Writing Remix Podcast

On this episode of Writing Remix, Dan talks to John Gaspard, the author of Held Over: Harold and Maude at the Westgate Theater. During a time when large movie theaters are trying to figure out how to bring in the crowds and rival streaming services, John and Dan discuss how the movie Harold and MaudeContinue reading "122. The Harold & Maude Phenomenon at The Westgate Theater w/ Author John Gaspard"

As higher education continues to navigate attacks from the Trump administration, it are also trying to figure out how to negotiate the increased use of AI in the classroom, by teachers and students. On this special episode of Writing Re:mix, Daniel Dissinger invites his USC Writing Program colleague Ryan Leack, host of the Live TheoryContinue reading "121. Navigating AI & Surveillance in the Classroom w/ Ryan Leack"

Daniel Dissinger dives deep into a conversation on finding the light with poetry in all of the darkness in the world, in ourselves, and from traumas in our pasts with Reiki Master, Librarian, and Poet Caroline Reddy. This is an episode that celebrates the power of poetry and language and how people can be broughtContinue reading "120. Finding the Light w/ Caroline Reddy"

Daniel Dissinger welcomes the Poet Laureate of Anaheim, Camille Hernandez, to talk about her new book Motherlands, what it means to be Poet Laureate in Anaheim, the impact of poetry and poets, her mission to make poetry accessible to as many people as possible, and how poetry informs, reports, and dismantles. Camille also reads theContinue reading "119. The Poet’s Role w/ Anaheim Poet Laureate Camille Hernandez"

Daniel Dissinger welcomes renowned cowboy boot maker and artisan Lisa Sorrell to talk all about the history of boot making in America, her personal journey from apprentice to having her own boot making business, and her goal to preserve the history of boot making. There’s also a really great conversation on gender, mental health, andContinue reading "118. Crafting Cowboy Boots w/ Lisa Sorrell"

On this episode of “Inspired Belonging” on Writing Re:mix, hosts Dan Dissinger and Stephanie Renée Payne talk with Dr. M. Shadee Malaklou, the Founder and Director of the bell hooks Center at Berea College. Back in the summer of 2023, Dan & Stephanie had the honor of bringing their “Inspired Belonging” workshop to the first-everContinue reading "117. Inspired Belonging w/ Dr. M. Shadee Malaklou"

In this solo episode of Writing Remix, Dan brings the audience along for a reflective stream-of-consciousness evening walk. This is a raw and unedited episode to capture the essence of the environment, his thoughts, and humanity of conversation. Dan reflects on the changing landscape of podcasting and how it’s gone from being an accessible PunkContinue reading "116. Walking with Dan: Podcasting, Creativity, & AI"

The second episode of “Inspired Belonging” on Writing Remix, hosts Dan Dissinger and Stephanie Renée Payne reflect on their personal and pedagogical relationships with the work of the late scholar, poet, speaker, & teacher bell hooks. This is a deeply vulnerable conversation on hooks’ impactful work on engaged pedagogy, love, community, and self-actualization, specifically fromContinue reading "115. Inspired Belonging: Diving into the Work of bell hooks"

In this solo episode of Writing Remix, Dan Dissinger reflects on the end of the 2025 Spring semester at USC. He shares what he changed and what worked in his classroom, the impact of creating meaningful and accessible assignments, student reactions to and experiences reading Exile & Pride by Eli Clare and All About LoveContinue reading "114. Spring 2025 Semester Reflection: Meaningful Teaching, Student Engagement, & Well-being"

Dan Dissinger celebrates National Poetry Month with the West Hollywood Poet Laureate, Jen Cheng. They talk about Jen’s multi-hyphenate creative journey, her dedication to blending East-West influences in her writing and workshops, her role as the creator of the Palabras Literary Salon, and the importance of “artist dates.” Dan asks Jen to explain why sheContinue reading "113. Creating Joy and Community Through Poetry w/ West Hollywood Poet Laureate Jen Cheng"

