
Project Write Now’s newest venture, PWN’s Debut Review podcast, launched this month! Once a week, co-hosts PWN instructors Ray Brunt and Courtney Harler discuss debut art with its creators. They focus on a new effort or experience but also ask artists to share their journey: what inspires and sustains them.
The podcast creation is truly a PWN team effort. PWN’s very own songwriting instructor, Mimi Cross, composed PWN’s Debut Review’s theme song, “Don’t Look Away.” Executive director Jennifer Chauhan is the producer and program coordinator Lisa Hartsgrove is the editing director.
Check it out on Apple & Spotify!
So while our instructors are behind the mic or behind the scenes, we’ve asked them what’s keeping them energized and inspired besides the collaborative process of creating an original podcast!
What are they reading, watching, listening to, eating, and more?
November 2021:
What we’re reading …
Courtney Harler: “Lately I’m quite taken with the supernatural novels of Jess Kidd, namely Himself, her debut, and Things in Jars, her latest. I’d describe both books as highly literary, historical murder mysteries steeped in Irish lore. In style, Kidd deftly alternates between gravity and levity. She uses lush, surprising language and unexpected imagery to fully immerse the reader in her narratives.”
Watching …
Ray Brunt: “There is a quirky French film titled Stuck Together that I’m watching on Netflix. It’s a post-COVID comedy about how people behaved during the pandemic. It’s a comedy in that weird French comic sense. Give it a shot.”
Listening to …
Lisa Hartsgrove: “Well, I feel like the obvious answer here is our new podcast! I can’t tell you how many times I listened to that first episode in editing, but the moment it was released to the public … I went and listened to it again! It’s incredible to be a part of something so big. My heart leapt when I opened my Apple Podcasts app and I saw PWN’s Debut Review on the list.”
Eating …
Jennifer Chauhan: “I am eating a lot of Indian food, mostly dal with brown basmati rice for lunch. I’ve been experimenting with my father’s chicken curry recipe, using it with salmon, and I’ve created what my family calls ‘Indian mashed potatoes,’ with ghee, onions, and turmeric. My father used to make homemade aloo parathas (especially for me) with this stuffed inside, so eating it sends me back to my childhood.”
Miscellaneous …
Mimi Cross: “I’m currently obsessed with trying to catch the last rays of late-day fall light on camera—I’m convinced they’re slices of summer sun gone astray …”
What are you obsessed with this month? We’d like to know! Email your response to wi@projectwritenow.org for a chance to appear in an upcoming column!