Season 5 out now!
Writing in graduate school is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Through a series of conversational interviews with graduate and postgraduate students, this podcast from the Odegaard Writing and Research Center offers a practical companion to writing at the graduate level by asking experienced writers about their processes and practices. By placing current and former graduate students in dialogue with one another, we aim to open up a conversation about how writing actually happens across disciplines. Listen in as our guests reflect on their own writing processes and how they learned what works for them. Maybe you’ll even find a strategy that is right for you!
Listen to the podcast here, through Anchor.fm, or any other major podcast platforms including:
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Episodes
Season Five
Episode 1: Lizzy
Audio Transcript: Episode 1
In this episode, we talk with Lizzy (she/her), a Ph.D. candidate in the University of Washington’s Archaeology Program. Listen in as we talk about getting organized, thinking about audience, and confronting the blank page!
Find out more about the material and support mentioned in this episode:
- Zotero – Zotero is a citation manager. Find links to Zotero and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity”
- Dian Million – Associate Professor of American Indian Studies
- Sapiens – a digital magazine that poses anthropological perspectives for non-specialist readers
- Nature (accessible via UW Libraries) – a longstanding and well-respected peer reviewed journal publishing on topics related to the natural sciences and technology
- Science (accessible via UW Libraries) – a longstanding and well-spected peer reviewed journal publishing on topics related to leading scientific discoveries.
Episode 2: Sue
Audio Transcript: Episode 2
In this episode, we talk with Sue (she/her), a Ph.D. candidate from the Department of History, who talks us through a creative approach to writing academically, and how working in different genres and languages helps her avoid writer’s block. Listen in to hear more.
Find out more about the material and support mentioned in this episode:
- What I Talk About When I Talk About Running – Haruki Murakami (Alfred A. Knopf, 2008; accessible via UW Libraries)
- Dramatists Guild of America – an American trade guild for writers in theatre and musical theatre
- Red Poppies – Alai (Houghton Mifflin, 2002; accessible via UW Libraries)
- “How Writing Leads to Thinking” – Lynn Hunt (in Perspectives on History, Feb. 2010)
- Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity – Judith Butler (Routledge Classics, 2006 [1999]
Episode 3: Jenna
Audio Transcript: Episode 3
In this episode, we talk with Jenna (she/her), a Master’s student in the College of Education in the midst of writing her final thesis. Together we talk through the tips, strategies, and habits that have helped her, and where she’s hoping her writing takes her next. Listen in to hear more.
Episode 4: Runhua
Audio Transcript: Episode 4
In this episode, we talk to Runhua (she/her), a first year Ph.D. student in Information Science. Drawing from a wealth of graduate and professional writing experiences, Runhua shares her practical approach to making peace with imperfection and why her writing is the dog’s pajamas. Listen in to hear more!
Season Four
Episode 1: Madalena
Audio Transcript: Episode 1
In this episode, we talk to Madalena (she/her), a first-year Ph.D. student in the University of Washington’s Department of Geography, about gaining confidence, working through translation, and getting to know your process. Listen in to hear more!
Episode 2: Jeevan
Audio Transcript: Episode 2
In this episode, we talk to Jeevan (he/him), a recent graduate from the University of Washington’s Master of Arts for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) program (Department of English) and future first-year Ph.D. student, about inspiration, writing with goals in mind, and the importance of knowing when to take a break. Listen in to hear more!
Episode 3: Andrew
Audio Transcript: Episode 3
In this episode, we talk to Andrew (he/him), a Ph.D. Candidate in the University of Washington’s Department of History and Associate Director of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, about navigating a changing writing process, writing across a range of genres, and the richness of editorial feedback. Listen in to hear more!
Find out more about the material and support mentioned in this episode:
- Zotero – Zotero is a citation manager. Find links to Zotero and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity.”
- National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) – Access the NCFDD’s vast range of resources and support for free through the University of Washington’s institutional membership. Additional access to programs and support, such as the Write Now program, are available on a pay-to-register basis.
- “Revisiting ‘Streetwise’” – Andrew Hedden (Real Change, 2021)
- “Even blue-chip companies fail. Here’s how to save their workers, and towns, when they do.” — Andrew Hedden (The Washington Post, 2019).
