The Writer's Edge: Recent Episodes
NSU WCC
Welcome to “The Writer’s Edge,” a podcast about what it takes to succeed as a writer in academia and beyond. We record out of Shark Tank #2 in the Nova Southeastern University Writing and Communication Center. Listen in and you'll hear conversations with faculty, students, and other communicators, as well as showcases of student podcasting. Send questions or comments to wcc@nova.edu.
An interview with NSU staff members Johnny and Aliesha looking at the career services and events provided through NSU's Center for Academic and Professional Success. We talk about strategies for professional communication and presentation, as well as the upcoming Career Fair on Feb 13. Check out the CAPS site for more info about career services and events for NSU students and alumni.
A collaboration between the WCC and NSU's own student-run radio station to host a monthly news quiz show (originally aired Nov. 9 on Mako Radio). Student guests include NSU Undergraduate Student Government Association leadership Manas, Shweta, Ava, and Annie, and our faculty guest was Kandy Lopez, NSU faculty and director of the B.A. in Art + Design program. We hope you enjoy it as you learn a bit about the news. Find out more about NSU's Mako Radio programming.
A collaboration between the WCC and NSU's own student-run radio station to host a news quiz show on World College Radio Day (Oct. 6, 2023). Student contestants include Mako Media Network staff Madison, Lauren and Danna, and our faculty guest was Dr. Kevin Dvorak, executive director of the WCC. We hope you enjoy it as you learn a bit about the news. Find out more about NSU's Mako Radio programming.
A showcase of NSU student Julia, recent graduate of the Master of Arts program in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media. In this audio project designed to explore shared meaning making across generations, she brings together clips from the most popular music from 1950 to 2020, letting us hear the evolution of music over time. Her project is titled “Music through the Decades,” and we hope you enjoy it.
An interview with NSU students Kiara, Paula, and Alexis, and NSU faculty member Dr. Nelson Bass, of the NSU Department of Humanities and Politics, about the Nova International Relations Association and their work participating in model United Nations events.
This episode is a short exploration of the concept of "process" as it applies to writing and communication. Stuck in a your writng process? You might need to rethink the strategies you use as you navigate the process. This is the one of a series of short episodes that will be published in-between our standard length episodes in order to explore concepts that all writers should be familiar with.
An interview with NSU students Hailee, Jared, Chris, and Aidan, as well as Dr. Amanda Furiasse from the NSU Department of Humanities and Politics discussing their work as part of the IN-SIGHT Think Tank--a group of independent student researchers bringing humanities perspectives to bear on real-world problems. They're currently partnering with Montachem International to develop ideas for how to curb plastic pollution. Find out more about their work through the NSU Center for Applied Humanities (https://hcas.nova.edu/humanities).
[Note: Audio is a placeholder; correct audio will be uploaded soon.] An interview with Dr. Marlisa Santos and NSU alumna Diane, the original faculty advisor and student editor of the Digressions Literary & Art Journal (then the Digressions Literary Magazine). This interview celebrates the 20th anniversary of the journal and is guest-hosted by the current Digressions faculty advisor, Dr. Mario D'Agostino. Listen in as they discuss their experiences working on the journal, the journal's origins, and more. To see what they're discussing, check out the online archives of Digressions.
A showcase of curated beats by NSU student Pranav, whose work was submitted and accepted to the Digressions Literary and Art Journal, becomingthe first ever audio production to be published as part of the journal in its 20-year history. The soundscape presented here combines elements of hip-hop, drill music, and monastic chant, and exemplify, as Pranav states, the “unique drum patterns and melodies” and “precise mixing” that serve as the “foundation” of his musical creations. You can listen to more of Pranav’s music on Youtube under the alias “XTC 1993."
A showcase of student podcaster Aolani, created when she was a graduate student in the NSU Master of Arts program in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media. In this episode, you’ll hear an audio drama that was inspired by the infamous “War of the Worlds” 1938 radio broadcast and the 2022 attempted insurrection at the US Capitol. Her work invites you to follow along with a fictional radio broadcast as conditions become increasingly dire but leading, as she says, to a “happy, although uncomfortable ending.” It’s titled simply “January 6th” and we hope you enjoy it.
This episode is a short exploration of the concept of "genre" as it applies to writing and communication. This is the fourth in a series of short episodes that will be published in-between our standard length episodes in order to explore concepts that all writers should be familiar with. These short "keyword" episodes will typically be supplemented by a post on our SharkWrites blog that provides additional information and resources related to the concept being focused on.
A showcase of a student podcast by Holland, created when she was a graduate student in the Master of Arts program in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media. This episode is an original story called "The Waterfall" that she wrote and recorded, supplemented by background audio she curated to help us hear, as she says, the ”human impact on the natural order of things.”
