Wild Roof Podcast

In the January episode, Rachel Turney joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her new poetry collections Record Player Life (the b-side), which is forthcoming from The Poetry Lighthouse, and Retired Wannabe Club Kid, forthcoming from Parlyaree Press. In this episode, we chat about how to maintain an organized chaos when working on multiple writing projects, the influence of music in her new work, an...

In the December episode, authors Simmons Buntin and Kathryn Wilder join host Aaron Lelito to talk about creative nonfiction as a genre, how place and the natural world inform their writing, and their approach to shaping individual essays into a book-length collection. We chat about craft, cows, cultivating awe in our daily lives . . . and beer. Listen up for a wonderful conversation with Simmons a...

In the November episode, author Michael Engelhard joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about his essay collection No Place Like Nome: The Bering Strait Seen Through Its Most Storied City. In this chat, we learn what brought Michael to Alaska, why Nome is a special place (even by Alaskan standards), and  how we can learn from a grizzly bear mother protecting her cubs. Michael was trained as an anthropol...

In the September episode, WRJ contributor Marybeth Holleman returns, joining Aaron Lelito and Ashley Cundiff to talk about her new novel Bloom Again. We learn about Marybeth's diverse background that bridges the arts and sciences, as well as how living in both North Carolina and Alaska shaped her writing. And we get into the central themes of the book: climate anxiety, changing ecosystems, and the...

In the August episode, Fr. Isaac Slater joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about how he developed a love for writing, life as a contemplative monk, and his new book, "Do Not Judge Anyone": Desert Wisdom for a Polarized World. Along the way, we cover some poignant (and humorous) lessons from the Desert Fathers, the role of spontaneity and improvisation in spiritual practice, and how self-judgement is...

In the June episode, Colleen Sabaka joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about creating Opt West Magazine, moving from Minnesota to Los Angeles, and how law school got her back into poetry. Colleen shares her deliberate approach to reviewing submissions and gives us a preview of a new project with poet Brad Vogler called This Revisiting. See more about Opt West here and connect on Instagram .

In the May episode, Gabriela Blandy joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her current writing projects, the Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize, and the challenges of writing about profound experiences in nature. Gabriela has experience as a life coach, breathwork facilitator, yoga teacher, and shamanic practitioner, and she explains how all these areas connect in her creative life, leading to the deve...

In the April episode, Editor of Wildscape Literary Journal joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her start as a writer, the development of Wildscape, and the adrenaline rush of storm chasing. Ophelia closes the episode with a reading of her poem, "Yes/No." See more about Wildscape here and more about Ophelia on Instagram .

In the March episode, Jacob Riyeff joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about his poetry collection, Be Radiant, which is available now from Fernwood Press. We chat about Jacob's writing background, from beat poet beginnings of reading Ginsberg and Kerouac to the fascination with the natural world (i.e. knowing the difference among marshes, bogs, and swamps). Along the way, Jacob shares his love of Old...

In the February episode, Amy Dupcak joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her role as Editor in Chief of Cagibi Literary Journal. We chat about Amy's writing background, from the moody poetry of adolescence to the publication of her short story collection dust, as well as some practical advice for submitting your work. Along the way, we discover our mutual appreciation for the novels of Vladimir N...

In the January episode, September Herrin joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her role as Editor in Chief of Weird Lit Mag. We chat about September's time in a Seattle goth punk band, the connections of music & writing, as well as the origin story of the new online publication Weird Lit Mag. And cryptids too! We cover September's fascination with Sasquatch and other mysterious beings. If you...

In the November episode, editor and writing professor Wendy E. Wallace joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about Peatsmoke Journal . We chat about the origin story of Peatsmoke, what sets it apart from other online lit mags, what they look for during the review process, along with some general submission advice. Wendy grew up in Buffalo, NY, so it was great to talk a bit about the WNY region — the fri...

In the March episode, authors Dawn Leas and John Tessitore join host Aaron Lelito to read some poems and talk about how they were made. If you like getting a behind-the-scenes view of the creative process, listen up! We also chat about the question, “What keeps you going as a writer?” and how we choose to include personal life in our writing. Lastly, we offer a few practical writing suggestions (b...

