Episodes

What Makes You You?
Sept. 19, 2017

What Makes You You?

This episode of Writing Class Radio is dedicated to everyone who’s dealing with some kind of natural disaster. For us in Florida, the last two weeks have been all consuming and also terrifying. Our hearts go out to those who got hit a lot harder than we did. We love that we have this podcast to com…
Let's Ignore Writing Class Protocol and Talk About Our Lives
Aug. 19, 2017

Let's Ignore Writing Class Protocol and Talk About Our Lives

In this episode, we go off the rails...a little. We invited our class into Allison’s living room where in addition to writing advice, we gave life advice. Allison believes that the better we know ourselves, the better our writing will be. Andrea was scared shitless. She thought the class would be m…
Great Writing Starts With a Question. What Don’t You Understand?
Aug. 1, 2017

Great Writing Starts With a Question. What Don’t You Understand?

In this episode, you will meet the winner of Writing Class Radio’s spring writing contest. The prompt: Write about something you don’t understand. Andrea suggests that great writing starts with a question. Writing is about figuring out what you don’t understand. It’s a discovery process. Contest w…
Will This Ever End?
July 11, 2017

Will This Ever End?

In this episode, Allison and Andrea are talking about endings. How to end an essay when often the issues we write about are ongoing. Should we know the ending when we begin? Does the end of the essay have to show a change in the narrator? Can we show change or find meaning without distance? Can we …
Take Me Into Your World
June 19, 2017

Take Me Into Your World

In this episode, Allison and Andrea are talking about worlds again because Andrea got so excited by Nilsa’s story in the episode Can You Hear Me if I Can't Hear You? where she brought us into the world of the hearing impaired. In class Andrea had us make a list of the worlds we live in. Then she s…
How to Write Your True Story with Joyce Maynard
May 19, 2017

How to Write Your True Story with Joyce Maynard

The format for this episode is a little different. Today we’re bringing you a guest teacher, because we think it’s smart to get different perspectives. Joyce Maynard is one of Andrea’s favorite teachers in the world. Joyce has 17 books and has been writing for 50 years. She started when since she w…
Can You Hear Me if I Can't Hear You?
April 21, 2017

Can You Hear Me if I Can't Hear You?

This episode is about connecting through writing. It’s also about the job of storytellers to bring us into their world. New student, Nilsa Rivera, tells a story about her fear of isolation, which stems from a very unique set of circumstances--she’s hard of hearing. She uses writing to fight that fe…
Who Has Time?
March 23, 2017

Who Has Time?

Get ready folks, Allison and Andrea are hosting this episode together: an episode about time. Student Allison Langer is obsessed with the lack of time she has lately. So, in class teacher, Andrea Askowitz, gave this prompt: I wish I had more time to_______. Andrea reads her story from class about…
When Is It Okay to Bullshit?
March 3, 2017

When Is It Okay to Bullshit?

Lies seem to be the new norm in our world. There’s probably a bumper sticker that says Lies Are the New Truth. Great bumper sticker, but it has Andrea Askowitz totally freaked out. Andrea is the teacher of the class and the host for this episode, which is about lies in stories and lies in the world…
Writing is Therapy
Feb. 15, 2017

Writing is Therapy

This episode looks at writing as therapy. We look at writing as a way to understand these things we carry: secrets, pain, and shame. Allison Langer, a student in the class, is the host of this episode. Three new students share their stories. Michelle Massanet tells about a rape that she hid for 2…
A Time I Fucked Up Part 2
Feb. 1, 2017

A Time I Fucked Up Part 2

We picked two winners of our first annual writing contest. Listeners responded to the prompt: A Time I Fucked Up. We got tons of submissions revealing your major fuck ups and tons revealing your little mess ups. One woman’s vacation slideshow accidentally included a naked selfie. Another woman almo…
A Time I FUCKED Up
Jan. 11, 2017

A Time I FUCKED Up

This is the prompt we threw out to listeners for our first annual writing contest. Listeners wrote in with lots of crazy and sad and funny stories. One of our winners was Melissa Vincel, who wrote an essay that stood out for its simplicity, clarity, and subject matter. Instead of the all-too-common…
I Fart, You Fart, We All Fart and Most of Us Deny It.
Dec. 14, 2016

I Fart, You Fart, We All Fart and Most of Us Deny It.

