Stars (and sextant)
The Underground Writing Podcast is an audio channel focusing on student writing. Flowing in and through this river, as it were, are interviews, guests, and organizational updates, as well as two smaller tributaries: Linebreak (a single piece of writing) and Kite (our student writing audio zine).
Show Notes:
Today’s student writing is a poem is by Aracely, a student at our workshop site with the Migrant Leaders Club in the Mount Vernon, Washington school district. This poem appears in our second anthology, When the Dust Rises
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Some items mentioned in—or aligned with—today’s episode + Announcements:
-988 is the phone number for our National Crisis Lifeline. Please remember this—when needed—for family, friends, and your community—including yourself.
-Robert Rottet – archival / memorial website: http://www.robertrottet.com/
-Requiem for Robert Rottet – Below What Once Were Wings – Available on Matt Malyon’s website, under the heading “Archival” - https://matt-malyon.com/writing
-The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them. How much sorrow can I hold? That's how much gratitude I can give. If I carry only grief, I'll bend toward cynicism and despair. If I have only gratitude, I'll become saccharine and won't develop much compassion for other people's suffering. Grief keeps the heart fluid and soft, which helps make compassion possible. [Francis Weller]
-Sextant – Historical overview: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1936/november/evolution-sextant
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Announcements:
1. Another shout out. For a 5th year in a row, we have received a very significant organizational grant from an Anonymous Donor via the Seattle Foundation. We want to thank the donor—we hope you’re listening, and the Seattle Foundation for believing in the work we’re doing and helping our students continue to read, write, and make their voices heard.
2. Again: We’re excited to announce that we’re in the very beginning stages of working on our third anthology of student writing. Details are forming, and talks with a publisher are underway. We’re excited and—as with all creative projects—letting the energy and ideas have a time of incubation before talking any more about it. But stay tuned—more details will be coming in the months ahead.
And in case you don’t know, or haven’t revisited our work in awhile, we already have two anthologies of student writing—What No One Ever Tells You and When the Dust Rises—in stock and available via our website store – at www.undergroundwriting.org
3. What a year already—seemingly unending wars, a divided country teetering on the precipice, and deep funding and staff cuts in the Arts sector— and this is at both the national and local levels. As a community arts nonprofit that depends on grants and individual donations for our survival, we need your support now as much as ever. We’d be honored if you’d keep us in mind as you plan for your advocacy and charitable giving: https://undergroundwriting.org/donate
4. We regularly hear from folks asking how they can be involved with—or help out—Underground Writing. We’re grateful for the interest. Please check out our “Get Involved” page on our website: https://undergroundwriting.org/get-involved.
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You can support students like Aracely by spreading the word about our podcast, purchasing student writing anthologies in our website store, and making a donation to help sustain our ongoing work via our website’s secure donation portal.
Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org
You can e-mail us at: podcast@undergroundwriting.org
The Underground Writing podcast is recorded and produced by Underground Writing. You can access it via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast outlets, as well as on our website where we include links of interest connected to items mentioned in each episode.
We’re repeating ourselves, but it’s good to say again—You, friend, can also help us by writing a review on Apple Podcasts or other outlets. We may even read some of them on the air. Podcast reviews help other like-minded folks find out about our show, as well as our broader work. Any help you can lend to this effort would be greatly appreciated.
Our website: www.undergroundwriting.org
You can send inquiries, or pitches for advertising, here: podcast@undergroundwriting.org
Thanks for listening, Friends.
Safe journey, and take good care.
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