New Miami podcast explores the art of writing in a digital age
Episodes will serve as a living archive for the Howe Center for Writing Excellence
New Miami podcast explores the art of writing in a digital age
Good writing will never go out of style. However, the technologies and modalities through which the form and function of good writing are expressed can always change with the times.
This simple truism is part of the inspiration behind the new podcast, This Is Howe We Do It, which focuses on writing and the innovations of teaching writing in various disciplinary contexts.
As a new production from Miami University's Howe Center for Writing Excellence (HCWE) — which offers a wide range of resources dedicated to the study, teaching, and learning of writing — the podcast features conversations with faculty and students who discuss their experiences and perspectives as writers and/or teachers, while also reflecting on the various processes involved in creating compositions that span all genres of the craft.
“We're always looking for new ways to reach new audiences and to share what we do at the Howe Center of Writing Excellence,” said Rena Perez, HCWE graduate assistant director and podcast host. “We’re really trying to highlight the voices of Miami faculty and students and the incredible work that they're doing around both writing and teaching writing. We ask questions about their challenges and their processes, so there's a lot of insight that others can apply to their own writing.”
Recent episodes have already covered many topics including organizing op-eds, the value of ePortfolios, and more. Episodes are released bi-weekly and focus on the overarching theme of the importance of writing as an enduring life skill that can benefit everyone.
“Writing is part of everyday life,” Perez said. “No matter the genre we’re talking about, you can learn something about how to approach different writing tasks. For example, everyone should be using op-eds as a way to share their voices and experiences with their local communities, and ePortfolios are a great way to digitally collect your work, market yourself, and communicate to audiences as a professional, no matter what field or industry you're in.”
Beyond just the episode content alone, according to Perez, the true magic, power, and reach of the podcast lies in its ability to extend and enhance the reach and effectiveness of the HCWE itself. Although the center regularly offers a wide array of workshops, not everyone who would like to engage with these resources can always find the time to do so.
Therefore, the podcast also acts as a living archive that can be easily accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
"There is so much innovative work around writing and teaching at Miami,” HCWE director Elizabeth Wardle said. “We in the Howe Center are really fortunate to be able to see this work every day and think it is past time to share it across and beyond Miami. Our hope is that the podcast will showcase what is special about the teaching and learning that is happening at Miami."
The HCWE offers two primary programs: the Howe Writing Across the Curriculum Program aims to transform teaching through innovative change-making professional development opportunities for both faculty and graduate teaching assistants, while the Howe Writing Center supports writers of all kinds through consulting and other programs.
Going forward, the podcast plans to continue producing episodes that support and advance the mission of HCWE, as well as what Perez calls the multimodal future of writing itself.
“When people presume that writing may be more of a lost art, I think it's just changing so fast that we sometimes don't see that it's embedded in so much of what is actually around us,” Perez said. “It's not just alphabetic anymore. It’s not just looking at pen and paper or printed text on a page or screen. Writing is also anytime we are crafting our message to a particular audience through a particular medium, based on things that are important to you and your own identity.”
New episodes of This Is Howe We Do It are available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
