More to the Story Podcast with Janna Maron

In this episode I talk with Tori Weston, creative writer and visual artist. Tori received a BFA in Writing and Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. While working for the Professional Studies department and finishing her last semester of graduate school, she wrote a proposal for a creative writing high school program. Fifteen years later, she is now the Assistant Director of Pre-College Programs at Emerson College. When not running the pre-college program, she balances her professional life with her creative life as both a writer and artist. Her writing has appeared in What's Up Magazine, Providence Journal-Bulletin, Sleet Magazine, and Under the Gum Tree. She has also been a featured storyteller in the Risk! Live show, podcast, and book. Her artwork has been shown at the Somerville Museum, Diesel Cafe, and Bloc 11 Cafe. In the episode we talk about: Her 6th grad teacher’s quirky essay assignmentsTori's love of grammar & being rewarded for memorizing poems with partiesThe 1991 Doors movie inspiring a generation of creatives writing bad poetryThe recurring theme of teachers taking interest, encouraging her to pursue writingMoving to nonfiction as a result of telling personal storiesThemes unifying multiple short-short piecesThe richness of growing up in a cultural diverse neighborhoodTori’s memoir-in-progress about her whopping 38 roommate situationsCheck out her work at: ToriWestonWriterArtist.com Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com. Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree. Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. If you're looking for a place to find more support with writing your true personal story, join the More To The Story community! Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

Rebeckah Taussig, a writer and teacher with a PhD in disability studies, discusses disability in literature, including works by Wilkie Collins. She shares her experience of transitioning to a wheelchair and explores writing life stories shaped by her body. She also talks about writing flash-flash memoir on Instagram and encourages personal storytelling.

In this episode I talk with Liz Stephens, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Liz is currently growing the Mojave Desert Arts project, a residency and workshop space outside Joshua Tree, California. Recent work can be found in the anthologies Brief Encounters: A Collection of Contemporary Nonfiction and Dirt: A Love Story. Other work can be found in Fourth Genre and Terrain.org, among others. She has served as managing editor of Brevity, and teaches nonfiction with the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program and through private workshops and retreats. Liz’s essay “Because Faint Glitter Came Off Everything” appears in the April 2017 issue of Under the Gum Tree.In this episode we talk about:The difference between journaling and crafting true stories for an audienceHow writing creative nonfiction has taught Liz the craft and structure needed for returning to writing fictonBeing in transition as an adult and part of the artistic classHow places are created, whether people create it or whether place shapes and forms peopleLiving in the desert and choosing to stay in a place that's more difficult to liveThe inconvenience of wanting something that isn't easyPaying attention to surroundings as a way to occupy an over-thinking mindAn artist residency that Liz is working on starting called the Mojave Desert ArtsVisit Liz online at thedaysaregods.com follow Liz on Instagram at @doc_stephensVisit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com. Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree. Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at jannamarlies.com/cnf101course. Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

Dorian Fox, a writer and Under the Gum Tree contributor, discusses writing nonfiction, embracing subjective truth, anxieties of aging, teaching writing, and cult-classic films in this episode. He shares insights on the craft of memoir and his work at Grub Street. The podcast also explores themes of decay, reflection, and confessional writing. Dorian's upcoming publication and website are mentioned, along with a preview of the next episode.

"MTS 12: Telling lies, asking questions & discovering personal truth in writing with Yahdon Israel" features Yahdon Israel, a 27-year-old writer from Brooklyn and VP of the National Book Critics Circle. They discuss how writing helps confront the world, finding one's voice through lies, the influence of James Baldwin, the complexity of questions, expectations for writers of color, literary citizenship, and Yahdon's popular Instagram hashtag and web show for writers.

In this episode I talk with Stephen Gutierrez, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Stephen has published three books of stories and essays. Live from Fresno y Los won an American Book Award, and The Mexican Man in His Backyard is his most recent. He has published widely in magazines and anthologies, including nonfiction in Fourth Genre, River Teeth, Under the Sun, Alaska Quarterly Review, Third Coast, ZYZZYVA and Cleaver Magazine. He is working on a collection of essays and hybrid nonfiction. He teaches at California State University East Bay. His essay "Spiritual Direction" appears in the October 2016 issue of Under the Gum Tree.In this episode we talk about:Writing both fiction and nonfiction, and discovering a new voice in nonfictionTaking a stand for writing a positive tribute of a family memberWhat we learn about ourselves and others close to use when we write about familyHow writing can help us learn sympathy for others by being willing to challenge our own beliefsStephen's three-volume box set: Elements, Live from Fresno y Los, The Mexican Man in his BackyardVisit Stephen online at stephendgutierrez.comVisit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com.Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram [@undergumtree][4]. Follow me on Twitter [@justjanna][5] and [@jannamarlies][6] on Instagram.Find out about my 6-week email audio course at [jannamarlies.com/cnf101course][7]. Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I talk with author and Under the Gum Tree contributor Carol Marsh. Carol's essay, “Pictures in Leaves,” won the 2016 New Millennium Writings Nonfiction Prize. Her essay "Highest and Best" received an honorable mention in Under the Gum Tree's inaugural essay contest and appears in the January 2017 issue of the magazine. It is an excerpt from her memoir Nowhere Else I Want to Be. Additional excerpts of her book have appeared in Soundings Review , bioStories, and Jenny magazine.In this episode we talk about:Processing grief and experience through writing creative nonfictionWhy Carol started Miriam's House, a nonprofit shelter for women in Washington, D.C. living with aidsHow writing played a role in maintaining emotional and spiritual health during her time at Miriam's HouseThe importance of self-care when having others to take care and creating physical and emotional boundariesWhy structure is a bitch and how to create it a memoir with multiple storylinesCarol's memoir Nowhere Else I Want to BeThe online school for people in public service that Carol started, Forum for Growth in ServiceVisit Carol online at caroldmarsh.comVisit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com.Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram [@undergumtree][4]. Follow me on Twitter [@justjanna][5] and [@jannamarlies][6] on Instagram.Find out about my 6-week email audio course at [jannamarlies.com/cnf101course][7]. Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

Topics include crafting segmented essays, the meaning of the word 'monster,' writing personal stories as nonfiction or autobiographical fiction, Ira's experience as an editor, his new memoir 'Buddha's Dog,' and the online literary magazine Sweet.

In this episode I talk with Matt Young, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Matt is a marine veteran, writer, and teacher. He lives in Olympia, Washington where he teaches at Central College. He holds an MA in creative writing from Miami University. His work can be found in Yemassee, Word Riot, Tin House, River Teeth, and others. His essay "Equal and Opposite" appears in the July 2016 issue of Under the Gum Tree. His memoir Eat the Apple comes out in February 2018.In this episode we talk about:How Matt came to writing after his military careerNavigating the often conflicting identities of being both a war veteran and a writerDealing with re-traumatization when writing memoirDifferent types of reactions Matt experiences to his military storiesMatt's new memoir Eat the Apple, which will be published February 2018 and available for preorder nowVisit Matt online at http://mattyoungauthor.com/ or on Twitter at @young_em_seeVisit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com.Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram @undergumtree. Follow me on Twitter @justjanna and @jannamarlies on Instagram.Find out about my 6-week email audio course at jannamarlies.com/cnf101course. Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

In this podcast, Penny Guisinger discusses her new book 'Postcards from Here' and the process of writing short-short prose. She emphasizes the importance of creating a literary community and shares insights on finding the right home for your work. Penny also talks about the Iota: Conference of Short Prose that she founded, showcasing her passion for writing and cultivating a supportive environment for fellow writers.