post Humboldt – L. J. Morin appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Anca Szilágyi‘s novel Paralegal looks at the runup to the 2008 financial crash through the eyes of Binnie Greenson, a diorama artist working a summer job in a corporate law firm and struggling with her identity as an artist. She talks with 2015 Jack Straw Writers Program curator Kevin Craft about Joseph Cornell, the gradually […]
The post Paralegal – Anca Szilágyi appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Matthew Schnirman‘s poems combine humor, nostalgia, intimacy, and sex into a voice that’s by turns sardonic and sincere, ironic and heartfelt. He talks to 2015 Jack Straw Writers Program Curator Kevin Craft about his “Zac Poems,” whose titular character floats through the films of Zac Efron as viewed through Matthew’s poetic lens. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS […]
The post Zac – Matthew Schnirman appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Laura Da’s poems explore the European-American takeover of the North American continent by examining the mapping and surveying that was an inextricable part of it. Narrative poems delve into the lives of two characters, while lyrical pieces look at the larger consequences. She talks to 2015 Writers Program Curator Kevin Craft about how she developed […]
The post Mapping – Laura Da’ appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Clare Johnson‘s writing delves both into the past – resurrecting voices and stories from generations past – and into her own personal experiences. She talks with 2015 Writers Program curator about the influence of travel and homesickness on her work and her process for creating these patchwork pieces, which Craft refers to as “core samples […]
The post Histories – Clare Johnson appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Bernard Grant‘s stories and essays are carefully constructed, his language terse and spare. Phrases like “I saw my father twice,” and “brand new screen door” instantly pull the reader into the world he’s created. He talks with 2015 Writers Program curator Kevin Craft about his craft and how he shapes his text. “When I write […]
The post Work – Bernard Grant appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Emily Bedard’s poems are full of wild, vivid, and unusual imagery: Her disappointing moments in life gather in one room, each visible in its own horrible failure; she gives advice to younger girls about dating, sex, and love; God takes her car for a joyride and enjoys the experience. 2015 Writers Program Curator Kevin Craft […]
The post Cargo – Emily Bedard appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Martha Kreiner‘s poetry is deeply intertwined with her work as a nurse. She sends herself poetic time surveys throughout her work day to give herself “the opportunity, just randomly, to look around the world and pay attention.” She talks with 2015 Writers Program Curator Kevin Craft about how her nursing influences her poetry and vice […]
The post Shift – Martha Kreiner appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Ross McMeekin is fascinated by family relationships and constantly explores them in his writing. Writing, he says, allows you to explore different careers and to “slip into the skin of a bunch of different lives that you could never have done in your own real solid skin.” He can’t escape the pull, the magnetism, of […]
The post Darling – Ross McMeekin appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Jeanine Walker, poet and musician, relates how her parents’ divorce when she was 10 has shaped her poetry. She explores family, bonding, separation, and escape in several poems containing her own experiences or imaginings of different lives. Poetry allows her to explore her own experiences and create deeper understanding of the changes in her and […]
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2015 Jack Straw Writers Program Curator Kevin Craft interviews poet Erin Malone about her choice of themes for her recent works about child abduction and death. The poems she reads at the Jack Straw May Reading Series share perspectives from varying experiences: the passage of time, exposure to death, fading memories, and grief. Music by […]
The post Childhood – Erin Malone appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Kristen Millares Young seeks to discover empathy through her characters. The different perspectives that appear in her writing unfold into a story that sheds light on the human condition. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Subduction – Kristen Millares Young appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Raul Sanchez connects to his readers with his unreserved storytelling about his own background. With bright descriptions and mixed English and Spanish lines, Sanchez’s poems paint cultural scenes that open a world to his audience. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios and produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Excerpts from My Past My Way – Raul Sanchez appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Margot Kahn reflects on her cultural heritage through the lens of her teenage self. Her memories and observations reveal a warm innocence and resonate as a coming of age story. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Selected Work – Margot Kahn appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Setting the scene with memories of a childhood border crossing, Susan V. Meyers examines the significance of geographic boundary lines. Drawing on her experience of the U.S./Mexico border as an adult and providing background and history on its institution, Meyers stitches together thoughtful ideas on a complex issue. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as […]