Dan Dissinger welcomes back his former professor Dr. Steve Mentz, chair of the Saint John’s University English Department, to discuss his latest book of poems Sailing Without Ahab and the Blue Humanities. They dive into (no pun intended) Dr. Mentz’s writing journey in and out of the poems in Sailing Without Ahab, the interconnected writing process and relationship between the creative space of poetry and academic scholarship when it came to creating Sailing Without Ahab, his personal and scholastic history with water, teaching Moby-Dick, and the challenges of writing in the voice of Ishmael. Steve also reads several poems from Sailing Without Ahab and discusses some of the more intricate details about these pieces. This is such a rich episode both for writers and scholars alike, and being on the precipice of National Poetry Month, this is a great way to start it off.

Dan Dissinger welcomes Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium.com, to talk about the power of authenticity in writing online and how Medium’s platform helps to create a space where authors of all levels can find and cultivate an audience. Tony dives into how he went from software engineer to the CEO of Medium.com. He shares his goals for Medium to create an online community where people create and share meaningful content and how Medium is a place where all people get to be teachers and students. The conversation touches on the transformative power of writing, the challenges posed by AI-generated content, and the importance of human connection in the digital age. This is the type of episode Writing Remix is all about, so sit back, take notes, and get inspired to put pen to paper (so to say). Share this episode with someone in your life that is an aspiring writer.

Dan & Stephanie Renée Payne start a series of podcast episodes called “Inspired Belonging” on Writing Remix. On this inaugural episode, Dan & Stephanie explore their thoughts and understandings of belonging, it’s connection to writing, and how the late great bell hooks plays such a deep role in Inspired Belonging workshops, presentations, and pedagogy. TheyContinue reading "110. Introducing Inspired Belonging"

Dan welcomed his colleagues in the USC Writing Program Dr. Leah Pate, Dr. Tamara Black, & Dr. Rory Lukins to do a deep dive into their project “Reimagining Assessments: Contract Grading’s Untapped Benefits for Learning, Teaching, and Well-Being.” This conversation covers the results of their research and the impact contract grading has on student writingContinue reading "109. Reimagining Assessments: Exploring the Untapped Benefits of Contract Grading w/ Dr. Leah Pate, Dr. Tamara Black, & Dr. Rory Lukins"

Dan welcomed back Dr. Danielle Lee to Writing Remix last year for the fifth annual Big Rhetorical Podcast Carnival, which was focused on ‘Politics and Rhetorics, Navigating Civility, Culture, and Crisis.’ Their conversation went deep into the need for a civility in the current political landscape, how the lack of civility is escalating dehumanization fromContinue reading "108. Exploring Civility, Discourse, & Hope w/ Dr. Danielle Lee"

Dan welcomes Dr. Meghan P. Nolan back to Writing Remix to discuss preparing for the Spring 2025 semester and some of the ways she’s looking to expand, shift, and reimagine approaches to writing instruction. Meghan also talks about the balance between her duties as a writing professor and the Chair of the Sam Draper HonorsContinue reading "107. Preparing for Spring 2025 w/ Dr. Meghan P. Nolan"

In this solo episode of Writing Remix, Dan discusses how to effectively convert academic conference presentations into engaging podcast episodes. He shares personal experiences and lessons learned from shifting his traditional conference approach to a more interactive and participatory format using his multiple podcasts. Dan emphasizes the importance of recording and archiving presentations, networking, andContinue reading "106. How I Leverage My Podcast at Academic Conferences"

Dan invites Dr. Bailey McAlister, sommelier, Rhetoric & Communications professor, & pop-culture critic to talk all about how she merges her love of wine and the wine community with her PhD research, the impact that 2020 had on the wine & beverage industry, how sommeliers are using personal narratives to introduce people to wine, community building in the world of wine, how she teaches process-oriented writing to her students, and so much more. So, grab a glass, your favorite beverage, and settle in for another Writing Remix!