Ohio State English: The Podcast Department of English

New host, Sam Zafris, sits down with Matt Brew to discuss a research trip to Europe.

On this month's episode of the podcast, Haley talks with folklorists Martha Sims, Dorothy Noyes, and Cassie Patterson about the work they do in the folklore realm of the English department. Folklore is often mistaken for something that exists in the past, in things like fairy tales and fables. In reality, folklore exists all around us--even in the graffiti in bathroom stalls! We discuss how folklore works within all of our lives, and why studying and recording it is so important.

In this episode, we explore the ins and outs of maintaining a blog as a creative writer. In the first interview, Haley Cowans talks with MFA students Zachary Leven and David Winter and MA student Colleen Morrissey about the benefits and challenges of maintaining a blog as a creative writer. How does a writer approach a blog, and is it different from the way they approach their craft? What makes publishing a blog different from publishing in other mediums? What are the opportunities that the internet presents, and what are its downfalls? Next, Haley talks with writer and OSU professor Lee Martin about his own blog on the craft of writing. How does he approach blogging, and how does it inform and engage with his craft?

In honor of Halloween, Haley Cowans talks with English professor Karen Winstead and MFA student Rebecca Turkewitz about a genre the three of them enjoy: horror. Why do scary stories fascinate us? What can horror tell us about our own society, or our own humanity? What role does horror play in literature? Who are the real monsters, and what really scares us?

The very first English department podcast. Poet Natalie Shapero shares her poem "Passing and Violence," and Dr. Debra Moddelmog discusses the Sexuality Studies major, diversity, and Ernest Hemingway.