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Gigi Rosenberg constructs a personable and engaging account of her relationship with her mother and the complexities that emerge posthumously. Rosenberg’s current project is How I Lost My Inheritance: A Mother/Daughter Memoir. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Chapter 1: Will and Trust – Gigi Rosenberg appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Loreen Lilyn Lee shares her island heritage in a smooth, heartfelt narrative that celebrates the unique blend of culture that is Hawaii. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Being Local – Loreen Lilyn Lee appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Speaking with force and conviction, Laurel Albina examines cultural identity through her family’s experience settling in a new country. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Selected Poems – Laurel Albina appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Jane Wong dares to write poetry, fighting through words to help express “the unknowable.” Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Selected Poems – Jane Wong appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
John D. Mullen is a master storyteller, openly describing scenes from his youth with frank hilarity and impeccable delivery. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Lineup – John D. Mullen appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Through the eyes of her 14-year-old self, Claudia Castro Luna recounts her family’s journey across the border and to a new life. Music by 2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post To Say Goodbye – Claudia Castro Luna appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Using textural images and striking word combinations, Anastacia Tolbert’s writing imbues the page with vivid sensations. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Memoir – Anastacia Tolbert appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Self-deprecating and honest, Kate Carroll de Gutes serves her own brand of personal essay, much of which is uproariously funny. A stickler for the serial comma, Kate Carroll de Gutes believes that there should always be two spaces between a period and the beginning of the next sentence. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, […]
The post What Does a Lesbian Bring on a Second Date – Kate Carroll de Gutes appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Chelsea Werner-Jatzke recycles an old Pixies’ song, transforming song lyrics into living characters. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Tony’s Theme – Chelsea Werner-Jatzke appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Using physical language to convey universal emotions, Daemond Arrindell’s writing commands a visceral response. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Angel and Other Poems – Daemond Arrindell appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Michelle Penaloza reaches deep into her writing to pull out words that will touch her readers. She boldly tackles sentimental subject matter and presents feelings with a flair. Music by Victor Noriega/2 Trios, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Selected Poems – Michelle Penaloza appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Dennis Caswell brings a bit of whimsy to some of life’s unanswered questions. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Epiphanette and Other Poems – Dennis Caswell appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Larry Crist’s colorful poems reflect intimate scenes, taken from ordinary moments. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Frenzy of the Red Berry and Other Work – Larry Crist appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Drawing from his experience with an ailing parent, Peter Munro describes the delicate and painful reality of the human condition. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Ketogenesis Apocalypse – Peter Munro appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Judith Skillman experiments with form in her new work, shedding light on a personal history. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post In This Case – Judith Skillman appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Josephine Ensign examines her own desire to work with homeless people and the value of narrative advocacy work. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Soul Story – Josephine Ensign appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Blending cultural content with personal experience, Emily Pérez infuses her poetry with musicality. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Reflections from a Border Town in South Texas – Emily Perez appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Corry Venema-Weiss longed to write about strange worlds from her youth, but was deterred by the daunting task of imagining them from scratch. Then she discovered a fascinating world ready-made: the 18th century. The result of nearly ten years of research, her novel, The Genius of Desire, is the story of Will Theroux, his fall […]
The post Anatomy Lesson – Corry Venema-Weiss appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Pulling ideas from his experience in the world of theater, Jay McAleer takes the reader behind the scenes of a traveling show. The cheeky interaction of his characters lends authenticity to his portrayal of stage life. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw […]
The post Delicate Strangers – Jay McAleer appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Using bright humor to render dark subject matter more readable, Jeannine Hall Gailey offers fresh verse on classic characters. Music by the Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Robot Scientist’s Daughter – Jeannine Hall Gailey appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
With details from her well-kept travel journals, Kaia Chessen takes readers through Africa in a genuine account of her journey. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post To Timbuktu and Back – Kaia Chessen appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Stacey Bennetts shares stories from her extraordinary childhood in her memoir about family drug smuggling. While the circumstances are unusual, aspects of the family dynamic and relationships are universal. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Trial By Error: Confessions of an Eight-Year-Old Drug Smuggler – Stacey Bennetts appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