This episode is a short exploration of the concept of "invention" as it applies to writing. This is the third in a series of short episodes that will be published in-between our standard length episodes in order to explore concepts that all writers should be familiar with. These short "keyword" episodes will typically be supplemented by a post on our SharkWrites blog that provides additional information and resources related to the concept being focused on.
An interview with NSU Copyright Officer Stephen Carlisle, talking about his efforts to educate the NSU community about the nature of copyright protections, and the limits of using copyrighted materials in education and research. Check out his copyright blog at http://copyright.nova.edu.
This episode is a short exploration of the concept of "audience" as it applies to writing. This is the second in a series of short episodes that will be published in-between our standard length episodes in order to explore concepts that all writers should be familiar with. These short "keyword" episodes will typically be supplemented by a post on our SharkWrites blog that provides additional information and resources related to the concept being focused on.
A showcase of a podcast recorded by two alumni of the NSU Master of Arts program in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media, who were concurrently the Director and Assistant Director of NSU Student Media. Listen to hear them explore the sonic history of Flash-based video games in a podcast episode they’ve titled “Directors’ Commentary.”
This podcast is a short exploration of the concept of "inquiry" as it applies to research writing. This is the first in a series of short episodes that will be published in-between our standard length episodes in order to explore concepts that all writers should be familiar with. These short "keyword" episodes will typically be supplemented by a post on our SharkWrites blog that provides additional information and resources related to the concept being focused on.
An interview with Dr. Kelly Concannon and Dr. Janine Morris of the NSU Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, talking about the value of collaboration and their work as co-editors of a collection titled Emotions and Affect in Writing Centersrecently published by Parlor Press and nominated for the 2023 CCCC Outstanding Book Award.
An intro to some of the Writer's Edge hosts for this semester and a discussion of what it means for our writing and communication center to be returning to in-person consultations after primarily meeting with students remotely for two years.
An interview with Dr. Robert Speth of the NSU College of Pharmacy, talking about the teaching and practice of ethics. Why the weird title then? Two reasons: 1. Dr. Speth is engaged in a "war on 'and'" as a way to improve his writing (polysyndeton is the excessive use of conjunctions like "and"), and 2. The title serves as an example of how writers sometimes sensationalize science, unethically focusing on issues unrelated to the text's or individual's main message (which in this case is about the duty of professionals to communicate ethically with the public). Learn more about Dr. Speth.
A showcase of NSU student podcasters Rachel, Emma, Julia, and Adit, graduate students in the Master of Arts program in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media. All four work as Graduate Assistant Coordinators in the NSU Writing and Communication Center as part of their social media team. Presented here are two episodes of their “Get Social” podcast where they explore the challenges of engaging audiences and collaborating on social media platforms.
An interview with Dr. Leanne Boucher of the NSU College of Psychology, talking about her research into the body and the brain, and what it tells us about learning and communication, as well as her efforts to communicate science to the public. Check out her children's books about the brain.
A showcase of NSU student podcaster, Bianca, a graduate student in the Master of Arts program in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media. In a podcast episode titled “See What You Hear,” she explores the soundscape of the everyday world by talking with two guests--Luciana and Vinnie--about how they visualize unknown sounds from the world around them.
An interview with Professor Jessica Muñiz-Collado of the NSU Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, discussing her work composing music for commercial media (including the Writer's Edge theme music), as well as leading music ensembles and teaching music composition through the NSU Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts.
A showcase of NSU student podcasters, Nicole and Noemi, who share an episode of their "Parchment to Portrait" podcast where they discuss the differences between the book and movie versions of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, focusing on the first four chapters of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
An interview with NSU visiting professor Dr. Darius Cureton about the defense of his dissertation about technology adoption at HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) and the strategies he used for navigating the dissertation writing process. NOTE: This episode was thought lost because it was saved on a laptop that became inaccessible to us. But the file has been recently recovered, and the insights and advice about dissertating are still relevant long after the initial recording, so please enjoy.
An interview with Adam and Mike, the director and assistant director of NSU Student Media (NSU's student-run newspaper, radio station ,and television channel) about the future of student media under their guidance, and the challenges of communicating with students during and post-pandemic.
A showcase of NSU student podcaster Jasmine, a student in the NSU M.A. in Composition, Rhetoric and Digital Media program, who looks at the the state of print and digital design, talks with Dr. Eric Mason of the NSU Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts about the tools and trajectories of learning to be a designer, and then provides a walkthrough of setting up a document within the popular desktop publishing program, Adobe InDesign.
A conversation between Writer's Edge hosts Aidan, Bilal, Emma and Eric about gift giving as communication. Includes a discussion of the rhetoric of gift giving and strategies for giving meaningful gifts, especially amid the challenging conditions of the 2021 holiday season.
