Writing Questions

For this series, made especially for my Writing for Engineers students, I interview working engineers to find out about what writing looks like in their working lives.

For this series, made especially for my Writing for Engineers students, I interview working engineers to find out about what writing looks like in their working lives.

This week I force my friend Dustin to write a poem while we listen. Dustin Pearson is the Managing Editor of Hayden’s Ferry Review, He has a master’s degree from Clemson University, he has been published in a bunch of places, and he was awarded the 2015 Katherine C. Turner Prize from the Academy of American Poets. Here’s the final text of the first rough version of this poem: If I Keep This By Dustin Pearson I want to tell you that I think I’ve been dying. I’ve seen that there’s a threat Of a shooting today, But that’s not why I say this to you. I’ve been told that the young dying Are rare. I believe that. Just with all the things Spread between the TV and internet It’s become the rarity That happens every day. So which route to take? I’ve been told death Will come for us at 12:30. Should I take what I’ve been Feeling outside, or should I have the courage To sit and wait for other dangers? I want to ask you When you see danger coming from all angles Is it your first instinct to meet it? Who would you ask? I have to tell you That I ask because I want to know If between the threats outside And what’s seen on the internet or TV, If the moment following is short I want to spend it Getting close to knowing who you are. Find Dustin’s profile on the Poets and Writers directory here: http://www.pw.org/content/dustin_pearson Find the anthology Pariahs: Writing Outside the Margins here: http://amzn.com/1622881001 Music for this episode comes from twinmusicom.org. You can subscribe to this podcast on Itunes or Stitcher, or you can follow us on Soundcloud. If you’d like to comment on the episode you can do that on our soundcloud page or send an email to me at stevenwhopkins@gmail.com or send me a message on twitter @seemylittleknee.

This is part 2 of the Dr. Jody Shipka visit sponsored by RSA, ASUGPSA, and the ASU Department of English. We go shopping for old stuff and don't find anything, but we learn to see like Dr. Shipka sees. Zeugma Podcast episodes with Dr. Shipka: http://zeugma.dwrl.utexas.edu/shipka Dr. Shipka's website: http://remediatethis.com/index.html Email me at Stevenwhopkins@gmail.com Tweet to me @seemylittleknee https://twitter.com/seemylittleknee Script available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AsVvU6f0EFfMJb4HSvqbIDkFyTyT0wB8nfOIsVEeM08/edit?usp=sharing

Hooah! This week we talk with Captain Peter Nguyen of the United States Army about the traditions, expectations, and frustrations of being a writer in the Army. You can find Peter's work telling audio stories here: https://soundcloud.com/peter-nguyen-215 Transcript available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1735RdiV43CWa5PnlbqZX3utAIg3leKaxA6bXSPGiPUA/edit?usp=sharing

Dr. Brian McNely of the University of Kentucky discusses a recent research project attempting to catalog literally everything that exists on the 1.7 mile commute he takes everyday. The transcript is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dD-UBEc0NUHiz1o6xS-fOWjD50ej9V669aNji9xoNNA/edit Music from Soundcloud user CuruxaUK (https://soundcloud.com/curuxauk), twinmusicom.org and incompetech.com. Contact Dr. McNely at http://brianjmcnely.com/, on twitter @bmcnely, or by email brian.mcnely@uky.edu. Contact me stevenwhopkins@gmail.com or on twitter @seemylittleknee

This week we interview Jonathan Shaw, an immigration attorney from Colorado. He tells us about getting kidnapped by police in Mexico, and what it takes to convince a judge to grant someone asylum. Visit Jonathan's Profile at http://m2lawyers.com/denver-attorneys-muhaisen-law-firm/jonathan-shaw-esq-denver-attorney-muhaisen-law-firm/