With sensitivity and courage, Lacey Jane Henson shares the shifting emotion in a mother-daughter relationship. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post New Year’s Day, 1993 – Lacey Jane Henson appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Carol Light blends traditional forms to create innovative, distinctive verse. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Experimenting with Form – Carol Light appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Johanna Stoberock often looks to physical forms to guide her writing. Stories emerge from the landscape and fill pages with vivid sensory description and poignant scenes. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Shelter – Johanna Stoberock appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
As a writer and traveler, Nick Wong contemplates the world of boxing and the common ground shared by every fighter. During his time in other countries, he could always find a safe place in the gym and his writing shares the culture of the sport with many who will never enter a ring. Music by […]
The post A Fight For Shared Spaces – Nick Wong appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Sharon Hashimoto captures her father’s voice in her new work, Eh, Bruddah. It’s a touching, humor-infused story of family told with a cultural bent. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Eh, Bruddah – Sharon Hashimoto appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Sally Neumann presents colorful, touching portraits of her kin. Humorous banter and raw descriptions are cleverly knit together in this piece. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Smiling Peanuts – Sally Neumann appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Claudia Rowe documents her four-year correspondence with a serial murderer in her manuscript, Prey. The poignant narrative expresses true vulnerability and depth of emotion. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Prey – Claudia Rowe appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Gabriela Denise Frank takes a closer look at American cities; ruminating on the character of a place. Her travels abroad inspired her to capture regional distinctions in the United States. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Hidden City Diaries – Gabriela Denise Frank appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
With innocent curiosity and an open mind, Kathleen Alcala delves into her community of Bainbridge Island to explore food. Through interviews with local farmers, bee keepers, and neighbors, Alcala raises new questions about sustainability. Music by Rachel Matthews, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post The Clueless Eater – Kathleen Alcala appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Mitsu Sundvall takes you back to San Francisco in 1953 where multi-generations of a Japanese family play out their roles. Backstage at a nightclub, readers take in the atmosphere in a cultural context. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Rachel Matthews and produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post White Shoulders, San Francisco 1953 – Mitsu Sundvall appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
With easy humor and an engaging voice, Robert Lamirande relays the encounters of a young adult in the dating world. Readers feel embarassed, hopeful, reminiscent, and discouraged as they experience the characters’ travails. Lamirande’s narrative is a breezy look into modern courtship. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music performed by Grand Hallway and recorded as […]
The post She Loves Me Not – Robert Lamirande appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Drawing from her own experiences abroad, Nassim Assefi creates true to life scenarios playing on today’s world politics. Her characters bring different perspectives to a story that requires multi-layered explanation. From the streets of Kabul, Assefi shares the world of war in a contemporary context. Music performed by Srivani Jade, produced as part of the […]
The post Real Context – Nassim Assefi appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Larissa Min reflects on global migration through her own family’s journey from Korea to Brazil to the United States. Her intimate story is told with poignant lyricism and brings to light not only her own history, but also the transformations that families experience through migration. Music by Randal Bays, produced as part of the Jack […]
The post Moving through History – Larissa Min appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In his exploration of trade, Donald Fels brings to light stories of rich, cultural heritage. As a world traveler, artist, and writer, Fels weaves together his experiences and research, resulting in an intricate account of history. Music by August Denhard and Munir Nurettin Beken, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Travel through Trade – Donald Fels appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Anne McDuffie creates a sensory portrait of fog in a set of essays from an earlier chapter in her life. Her descriptions are immersive, and saturated by deep hues. The reader learns of her time in Madrid as a student and joins her for a long walk through the fog. Music by the Black Cat […]
The post The Color of Fog – Anne McDuffie appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In his work, Harold Taw explores voice and perspective. Readers travel through cultural and emotional territory with complex characters, moving through stories with remarkable storytellers. Music by Victor Noriega, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post A Cultural Journey – Harold Taw appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In her Jack Straw residency, Ann Teplick shares her grief, wrestling the difficulties and pain of losing parents. Her poetry imparts sorrow, beauty, love, and loss. Each word is chosen with courage, leaving the reader absorbed in the fragility of human life. Music by the Bird Tribe Orchestra, produced as part of the Jack Straw […]
