Passion and Practicality: A Liberal Arts Podcast

Dr. Luke Peterson teaches Arabic and Middle Eastern history at Southern New Hampshire University and Duquesne University. In this episode, Dr. Peterson discusses his new book, The U.S. Military in the Print News Media: Service and Sacrifice in Contemporary Discourse, which “analyzes the history of the popular discourse in the United States concerned with the U.S. military and its engagement in foreign wars from the Spanish-American War through to the U.S. invasions of Iraq and the War on Terror.” This episode was recorded live on April 18, 2024 and originally broadcast on the Working Historians podcast feed.

Word for Word is proud to host the winners of the 2023 Penmen Review Fall Fiction Contest for a virtual reading of their winning work! First Place: “I found a genie in a bottle of Glenlivet 12 year,” by Tayler Kastros Second Place: “Dark Water,” by Gabe Converse Third Place: “Sleeping Beauty,” by RE Bunch Fourth Place: “Beasts,” by Ness Wheeler Fifth Place: “Rat-a-tat,” by Mackenzie Bodily Every fall for the past nine years, writers of all genres and experience levels have submitted stories to the Penmen Review Fall Fiction Contest. This year, judges evaluated nearly 700 anonymized entries before submitting their top picks to the public for a final vote.

Join host Paul Witcover as Wireside Chat welcomes longtime MFA instructor Jason Morgan! Writing as J. Lloyd Morgan, he is the bestselling author of Going Down the Far Well and the fantasy trilogy The Bariwon Chronicles, among other novels. We'll discuss Jason's writing journey and the importance of theme in his work and in fiction generally.

Nicole Fenner, CEO of Sister Girl Publishing joins us to give us an idea of what a typical workday looks like as a liberal arts professional after starting her own publishing company. Nicole speaks about the importance of being well-rounded and continuously growing your creative skill set. Feel free to connect with Nicole on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-fenner83/ , TikTok or Instagram @sistergirlcollection , Handshake at https://app.joinhandshake.com/edu/employers/923010/overview or her website at www.sistergirlcollection.com

In which hosts Melissa Hart and Paul Witcover are joined by MFA instructor and award-winning author Heather Hepler to discuss how to build a career in Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction. How do these genres differ? Where do they overlap? Heather draws on her experience writing in both genres to shed light on what can be a confusing literary landscape.

In which Paul Witcover, Associate Dean of the Online MFA, is joined by Jacob Powers, Associate Dean of the online BA and MA Creative Writing programs at SNHU, and Derrick Craigie, Senior Associate Dean overseeing all online Creative Writing programs at SNHU, for a Q&A. A must-listen for anyone considering a graduate degree in creative writing at SNHU!

Ryan Gravatt, CEO and Owner of Raconteur joins us to give us an idea of what a typical workday looks like as a liberal arts professional, as well as how to make yourself stand out in an interview. Ryan speaks about his “rule of three’s” as it pertains to your career journey, as well as different paths to think about as a profession within the Liberal Arts niche. Feel free to connect with Ryan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryangravatt/overlay/contact-info/

Word for Word is honored to welcome acclaimed writer Elizabeth Hand, multiple award-winning author of the Cass Neary mysteries, the supernatural thriller Hokuloa Road, the folk-horror classic Wylding Hall, Waking the Moon, and many other novels. Her most recent novel, The Haunting on the Hill, is the official sequel to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. Join us as Hand reads from her work and takes questions from the audience.

In which hosts Melissa Hart and Paul Witcover welcome SNHU instructor and Bram Stoker Award-winning writer Thomas Deady, author of, most recently, the novel Eternal Darkness. Join us as we talk about his writing journey and all things Horror.

Landis Tindell, Manager of Corporate Communications for the Oklahoma City Thunder joins us to give us an idea of what a typical workday looks like as a communications professional, as well as how to make yourself stand out in an interview. Landis’ extensive experience in the Liberal Arts and communications spaces paints a great picture for students of what a career journey can look like to help get you to where you want to go. Feel free to connect with Landis on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ltindell/

Word for Word kicks off its 2023-24 season of literary events by welcoming bestselling and award-winning writer Morgan Talty, author of the acclaimed collection of linked stories Night of the Living Rez. Talty, a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation, reads from his work, discusses the craft of writing, and answers questions from moderators and attendees.

In which hosts Melissa Hart and Paul Witcover are joined by SNHU instructor Joseph Chianakas, whose new YA novel, Singlets and Secrets, recently debuted as Amazon's #1 new release in teen and YA LGBTQ fiction. Listen in as we talk to Joe about his writing journey, why themes of diversity and inclusion are so central to his work, and how he is always thinking a few steps ahead in planning his career.

Trent Jones, Director of Communications with Springdale Public Schools joins us to discuss working in the field of communications. Trent explains the different avenues one can get into with a communications degree, his career journey and how it’s important to say “yes” to opportunities that may come your way.

Lisa Holder, Chief Communications Officer with the City of Sanford in Sanford, Florida gives a great overview of what it’s like to work in the communications field. With social media being a heavy presence now a days, we explore this area in depth with Lisa as well as others. Lisa also provides tips on other communications related roles in the public sector that may be of interest, and how to prepare for them. You can find Lisa’s information at https://sanfordfl.gov/government/communications-office/

In which MFA instructor Melissa Hart joins Dean Paul Witcover to share her methods for leveraging short fiction and nonfiction for magazines and newspapers to build a platform and audience for her novels! This behind-the-curtains peek into the working life of a successful professional writer is full of practical advice and hard-earned knowledge about the challenges every freelance writer faces . . . and how to meet them!

Lydia Kuekes, Director of Design with Vision Point Marketing joins SNHU’s Peter Bartell to speak about recommendations on getting into the graphic design field, the importance of networking, client communication and staying up-to-date on industry knowledge.

In which hosts Paul Witcover and Melissa Hart welcome MFA instructor Jo Stout, the author of more than twenty romance novels, including contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and erotic romance under the pen names Joelle Nichole and Rachell Nichole. Join us as we discuss Romance, erotica, pseudonyms, genre-blends . . . and more!

In which hosts Paul Witcover and Melissa Hart welcome instructor Kelly Ann Jacobson, whose new novel, Robin and Her Misfits, is a Queer retelling of Robin Hood. Join us as we discuss the enduring power of fairy tales and folk tales in fiction!

Get out your parchment and quill, it’s Constitution Day! In this episode, Dr. Rob Denning will discuss the historical origins of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, how legal and popular conceptions of the Amendment have changed over the decades, and how the Amendment is relevant to our present political sphere. Dr. Denning is the Associate Dean for Southern New Hampshire University’s online graduate and undergraduate history programs, the host of the Working Historians podcast series, and producer of the Passion and Practicality podcast series. This episode was originally released on the Working Historians feed.

In this episode, originally broadcast on February 4, 2022, Associate Dean Rob Denning describes the skills that students learn while in pursuit of a history degree that will be valuable on the job market after graduation (even in fields that don't include the word "history"). He also describes some of the ways that students can prepare for the job market before graduation.