Allison Langer is a student in the class and the host on this episode of Writing Class Radio. She shares all the reasons why writing class is so much fun. FUN-- a theme chosen because life has gotten too busy, too scheduled and way too serious. In writing class, we laugh. We disconnect from social …
Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes Feels Impossible Right Now
Nov. 23, 2016

Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes Feels Impossible Right Now

Andrea Askowitz is the host of this episode. She talks about how writing a good story and understanding the results of this presidential election require a mammoth effort in understanding someone else’s point of view, an effort she is failing at right now. She interviews Stephen Elliott, who is t…
How To Tell Your Inappropriate Story: Live Show with Ann Randolph
Oct. 28, 2016

How To Tell Your Inappropriate Story: Live Show with Ann Randolph

Writing Class Radio goes live to the stage. This episode is part live show, part interview with star of our show, the award-winning, solo-performer, Ann Randolph. Allison Langer is our host. This episode is about the importance of telling stories--not fairy tales, but the real scary, true stories…
Where Do I Go From Here?
Sept. 9, 2016

Where Do I Go From Here?

This episode is about those moments in life when you have no idea how you got here, whether to stay or go, or where to go next. Allison Langer, student in the class and host for this episode, asks the questions most of us struggle with. Did you land that dream job that turned out to be not so dre…
I'm Obsessed with Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Steve Almond, and my Spin Instructor
Aug. 24, 2016

I'm Obsessed with Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Steve Almond, and my Spin Instructor

This episode is about obsessions. Andrea Askowitz, the teacher of the class speaks to Allison Langer, co-producer and student in the class. They discuss what she learned from the Tim Ferriss podcast when he interviewed Tony Robbins. Allison heard Robbins say, “Rejection breeds obsession.” And, ”T…
Who is Jahn Dope? From H.S. Football Star to Homeless Man to the Great Philip Sylverin
Aug. 3, 2016

Who is Jahn Dope? From H.S. Football Star to Homeless Man to the Great Philip Sylverin

This episode is about self destruction. Jahn Dope, one of the students in our class, reads his story, Dark Matter. Jahn’s story begins after he overdoses on LSD after a crazy night of drinking and drugs, then backtracks to childhood. After Jahn’s story ends, the class was left with questions. So,…
Circuit Boys, Gym Rats, Papi Chulos, Fashion Queens, Bears...Which One Are You?
July 19, 2016

Circuit Boys, Gym Rats, Papi Chulos, Fashion Queens, Bears...Which One Are You?

This episode explores perspective, how sometimes it takes years to figure out that something you did or thought was totally fucked up. Bo tells his story about getting blocked from a 1-900 gay hotline. But the story is really about how it took him years to become comfortable enough with himself t…
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone...Where the Magic Happens.
June 30, 2016

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone...Where the Magic Happens.

This episode explores the different zones we live in: comfort zone, stretch zone and panic zone. Allison talks about her experience at dinner with new friends and how she complained the entire night. She realizes she ventured too far into her stretch zone and panicked. Misha Mehrel tells his story …
Dear Listener
June 14, 2016

Dear Listener

This episode explores the epistolary form, which is just a snobby way to say stories written in the form of a letter. Andrea Askowitz starts with a letter written to her from her best friend in high school. Robin and Andrea wrote hundreds of letters back and forth to each other throughout their fri…
Taboo: Fat, Fuck, Masturbation
May 29, 2016

Taboo: Fat, Fuck, Masturbation

In this episode, we discuss what is taboo. Is it a word, a topic? Is it the same for everyone? We learn why we need to talk about things considered taboo, and when to actually write taboo words instead of referring to them. You’ll hear from Inessa Freylekhman who’s mom tells her what not to say o…
Rejection Sucks. Why Do We Put Ourselves Out There?
May 17, 2016

Rejection Sucks. Why Do We Put Ourselves Out There?

In this episode, student and co-producer Allison Langer puts herself out there in writing and in love. The first story she tells was submitted to Modern Love, a column in the New York Times. Allison’s story got rejected, which is the subject of the second story she tells. Also in the second story, …
Emotional Hangover. Those Times When You Feel You Told too Much.
May 1, 2016

Emotional Hangover. Those Times When You Feel You Told too Much.

Have you ever told a story or shared a secret and regretted it? Like you wake up the next morning and you’re like ew, why’d I say that? And then you want to vomit? Today we’re talking about telling stories that give us emotional hangovers. Those times when you feel you told too much. In this episod…