The post By the Bedside – Ann Teplick appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Through her study of a Mies van der Rohe glass house in Illinois, architect and poet Nora Wendl illuminates the life of Dr. Edith Farnsworth. Yearly visits to the home and extensive research inform Wendl’s portrayal of the house and the character of Farnsworth. With an architectural lens, Wendl brings life and sentiment to marble […]
The post Architecture of Poetry – Nora Wendl appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In her writing, Maritess Zurbano depicts the little known world of a female magician. Her work brings to light racial and gender issues surrounding the art and captures the intrigue of performance. Original subject matter and dramatic delivery make for a captivating read. Music by the Owcharuk Sextet, produced as part of the Jack Straw […]
The post That’s Magic – Maritess Zurbano appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
As a poet and fiction writer, Katharine Whitcomb serves a complex blend of sentiment. Her playful wording often frames serious content. Music by Lori Goldston, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Shades of Sensibility – Katharine Whitcomb appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Blending nature themes and rustic imagery, Annette Spaulding-Convy has created a collection of poems that brings the past to life. Her work delves into family history and tells the story of a lost ancestor. With grace and force, Spaulding-Convy pays tribute to a forgotten individual. Music by Sean Osborn, produced as part of the Jack […]
The post Forgotten Light – Annette Spaulding-Convy appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Debra Jarvis‘s humorous and personable writing invites readers to pull up a chair. Her connection to both people and animals is felt in her fluid narrative. Meet her therapy dog Max and fall in love. Music by Jes Raymond, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Canine Connection – Debra Jarvis appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Louise Spiegler lets her imagination take the reins to lead readers through life in early Rome. In her novel, history is intermingled with an engaging plot that’s suitable for both young and adult readers. Her careful research and original characters make for entertaining reading. Music by Sean Osborn, produced as part of the Jack Straw […]
The post Destination Rome, Circa 193 CE – Louise Spiegler appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Through her use of expressive language, Denise Calvetti Michaels creates poignant snapshots of her own experiences and those of others. Her writing takes different forms in order to capture the scene and the sentiment she’s depicting. Translating memories to poetry, Michaels gives voice to beautiful personal stories. Music by the St. Helen’s Quartet, produced as part […]
The post Unwrapping Memories – Denise Calvetti Michaels appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Inspired by magical realism, Amber Flame ventures into new territory with her Jack Straw project, creating vignettes that take the reader into the heart of the desert. Her vibrant imagery and earthy tone, make her colorful stories tangible. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Johanna Kunin, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist […]
The post Desert Melody – Amber Flame appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Roberto Ascalon writes instinctually. He reaches into the core of his subjects and exposes raw emotion. His poems, which flow like essays, reveal an unspoken history, surprising and powerful. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Seattle Experimental Opera, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Hearing History – Roberto Ascalon appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Michael Dylan Welch explores haiku and longer poetry, as well as his own spirited take on the traditional Japanese haiku. He uses Allen Ginsberg’s haiku-derived form of American Sentences to record his family’s witticisms, and he’s written hundreds of haiku-like “neon buddha” poems as “a surreal sort of personal mythology.” Music by the St. Helens […]
The post Meet Neon Buddha – Michael Dylan Welch appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Through her writing, Marjorie Manwaring explores her fascination with the tiny. Keenly observant and uniquely funny, Manwaring creates a sense of nostalgia for gumball machines and tiny dolls. Her short poems lead listeners into the often overlooked world of miniscule things. Music by Matt Weiner and Del Rey, produced as part of the Jack Straw […]
The post Something Tiny – Marjorie Manwaring appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Poignant and painful, Esther Altshul Helfgott documents the Alzheimer’s experience through poetry. Her writing fragments play a somber melody, both moving and beautiful. While her Jack Straw project focuses on illness, her writing covers a broad range of subject matter, with a penchant for history. Music by Tamara Friedman, produced as part of the Jack […]
The post Documenting with Care – Esther Altshul Helfgott appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Martha Clarkson writes with humor and an element of surprise. Her unique ideas come to life in short, sharp pieces. Original subject matter and clever delivery make Clarkson’s work widely appealing. Music by Christopher Roberts, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Punchy Shorts – Martha Clarkson appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Tara Roth is an adept storyteller who turns to her Armenian family for material. The colorful characters and scenarios are imbued with humor and familiarity. Roth translates her appreciation for her heritage with a witty slant and a touch of nostalgia. Music by Grand Hallway, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Family. Stories. Cookies. – Tara Roth appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Rich in detail, including period vocabulary, Bill Carty‘s poems are authentic and engaging. The retelling of a duel in his hometown of Thomaston, Maine evokes the image of a painting from the era. His writing illustrates history with a timeless and gracious style. Music in this podcast is performed by Shulamit Kleinerman and was recorded […]