An interview with Dr. Molly Scanlon, of the NSU Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts, about her work with Campus Cursive, an NSU student organization that spreads positivity by leaving anonymous letters and bundles for people to find. See more of what this group has been up to at: https://www.instagram.com/nsucampuscursive
A showcase of NSU student podcasters, Anthony and Monique, where they discuss the next chapter of storytelling in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it shifts toward distributing film and tv shows on the Disney+ platform.
An interview with Dr. Flo Davis, an NSU Alumna of the speech pathology program where we discuss her new novel, Bloodstone's Jinx, and the challenges and charms of running an independent publishing company, Aces Destiny. Check out their latest books at: https://www.acesdestiny.com/book-catalog .
An interview with Sofia, Rick, Rey, and Alexander--students working on NSU's official student-run newspaper, the Current--about the writing, research, and creativity needed to bring news and opinions to NSU students. Check out the latest news at https://nsucurrent.nova.edu/ .
An intro to the Writer's Edge hosts for this semester and some discussion of our own writing habits.
An interview with NSU students Athena and Rick, who oversaw the 2021 issue of Digressions, NSU's Literary and Art Journal, to discuss producing the first totally digital volume of the journal. Read full issues at https://nsuworks.nova.edu/digressions/
A showcase of NSU student podcasters Aidan, Monique, Adam, and Anthony, who discuss the design elements that make a brand distinctive and memorable, from color choices to audio jingles.
An interview with Danielle P. and Melissa V.--WCC staff in charge of our fellows programs--discussing how and why the WCC connects consultants directly with composition and biology courses in order to support student writers.
A conversation with NSU student Dominique, President and founder of the NSU student club Black-American Forum, about engaging with history and the community to support personal development and social progress.
A showcase of NSU student podcasters Merly, Holland, and Jieun, who discuss the connection between writing and food, and interview Dr. Carrie Helms Tippen, an author, podcast host, and the director of First-Year Writing and an assistant professor at Chatham University who shares her experiences with food and writing, and teaching students to compose through the lens of food.
A conversation with Dr. Aileen Farrar of the NSU Department of Humanities and Politics and NSU Student Bianca about the Story Booth Project. Find out more about how you can share your story with them at https://nsudhp.wixsite.com/storybooth or https://www.instagram.com/nsu_humanities/.
An interview with Jomari and Frank of NSU RadioX (88.5FM) about the work that goes into producing radio programming and supporting local music. Check them out and listen online at http://www.nova.edu/radiox/.
A showcase of NSU student podcaster Tatyana, who introduces us to the study of sonic rhetoric and explores the possibilities of sonic literacy and hip hop pedagogy in the composition classroom.
A discussion between Writer's Edge hosts Emma and Eric discussing communicating thankfulness. Includes a discussion of writing thank you notes and a compilation of voices from the NSU Writing and Communication Center stating what they are thankful for this semester and holiday season.
An interview with retiring NSU professor Dr. Christine Jackson reflecting on a career of writing and teaching, and studying and writing detective fiction.
An interview with NSU students Darby, Julia, Kaeleigh, and Mia, who are involved as writers, directors, actors, and technicians in NSU theater productions, to discuss their recent project, The Mayfly, and the production of live theater during a pandemic.
A showcase of NSU student podcasters Kaitlin, Nicole, and Sabrina in an episode they call "Editorial VS Creative Writing," in which they discuss the differences between these two types of writing and recall their favorite experiences composing and reading both.
An interview with Nikki Chasteen, Assistant Director of the NSU Writing and Communication Center, discussing thesis writing, helping other writers, and transitioning from student to full-time employee in the midst of a pandemic.
An interview with Dr. Richard Singer, chair of the NSU College of Dental Medicine and Director of the MSCDM Program and Postgraduate Orthodontic and Dentofacial Orthopedics, where we discuss the role of writing in medical and academic professions.
An interview with NSU students Logan and Jenna, and faculty advisor Dr. Mario D'Agostino, who edited and oversaw the 2019 issue of Digressions, NSU's Literary and Art Journal, to discuss what goes into publishing this text, and how students can get involved. Also includes two authors reading their work published in the 2019 issue. Read full issues at https://nsuworks.nova.edu/digressions/
A showcase of NSU student podcasters Carlos (producer), Meg, and Jordan (hosts), in an episode they call "Dating Against the Machine," in which they explore how users of the dating app Tinder turn themselves into multimodal projects where they construct themselves using text and images.
An interview with Dr. Kevin Dvorak, Executive Director of the NSU Writing and Communication Center, discussing its operation and what it's like to work there, helping writers through the creative process.