- “Streetwise/Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell: Qualities of Life” – Andrew Hedden (The Criterion Collection, 2021)
Episode 4: Renee
Audio Transcript: Episode 4
In this episode, we talk to Renee (she/her), a recent Ph.D. from the University of Washington Department of English, about how she finished her dissertation, the importance of community, and what comes next. Listen in to hear more!
Find out more about the material and support mentioned in this episode:
- Suhanthie Motha – Associate Professor in the Department of English
- “Every Semester Needs a Plan,” from the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD), which can be accessed through the University of Washington’s institutional membership.
- Buying into English – Catherine Prendergast (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2008)
Season Three
Episode 1: Megan & Mikhail
Audio Transcript: Episode 1
In this episode, we hear from Megan and Mikhail, graduate students in Clinical Informatics and Patient-Centered Technologies and Archeology, respectively. In their discussion, we hear about utilizing multiple forms of communication, negotiating audiences, and the ongoing process of refining your approach. Listen in to learn more!
Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:
- The Pomodoro Technique – This time management strategy is summarized by Amrita Mandal in “The Pomodoro Technique: An Effective Time Management Tool.”
- Zotero – Zotero is a citation manager. Find links to Zotero and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity.”
- StatQuest with Josh Starmer – Find engaging digital content about statistics and mathematics from Josh Starmer on his YouTube page.
- Atul Gawande – Learn more about Gawande’s work in writing, medicine, and public health on his website here.
- “To Save The Science Poster, Researchers Want To Kill It And Start Over” — Nell Greenfieldboyce (NPR, 2019).
- “Why Doctors Hate Their Computers” – Atul Gawande (The New Yorker, 2018)
- Bitch Doctrine: Essays for Dissenting Adults – Laurie Penny (Bloomsbury, 2017)
Episode 2: Anna & Safi
Audio Transcript: Episode 2
In this episode, we hear from Anna and Safi, doctoral candidates in the fields of history and English. Together, they talk about writing and research practice, reflections on their own habits and processes from a teaching perspective, and clarifying the audiences and stakes of their work. Listen in to learn more!
Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott (Penguin Random House, 1995)
- This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage – Ann Patchett (2014, HarperCollins)
- The Creative Habit – Twyla Tharp (Simon & Schuster, 2006)
- A Disability History of the United States – Kim E. Nielsen (Beacon Press, 2013)
- “Beach Boys” – Barb Rabe (poem)
- Yến Lê Espiritu – Learn more about Espiritu’s work on critical refugee studies and peruse her publications here
- The Theory of the Novel – Georg Lukács (The MIT Press, 1974)
Episode 3: Sarah & Maria
Audio Transcript: Episode 3
In this episode, we talk with former graduate students Sarah and Maria. Now a few years out from earning their doctorates, Sarah and Maria reflect on writing both within and beyond the scope of their dissertations, and what they wish they knew before they finished. Listen in to hear their tips, insights, and recommendations!
Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:
- National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) – Access the NCFDD’s vast range or resources and support for free through the University of Washington’s institutional membership.
- Scrivener – Scrivener is a an app designed with lengthy writing projects in mind. Learn more here.
- The Pomodoro Technique – This time management strategy is summarized by Dr. Amrita Mandal in “The Pomodoro Technique: An Effective Time Management Tool.”
- Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success – Wendy Laura Belcher (University of Chicago Press, 2019)
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott (Penguin Random House, 1995)
- Find collected essays from John McPhee on writing through The New Yorker here.
- How to Write a Thesis – Umberto Eco (The MIT Press, 2015)
Trailer: Season 3
Audio transcript: Trailer
Season Two
Episode 1: Karen & Elyse
Audio Transcript: Episode 1
In this special episode, we hear from Karen and Elyse, graduate students in the University of Washington’s Master of Library and Information Science and Master of Arts for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages programs, respectively. Listen in as they chat about they chat about their experiences, including grappling with perfectionism, navigating pressure, and reflecting on one’s one writing.
Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:
- How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy – Jenny O’Dell (Melville House, 2019) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/lvbsh/TN_cdi_proquest_ebookcentral_EBC6061544
Episode 2: Lily & Madison
Audio Transcript: Episode 2
In this episode, Lily and Madison – both nearing the end of their dissertation writing – share their takes on time management, responsibility in writing, and the specter of critique.
Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:
- What I Talk About When I Talk About Running – Haruki Murakami (Alfred A. Knopf, 2008) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71174932920001451
Episode 3: Biljana & Lily
Audio Transcript: Episode 3
In this episode we hear from pre-candidacy doctoral students Biljana and Lily as they chat about experiences of writing early on in a doctoral program, finding your niche, balance, and thinking about feedback.
Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:
- Actionable Community-Oriented Research Engagement (ACORN): https://pcc.uw.edu/research/acorn-program/
- Zotero – Zotero is a citation manager. Find links to Zotero and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity” https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341991&p=2300129.
Episode 4: Brittney & Christopher
Audio Transcript: Episode 4
In this episode, we talk to Brittney and Chris, doctoral candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences. Listen in as they discuss transformation, problematizing the production of knowledge, sustaining oneself, and engaging conversations outside of traditional academic spaces.
Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:
- Image Matters: Archive, Photography, and the African Diaspora in Europe — Tina Campt (Duke University Press, 2012) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71338954830001451
- Heaven – Emerson Whitney (McSweeney’s Publishing, 2020) https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/heaven
- “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” – Audre Lorde in Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches (Crossing Press, 1984) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71327239980001451
- The Black Embodiments Studio – The Black Embodiments Studio is a creative residency program from the Jacob Lawrence Gallery and the School of Art + Art History + Design at the University of Washington. https://www.blackembodiments.org/
- #CiteBlackWomen – https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CiteBlackWomen&src=typeahead_click
- Evernote – Evernote is a notes and productivity app. Find links to Evernote and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity” https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341991&p=2300129
Episode 5: Christina & Ayda
Audio Transcript: Episode 5
In our final episode of the season, we chat with doctoral students Christina and Ayda and get their takes on beginnings, challenges of interdisciplinary practice, seeking out feedback, and finding inspiration.
Find out more about the material mentioned in this episode:
- Evernote – Evernote is a notes and productivity app. Find links to Evernote and other similar apps in the UW Libraries’ research guide on digital history tools under “Productivity” https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341991&p=2300129
- Muddying the Waters: Coauthoring Feminisms Across Scholarship and Activism — Richa Nagar (University of Illinois Press, 2014) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71226542700001451
- Epistemologies of the South: Justice Against Epistemicide – Boaventura de Sousa Santos (Paradigm Publishers, 2014). https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71208530250001451
- Unruly Visions: The Aesthetic Practices of Queer Diaspora — Gayatri Gopinath (Duke University Press, 2018) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71287365330001451
- The OWRC facilitates regular semi-formal open writing circles for University of Washington graduate students. To learn more, check out the program webpage here: https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/open-writing-circles. For resources on starting your own writing circle, see here: https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/programs/start-your-own-writing-circle
- Borderland: The New Mestiza = La Frontera (Fourth Edition) – Gloria AnzalduÌ a, Norma E. CantuÌ, and AiÌ da Hurtado (Aunt Lute Books, [1987] 2012). https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP99109694020001452
- Dicteé — Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (University of California Press, [1982] 2009) https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/kjtuig/CP71166731740001451
Trailer: Announcing Season 2
Audio Transcript: Trailer
Season One
Episode 1: Hollis & Hope
In our first episode, we hear from doctoral candidates Hollis and Hope from UW’s Department of Anthropology as they discuss their changing processes of writing and one of the most common challenges of writing – revision.
Audio Transcript: Episode 1
Episode 2: Yoli & Glenys
This episode brings together doctoral candidate in archeology, Yoli, and museology master’s student, Glenys, to discuss how they have navigated writing for different contexts, aims, and audiences with a special focus on public-facing work.
Audio Transcript: Episode 2
Episode 3: Caroline & Aaron
In this episode, we talk with graduate students Caroline and Aaron from the Art History and China Studies programs at UW, who discuss their master’s theses, the challenges of adapting to writing at home, seeking input from others, and the ongoing work of refining one’s writing process.
Audio Transcript: Episode 3
Episode 4: Sam & Michelle
In our final episode of this season, we listen in on doctoral candidates from UW’s Department of Philosophy, Sam and Michelle, who discuss how to manage expectations from yourself and others to find a productive balance between academic work, writing, and everyday life.
Audio Transcript: Episode 4