The post History in Your Hometown – Bill Carty appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Using a frank and earnest approach, Katherine Grace Bond offers readers insight into her own adolescence. The difficulties she faced during her teen years become fodder for the fictional character Alice, who works as a docent at the Seattle Art Museum. Her poems capture the fear and angst she once experienced during family struggles. Bond […]
The post To Write Is to Heal – Katherine Grace Bond appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Deftly weaving together people and scenes, Brian James Barr presents rich commentary on adult relationships. Barr’s characters speak with an open and true voice, creating genuine intimacy in his writing. His vernacular, subject matter, and style, all work to make Barr’s writing distinctly contemporary. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Cynthia Mullis and was […]
The post Getting Even? – Brian James Barr appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
With her diverse ancestry, Storme Webber brings a unique perspective to the literary world. Her writing allows her to give voice to those who are marginalized due to poverty, race, and sexual orientation. As a multi-disciplinary artist, Storme enlivens her readings with sonorous vocals, deepening the impact of her words. Music by Dan Blunck and […]
The post Bluesy Verse – Storme Webber appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
For his Jack Straw residency, Kevin Simmonds brings to life historic figures in his lilting and revealing poetry. His background as a musician and his roots in New Orleans, lend a rhythmic, melancholic sensibility to his work. Among the themes he touches on are rights issues, loss, and sexuality. Music by The Black Cat Orchestra, […]
The post Deliberate Rhythm – Kevin Simmonds appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Madeline Ostrander works global politics into a flowing narrative that hinges on personal stories. Her experiences abroad fill her writing with distinct, tangible scenes with genuine characters. Readers and listeners are forced to contemplate war and responsibility. Music by Amy Rubin and Dawn Clement, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post Politics and Place – Madeline Ostrander appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In her rhythmic storytelling, Angela Martinez Dy sketches a snapshot of the social and cultural fabric of her time. Her art, which starts with poetry on the page, becomes a gripping, powerful force in her delivery. She says her writing helps her express who she is and leads to deeper self-understanding. Music by Bob Rees, […]
The post Poetry off the Page – Angela Martinez Dy appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Kim-An Lieberman‘s writing is a study on how the media shapes contemporary culture. She uses stories and characters featured in the media in her work. Through poetry, Lieberman is able to create unique, playful portraits of her subjects and continue a long tradition of storytelling. Music by Matt Weiner and Del Rey, produced as part […]
The post Cultural Storytelling – Kim-An Lieberman appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In her writing, Laura Hirschfield explores what’s not said, or what’s missing. She works with the concept of haunting; expressing in words an idea or a voice that inhabits her. Her examination of haunting is revelatory, personal, and poignant. Music by the Bella Musica Woodwind Trio, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support […]
The post Haunting in Words – Laura Hirschfield appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In Alma García’s quest to portray the human side of a story, she reaches into the center of her characters to share a delicate intimacy with the reader. Her blend of voices and scenes has a natural rhythm which she attributes to her training as a musician. In her words, she understood how a story […]
The post A Story’s Sound – Alma García appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In her writing, poet Rachel Dilworth seeks to illuminate new perspectives and understanding through the exploration of voice. Her focus on voice as connected to self, loss of voice, and regaining voice, allows her subjects to be heard in new ways. Permission to use portions of The Wild Rose Asylum by Rachel Dilworth has been […]
The post Exploring Voice – Rachel Dilworth appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Years of living and traveling in Europe and a profound interest in the visual arts, inform Michael Magee’s work. His writing, which crosses many disciplines, is full of wit, color, and panache. His dynamic range of subjects and artful turn of phrase are both fresh and entertaining. Music by Matt Weiner and Del Rey, produced […]
The post A Writer’s Palette – Michael Magee appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In her far-reaching poem Rhapsody in Red, Priscilla Long weaves cultural, political, and scientific threads together in a lyrical statement featuring the color red. Full of historic references and bright imagery, Long’s writing draws the reader through memory and experience. Music by Amy Rubin and Dawn Clement, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist […]
The post Poetry as Visual Art – Priscilla Long appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
In her second Jack Straw Writers Residency, Anna Balint explores themes of war, motherhood, ethnic identity, and family legacy. She draws upon her diverse experiences, as an activist, mother and grandmother, in her writing. Music by Christopher Roberts, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
