Washington Square On Air

In a two-part episode of Washington Square On-Air, Melissa Ford Lucken continues her conversation with singer, writer, and statistician Jarod Jeffery, who enrolled in Lansing Community College after completing two intensive gifted & talented academic programs at Michigan State University, describes his DIY approach to his own high school curriculum, how finishing math coursework early led him...

Singer, writer, and statistician Jarod Jeffery talks with Creative Writing Professor Melissa Ford Lucken. Jarod, who enrolled in Lansing Community College after completing two intensive gifted & talented academic programs at Michigan State University, describes his DIY approach to his own high school curriculum, how finishing math coursework early led him to creative writing, and the art of si...

Recovering political administrator and former political intern turned multi-published poet and poetry presenter Ayesha Montgomery joins Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Montgomery, who discovered the world of politics was not for her, considers the importance of the right audience for the right poem, muses about the old-school magic of the card catalog, and solves the ongoing m...

High school creative writing and English language arts teacher Matt Thompson sits down with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Thompson reveals the secrets to successful workshopping with younger writers, explores how preconceived notions and expectations hinder creativity, and uncovers the surprising beauty of being wrong about big things. Matt Thompson’s poem, Laundromat Blues...

Actor, author and Lansing Community College student Joseph Esper chats with Professor of Creative Writing Melissa Ford Lucken. Esper, a Creative Writing major, muses about the role of acting in his creative life, reveals his intense dislike for The Catcher in the Rye , and ponders the ways gaming story structure inspires his own creative works. Joseph's website Joseph’s novel, Follies of Humanity...

Lansing Community College student Sarah DeToy joins Professor Melissa Ford Lucken to chat about her journey from high school, through trade school, to community college. DeToy, an avid Minecraft-er, cosplayer, and fan-fiction writer, expresses her deep appreciation for myths and how they unite people of different cultures and reveals how her success as a student is linked to her ability to intenti...

Poet, massage therapist, and tango dancer Ricard Stimac talks with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. After years in the business and marketing world, Stimac, seeking more meaningful work, became a massage therapist. Stimac emphasizes the importance of clear writing, muses on the beauty of intentionality in words and movement, and offers an inside look at the world of tango danci...

Award‑winning author, researcher, and teacher Lyzette Wanzer chats with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Wanzer traces the journey of her ground‑breaking anthology from a quick idea for an Association of Writers and Writing Programs panel proposal, to a book proposal, to a published volume. Her book, Trauma, Tresses & Truth , explores the complex relationship Black women co...

Poet, playwright, singer, and songwriter Michael Waterson chats with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. A Pennsylvania native who now calls the California wine country home, Waterson reveals his lifelong interest in dark fairy tales, puzzles over writing for that mystical, sometimes fleeting, moment of joy, and divulges some secrets of a vineyard’s wine‑tasting room. Michael’s po...

High school English teacher Jonathan Lawrence, who teaches at the same school he once graduated from, sits down with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Lawrence, in the way only an experienced teacher can, reflects on the art of arranging poems in an anthology, considers the delicate balance between guidance and restraint, and explains how and why poets need to stay out of the po...

Historian and author John Frame talks with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Integrating research and real life into fiction gives this writer the opportunity to find new meaning in past events and imagine lives lived. This conversation also explores the differences between creative and scholarly writing and the danger of an unwanted crush. John Frame’s story, Dorothy , appears...

Pop culture scholar and professor Courtney Crisp sits down with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. This conversation covers the hot topics such as crusader rhetoric found in tabletop role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, for example, to the magic of old-school printed-on-paper fanzines, to the difficulties of explaining pop culture scholarship to family members who struggle t...

Artist and comic archivist Jerico Woggon chats with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Woggon, grandson of Ink Pot award recipient Bill Woggon who created the Archie comics’ character Katy Keene, inherited his grandfather’s decades old research, original art, and documents collection. While the mission of organizing the truckload of materials into an archive is new and ongoing, t...

Bulgarian writing partners, Radus & Mareto, chat with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. The creative partners explore how the intersection of history and myth provoke thought, the importance of reflecting on the human condition, and why writing novel length works is easier than writing short stories. Radus & Mareto’s story, The Orphans , appears in the Summer 2025 issue...

Western Michigan University’s Writing Center’s Assistant Director Christopher Russel chats with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. An author who has work-shopped manuscripts as both an undergraduate and graduate student as well as worked collaboratively with writers through his work at WMU’s Writing Center, Russell demystifies writer’s block and breaks down the best strategies fo...

Columbia University graduate student Ashni Math sits down with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. A writer who prefers to ignore definitional boundaries, Math explores the similarities of poetry and creative non-fiction, shares her lessons learned from work as a poetry editor, and offers her perspective on what makes a successful college application essay. Ashni Math’s story, Pas...

Debut fiction author and accidental memoirist Michelle Slater talks with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Slater, whose first novel, The Lunatic , tackles the tough truth about invasive technology and the potential grip it has on our lives, is no stranger to difficult topics. Each of her memoirs goes against conventional wisdom and challenges modern culture’s scientific assumpt...

Author, artist, and life-long creative, Timothy Dodd talks with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. West Viginian native and world traveler, Dodd examines the creative differences between poetry, fiction, and art, the magic of nostalgia, and the mysterious ways new experiences generate ideas and inspiration. Timothy Dodd’s story, The Darlene Conspiracy , and poem, Skyeaters , appe...

Author Dylan Hoover chats with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. A writer who has workshopped his stories internationally, Hoover reflects on the difficulties of crafting dialogue, the importance of placing emotion in the center of a story, and puzzles over the continued devaluing of historical fiction in literary communities.  Dylan Hoover’s story, Aztec , appears in the S...

Professor, student advocate, and writer, Deanna Oudelha, sits down with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. A teacher and student who loves learning and teaching, Oudelha breaks down the hidden beauty of the English language, her frustration with academic gatekeeping, and how she embraces all possibilities in her work with first year students at the University of Omaha. Deanna Oud...

Former combat U.S. Marine and lover of poetry, Grady VanWright, talks with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. A lifelong writer, VanWright explores the differences between therapeutic writing created for the self and polished writing created for an audience, learning how to use feedback from other writers, and the beauty of having time later in life to dedicate to craft. Grady Va...

Interdisciplinary creative, Renée LoBue, sits down with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. An experienced recording artist who has performed all over the world, reveals the surprising power of harsh rejection, the beauty of creating works across mediums, and the importance of the often overlooked development of the artist.    Renée LoBue’s story, Mountainside Pool...

Lifelong writer, newly published author, Michael Feeny, chats with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. A former corrections officer, Feeny creates stories about people meeting in dark places and how the unexpected, profound experiences of life reveal the unique characteristics that result in complex humans. Michael Feeney’s story, Across the River Styx , appears in the Summer 2025...

Lifelong writer of books for toddlers to teens, Annie Fox, talks with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Fox, who published her first book before she was old enough to sign the book contract, describes her approach to meeting readers where they are, reflects on  the emotional beauty of nature, and surprising lessons learned while replying to the hundreds of advice-seeking le...

Crime journalist and memoirist, Gina Tron, sits down with Washington Square Review editor Melissa Ford Lucken. Tron, whose third memoir recounts her high school experience of being labeled a "school shooter,” describes how she blends research, real life, and creativity into her writing and explores the unexpected rewards of sharing shameful and embarrassing experiences. Gina on Instagram Gina on B...