The Words of Wesleyan

This episode features Steve Collins and Audrey Mills, two filmmakers involved in the Wesleyan community.

Steve Collins is an Associate Professor of Film at Wesleyan and a professional filmmaker. His filmwork focuses on spiritual rehabilitation through humor, pain, love, and cinema. The feature film You Hurt my Feelings, which he wrote and directed, was a New York Times and New York Magazine critics pick, available digitally through Oscilloscope, and his most recent film, the comedy I've Got Issues is now available digitally through Gravitas Ventures.

He will be presenting a clip from The Naked Kiss, a 1964 film written and directed by Samuel Fuller.

Audrey Mills is a Wesleyan sophomore from Houston, Texas majoring in Film with a Writing Certificate. She is a screenwriter, playwright and musician involved with the Middletown Gather Project and active in several student productions on campus. Her latest album The Amateur came out in Summer 2020.

She will be presenting a clip from It’s Such a Beautiful Day, a 2012 film directed, written, animated, and produced by Don Hertzfeld.

Thanks to Professor Collins and Audrey Mills for their appearances on this episode!

The Words of Wesleyan is produced by the Shapiro Center for Writing at Wesleyan University.

Host: Anna Tjeltveit

Creators: Anna Tjeltveit, Amy Bloom, Stephanie Weiner

Theme Music: "Let Me Make It Clear" by Wesleyan Professor of Music Jay Hoggard

This episode features Professor John Murillo and Luna Dragon Mac-Williams '22.

In the first half of this episode, we hear Professor John Murillo read  “Imagine the Angels of Bread” by Martin Espada. Professor Murillo is an Assistant Professor of English, Assistant Professor of African American Studies, and Director of Creative Writing at Wesleyan. He is the author of the poetry collections, Up Jump the Boogie and Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry. His honors include a Pushcart Prize, the J Howard and Barbara MJ Wood Prize from the Poetry Foundation, and most recently, the $100,000 Kingsley-Tufts award for Contemporary Poetry.

In the second half, Luna Mac-Williams reads “Guitar” by Patrick Rosal. Luna is a poet, playwright, actor, dancer, jeweler, and arts educator who roots her work in radical compassion and joy. She teaches theater, writing, and their intersection with activism through After School Matters in her hometown of Chicago. She is a current junior at Wesleyan majoring in Theater with a minor in Education Studies and the Writing Certificate.

Thanks to Professor Murillo and Luna Mac-Williams for their appearances on this episode!

The Words of Wesleyan is produced by the Shapiro Center for Writing at Wesleyan University.

Host: Anna Tjeltveit

Creators: Anna Tjeltveit, Amy Bloom, Stephanie Weiner

Theme Music: "Let Me Make It Clear" by Wesleyan Professor of Music Jay Hoggard

This episode features Esmé Ng, a junior majoring in Theater and American Studies (Race and Ethnicity Concentration), and Isabel Algrant, a senior majoring in Theater and Government.

In the first half of this episode, we hear Esmé Ng read a monologue from Among the Dead by the transnational playwright Hansol Jung. Esmé is a Staten Island-raised Playwright, Actor, Dramaturg, and Art Model. Their work typically centers around Asian American, Queer, and Feminine identities, and seeks to examine how theater’s historical hierarchies of power can be erased and re-written. Esmé is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Theater and American Studies, concentrating in Race and Ethnicity at Wesleyan University.

In the second half, Isabel Algrant reads from Toni Morrison’s Desdemona. Isabel is a senior government and theater double major at Wesleyan. She is the Senior Coordinator of the SHADES student of color theater collective as well as being the Chapter Leader for Eye to Eye. She is currently pursuing an honors thesis in theater focusing on race, interrace, and inclusion in theatrical performance. Find more about her work on Othello at https://sites.google.com/wesleyan.edu/thebraidedproject/home 

Thanks to Esmé and Isabel for their appearances on this episode!

The Words of Wesleyan is produced by the Shapiro Center for Writing at Wesleyan University.

Host: Anna Tjeltveit

Creators: Anna Tjeltveit, Amy Bloom, Stephanie Weiner

Theme Music: "Let Me Make It Clear" by Wesleyan Professor of Music Jay Hoggard

This episode features Sara McCrea, a senior majoring in the College of Letters with a Writing Certificate, and Nathan Pugh, a senior majoring in English and Theater. Both are serving as the Editors in Chief of the Wesleyan Argus for Spring 2021.

In the first half of the episode, we hear Sara McCrea read a segment of "The Passion According to GH" by Clarice Lispector and talk about storytelling, the limitations of language, journalism, and the importance of asking questions.