The post From Poetry to Prose – Anna Balint appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Through her series of poems about Little Red Riding Hood, Lana Hechtman Ayers has pushed a storybook character into the throes of real life. Red deals with complex relationships, temptation, and frustration with traditional gender roles. Lana says in her live reading that she was abducted by Red and consumed with writing about her. Music […]
The post Following Little Red – Lana Hechtman Ayers appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Inspired by the ancients, Kevin Craft weaves classical themes into contemporary poetry. His studies and travels have led him to write with a deep sense of history. As he puts it, every writer has an inheritance, and he sought his in the Mediterranean. Music by Yerba Buena, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist […]
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As a poet and a storyteller, Brian McGuigan tells it like it is, and then some. A listener of his work can feel grimy streets underfoot and see cracks in the buildings. His poems are personal and visceral and he has a great appreciation for the way things used to be. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT […]
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Judith Skillman grew up amidst a family of scientists and her poems reflect her early exposure to the natural world. She was often awakened at night to see a meteor shower or lunar eclipse. Her writing plays on themes in nature, elucidated by strong, earthy images. Music by the Bird Tribe Orchestra, produced as part […]
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Sharon Cumberland draws from her diverse life experience, including several years in a religious order, for her poems and fiction writing. She came up with the idea to write poems in plainsong, or Gregorian chant. The scope of this form, she says, allows her to write about anything and everything. Music by Tamara Friedman, produced […]
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Rebecca Hoogs studies the roots of language and works with words’ meanings in her poetry. The result is dynamic wordplay that reads and sounds like a riddle, but cuts deeper into word evolution. Music by the Bella Musica Woodwind Trio, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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Through his rich experience driving public transit buses in Seattle for more than 20 years, Michael Spence has innumerable stories to recount in his poetry. His unique perspective from the driver’s seat can be humorous, insightful, sorrowful, and revealing about society in general. Music by Karin Kajita, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist […]
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Merna Ann Hecht has devoted much of her life to teaching and helping children. When she isn’t teaching, she’s cooking because she finds cooking calms her down. And when she isn’t cooking, she’s fretting about the world. Those are the three things she does and the focus of her writing. Music by Matt Weiner and […]
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Wendy Call came to writing through her work in political activism. Her experience as a community organizer inspired her to write about why people work for change in their communities. In this podcast, she explores how political writing can be effective and how different countries approach political journalism. Music by Joel Salsman, produced as part […]
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Ghida Sinno has created a series of stories looking at how different people experienced 9-11, or 9-1-1 as she calls it. The stories reflect the perspectives of Arab Americans and others, a half an hour after the attacks, a week after the attacks, a year after the attacks. Sinno uses irony and humor to soften […]
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Through her experiences on the open road, with pregnancy, and with miscarriage, in this podcast Jennifer Munro takes you on personal and high-speed adventures. Jennifer addresses women’s issues in new light and with humor. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT. Music by Grand Hallway, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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Jack Straw Writer Waverly Fitzgerald set out to learn about nature in an urban setting. Her studies began in her own neighborhood: Capitol Hill. Waverly researched and collected information about her natural surroundings, and through the writing process, completed her own learning process. Music by The Bird Tribe Orchestra, produced as part of the Jack […]
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The Jack Straw Writers podcast begins the 2008 series with Janna Cawrse Esarey. She sailed and wrote her way around the world for two and a half years on an extended honeymoon. Her writing is about relationships and the journey, sailing and through life. THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE. Music by Jim Page and Artis, […]
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“The Vis-a-Vis Society is for the poetic analysis of the everyday.” That’s how Sierra Nelson and Rachel Kessler sum up their literary duo. The pair take surveys of their audiences and present their findings in dynamic performances. In this podcast, you’ll hear excerpts from their interview with writers program curator Matt Briggs along with poetic […]
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Poet and a novelist Willie Smith started writing when he was nine. His first love was science, but when he had the opportunity to enter a grade school writing contest, Smith wrote his first short story. From that point forward, Smith was hooked. In this podcast, you’ll hear Smith talk about his beginnings in writing […]