In the January episode, writer and previous WRJ contributor Kelly Gray joins host Aaron Lelito to chat about her new poetry chapbook called The Mating Calls of a Specter , out now from Tusculum Review. Kelly writes about what she knows or is trying to know: parenting, systemic violence, dead things, monsters, prophetic animals, relationships to self and others, and rural life. In our conversation,...

In the November episode, poet, film writer, and adventurer Amber Herzog Lyman joins hosts Aaron Lelito and Nicole Bethune Winters to chat about her creative process and her connection to nature, as well as her new poetry/music album called Listen Deep . Amber also shares a poem from the album called “Our Mother.” If you like poetry, music, and cetaceans (a classic trio), I recommend that you liste...

In the September episode, authors Marybeth Holleman and Eric Williamson join host Aaron Lelito to read some poems and talk about how they were made. If you like getting a behind the scenes view of the creative process, listen up! We also chat about the “nuts-and-bolts” of putting together a poetry collection, as well as a pretty hefty reading recommendations list. See more about Marybeth’s book Te...

In the August episode, WRJ contributors Morgan Stephens and Eben Bein join hosts Aaron Lelito and Chris Vogt for a writer-centric conversation. Here, both guests offer a poem from their collections. Eben reads "What I Meant to Ask" (published in WRJ's Issue 13 ), and Morgan reads "Better this way" (published in Issue 21 ). We get some wonderful behind-the-scenes insights about these poems as well....

In the July episode, WRJ contributors Morgan Stephens and Eben Bein join hosts Aaron Lelito and Chris Vogt for a writer-centric conversation. We chat about the questions "How can you describe your creation process?" and "How do you gain useful insight into your writing?" Both Morgan and Eben have chapbooks in various stages in the publication process, so they are able to offer some great experient...

In the May episode, author, teacher, and ecologist Anne Marie Wells joins hosts Aaron Lelito and Chris Vogt for the second part of our conversation. We chat about the question What is the role of letting go in the creative process? Also, Anne Marie shares a poem called "Grief is the Ghost," which is from her new poetry collection Survived By. It is available now!

In the April (aka National Poetry Month) episode, author, teacher, and ecologist Anne Marie Wells joins hosts Aaron Lelito and Chris Vogt. We chat about overcoming second-guessing yourself as a writer (as well as some other writer-centric pitfalls), and Anne Marie takes us behind the scenes of her poem "Prairie Fire," which was published in the November 2021 issue of WRJ. Anne Marie also has a new...

For the March episode, we have another group of previous WRJ contributors to read some of their work. 12 contributors join us for this reading. Enjoy! J.D Goodman (0:41) Kris Whorton (3:38) Shannon Vare Christine (7:14) Liam Day (9:42) Emma McNamara (11:44) Melody Wilson (16:29) Veronica Barker-Barzel (19:44) Victoria Dym (23:34) David A. Goodrum (27:38) Justine Payton (30:40) John Tessitore (38:2...

For the February episode, we invited another group of previous contributors to read some of their work, and unsurprisingly, the writers included here present the kind of thoughtful, engaging, and heartfelt work that you've come to expect from Wild Roof Journal. 18 WRJ contributors join us for this reading. Enjoy! Sara Dovre Wudali (0:55) Sarah Croscutt (4:40) Cleo Griffith (8:54) Ellen June Wright...

In the January episode, WRJ collaborators Ann Keeling and Rachel Lauren Myers join hosts Aaron Lelito and Chris Vogt for an informal chat. Here, we continue the conversation from last month's episode and consider ways to approach deeply personal writing ... and the uncertainty of publishing it for everyone to see (yikes)! We also troubleshoot Chris' writing project about a night in a strip club at...

In the December episode, WRJ collaborators Ann Keeling and Rachel Lauren Myers join hosts Aaron Lelito and Chris Vogt. We chat about three of our favorite poems from Issue 17: Bracha K. Sharp's "Waiting for the Gift," Julia Wendell's "August Outro," and Ian Schoultz's "grandfather passes in the hall." Each of these selections pack quite an emotional punch and display a remarkable nuance of craft a...

Here's something new for the November episode! We invited a group of previous contributors to read some of their work, and unsurprisingly, the writers who took us up on the offer share the kind of thoughtful, engaging, and heartfelt work that you've come to expect from Wild Roof Journal. 12 previous WRJ contributors join us for this reading. Enjoy! The selections presented are accessible at wildro...