In the second half, Nathan Pugh reads an excerpt from "They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us" by Hanif Abdurraqib and we have a conversation about art criticism, identity, dialogue, and finding articulation on the page.

This episode features Fred Cohan, a Professor in the Biology, Environmental Studies, and Integrative Sciences departments, and his student Isaac Thorman ’21, a Neuroscience and Behavior Major and a Chemistry Minor.

In the first half of the episode, we hear Professor Cohan read a segment of Herman Hesse’s Steppenwolf, and talk to him about diversity within species, virology, lecturing, and making connections.

In the second half, Isaac Thorman reads “The Eyes Have It” by Philip K. Dick and we have a conversation about science fiction, learning to enjoy reading, writing scientific research, and crafting stories.

Here's what Isaac had to say about why he nominated Professor Cohan: "Fred is a professor who teaches both science and writing. In our conversations, we often discuss how we can infuse emotion into our scientific writing. He’s a firm believer in creativity and craft."

Thanks to Isaac and Professor Cohan for their appearances on this episode.

The Words of Wesleyan is produced by the Shapiro Center for Writing at Wesleyan University.

Host: Anna Tjeltveit

Creators: Anna Tjeltveit, Amy Bloom, Stephanie Weiner

Theme Music: "Let Me Make It Clear" by Wesleyan Professor of Music Jay Hoggard

This episode of the Words of Wesleyan features Justin Peck, Associate Professor of Government, and Bryan Chong '21, government and psychology double major and student organizer.

In the first half of the episode, we hear Justin Peck read a segment of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, and talk to him about speechwriting, national politics, alternate histories, and collective responsibility.

In the second half, Bryan Chong reads an excerpt from a speech by Bernie Sanders, and we have a conversation about solidarity, organizing, theory, and struggle.

Here's what Bryan had to say about why he nominated Professor Peck: "I had the fortune of being in Professor Peck's class on the American Presidency last semester, and it was very animating the way he contextualized the development of the institution in the material conditions of the time, as well as situating the presidency in the forces of imperialism and settler colonial expansion. His interrogation of historical texts is also very multi-faceted, compelling, and insightful. I am looking forward to hearing him speak on his favorite text!"

Thanks to Bryan and Professor Peck for their appearances on this episode.

The Words of Wesleyan is produced by the Shapiro Center for Writing at Wesleyan University.

Host: Anna Tjeltveit

Creators: Anna Tjeltveit, Amy Bloom, Stephanie Weiner

Theme Music: "Let Me Make It Clear" by Wesleyan Professor of Music Jay Hoggard

This inaugural episode of the Words of Wesleyan features Hirsh Sawhney, Associate Professor of English, and Shlok Sharma '23, prospective computer science major.

In the first half of the episode, we hear Professor Sawhney read a segment of "The Buddha of Suburbia," by Hanif Kureshi, and talk to him about South Asian identity, teaching, and life-giving writing.

In the second half, Shlok Sharma reads "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams, and we have a conversation about humor, computer science stereotypes, and feeling heard by art.

Here's what Shlok had to say about why he nominated Professor Sawhney: "I was part of Professor Sawhney's class last year where we examined different South Asian texts and visual pieces and understood how to specifically analyze them in the broader context of Indian history, and how we understand the country today. In that class, Professor Sawhney always made sure to push me as both a reader and (even more specifically) a writer, and he showed me how to think more analytically and rigorously about material I had taken for granted."

Thanks to Shlok and Professor Sawhney for their appearances on this episode!

The Words of Wesleyan is produced by the Shapiro Center for Writing at Wesleyan University.

Host: Anna Tjeltveit

Creators: Anna Tjeltveit, Amy Bloom, Stephanie Weiner

Theme Music: "Let Me Make It Clear" by Wesleyan Professor of Music Jay Hoggard

Welcome to the Words of Wesleyan, a new podcast from the Shapiro Center for Writing about the words and people that shape our community. Every other week, we talk to students and scholars about the words which have influenced them and the role of writing in their studies and lives. The show will premiere on Saturday, February 13, 2021, on the Shapiro Center social media pages. This sneak preview features clips from the first three episodes, including audio of Shlok Sharma '23, Isaac Thorman '21, Bryan Chong '21, and Associate Professor of Government Justin Peck. We hope you'll stick around to listen to our full episodes after the premiere!

The Words of Wesleyan is produced by the Shapiro Center for Writing at Wesleyan University. It was created by Anna Tjeltveit, Amy Bloom, and Stephanie Weiner. 

The theme song is "Let Me Make it Clear" by Professor of Music Jay Hoggard, from his album "Harlem Hieroglyphs."