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For Laurie Blauner writing is an exercise that helps her to understand her own thoughts and subsequently herself. She began her writing career as a poet and later explored prose where she could spread out. In this podcast, you’ll hear excerpts from her interview with writers program curator Matt Briggs and selections from her live […]
The post Under the Radar and Winning Awards – Laurie Blauner appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Cheryl Strayed experienced a range of living situations in her childhood, from apartment living to camping in rural Minnesota. Her mother told her that these experiences would be “character building,” but she didn’t come to truly appreciate them until adulthood. Now her experiences serve as fodder for her writing. In this podcast, you’ll hear excerpts […]
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Poet Susan Landgraf wrote a collection of children’s poems inspired by the sea for the Jack Straw Writers Program. In her interview with program curator Matt Briggs, she discusses her childhood love for writing and the freedom she felt in writing these poems for children. You’ll also hear selections from her live reading at Jack […]
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Poet Anna Maria Hong began her writing career in her 20s and was instinctually drawn to poetry after several years of working in journalism. In this podcast, you’ll hear Maria talk about the apparent anger in her poems, which program curator Matt Briggs characterizes as “mean”, and also her recent manuscript which touches on the […]
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Doug Nufer is a specialist in literary constraints, a technique that applies certain conditions to or establishes a pattern within writing. In this podcast, you’ll hear excerpts from his interview with 2007 Jack Straw Writers Program curator Matt Briggs and highlights from his live reading at the Jack Straw May Reading Series. Music by Emma […]
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Howard W. Robertson, rebelling against the expectations of his upbringing in a rural Oregon mill town, became a poet. In this podcast, Robertson talks with Writers Program curator Matt Briggs about teaching himself how to type and discovering a need to write poetry and stories along the way. You’ll also hear an excerpt from his […]
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Poet and publisher Charles Potts was the driving force underneath The Temple Bookstore, The Temple magazine, and The Temple School of Poetry. He received the Distinguished Professional Achievement Award in 1994 from the Alumni Association and the College of Arts and Sciences of Idaho State University. He founded Litmus Inc. in Seattle and Berkeley which […]
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Plain-spoken and earnest, Corrina Wycoff writes stories about characters who struggle to survive in an alternate America, a place where drug addicts, teenage mothers, and religious cultists live obliviously to the lure of 401k plans and weekends at the cabin. In this podcast, you’ll hear a portion of her interview with Writers Program curator Matt […]
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Does the term “chick-lit” marginalize legitimate feminist writing? Novelist Kathryn Trueblood addresses this question in her interview with Matt Briggs, Jack Straw Writers Program curator. Also in this podcast, Kathryn reads from her latest book, The Baby Lottery, which examines the personal politics of choice. Five women, friends at college, find their interlocking relationships strained […]
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Molly Tenenbaum‘s newest work is inspired by her father and grandfather’s stints as professional ventriloquists. In this podcast, you’ll hear snippets of her interview with 2007 Jack Straw Writers Program curator Matt Briggs and highlights from her live reading at the Jack Straw May Reading Series. In recognition of Molly’s free-spirited word-smithing and her deep […]
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In this podcast, poet, educator and storyteller Jourdan Imani Keith does a live reading of her work in the 2006 May Reading Series.
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In this program, fiction writer Angela Jane Fountas reads from her Tales for Small Worlds series of short stories for the 2006 Jack Straw Writers Program Reading Series, recorded with a live audience during the Spring of 2006 at Jack Straw in Seattle.
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In this podcast, Jack Straw 2006 resident poet Marty Campbell does a live reading in the 2006 May Reading Series.
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In this podcast, poet Joan Swift begins with a sonnet she wrote for poet Theodore Roethke, who was her teacher in his last class. That is followed by a group of poems called “Five from Kona,” which she wrote for the 2006 Jack Straw Writers Program. This reading was recorded with a live audience during […]
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In this podcast, Jack Straw resident writer Marika Pineda does a live reading for the 2006 May Reading Series.
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In this podcast, poet Susan Casey reads from a series of poems entitled Ruzicka/Little Rose for the 2006 Jack Straw Writers Program Reading Series. This performance was recorded with a live audience during the Spring of 2006 at Jack Straw in Seattle.
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Frances McCue is an award-winning poet, inspiring speaker and self-described literary activist. In this podcast, McCue does a live reading for the 2006 May Reading Series.
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Welcome to the first ever Jack Straw produced podcast! In this debut podcast poet Larry Laurence reads from a series of poems entitled Reading Aloud with Both Ears Open at the 2006 Jack Straw Writers Program Reading Series. This performance was recorded with a live audience during the Spring of 2006 at Jack Straw in […]
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