by Phiwe Mhlope
Amplifying young African voices at home and in the diaspora thus, adding to the global discourse of making home a better place. On each episode, I deep dive into conversations with authors, influencers, writers, entertainers and thought leaders, social and political commentators, and friends. We talk about literature, writing, politics, technology and maybe a general philosophy of life. New Episode every other Friday. Subscribe to my Newsletter for more in-depth perspectives.
Language
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Publishing Since
6/11/2024
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September 11, 2025
<p>----------------------------------------------------------------⚠️ Note: Some sections have a slight 🎙️ echo on the host’s audio.We decided to keep the conversation as is because of its value.🙏 Thanks for listening and supporting!</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>✝️ Guest’s Correction (49:27): Sharon wants to clarify — “On rewatching this, she misrepresented what the Bible teaches. No one attains eternal life with God except through Jesus, even if they lived a ‘morally good’ life.”</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------This is a conversation with Sharon Matongo, a legal scholar and education advocate, co-founder of Charity Drive Zimbabwe, graduate of Columbia Law School, and a Kofi Annan Changemaker. She shares her life experiences from home and abroad, the challenges of navigating a career path, and the importance of community.In this discussion, we explore the complexities of faith, morality, and religion, the concept of redemptive history, and the role of sacrifice in Christianity. The dialogue emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural values, identifying one’s core values, and appreciating the nuances of individual experiences in new environments. We also examine the challenges faced by nonprofits in Africa and conclude with reflections on a life well lived, highlighting the significance of curiosity and the pursuit of meaningful goals. Hope you enjoy!Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:45 Exploring Co-operate Life02:40 life in New York vs life in Zim03:48 Reflections on Individualism & Community08:31 Pressure of Success and Identity12:50 Exploring Infrastructure and Energy Development in Africa20:38 On Pressure Following Viral Speech24:57 The Concept of Home27:33 Books, Reading and Timothy Keller30:17 Rediscovering Faith & a Church Community in a New Environment 45:25 The Intersection of Morality and Religion58:10 The Nature of Christian Doctrines & a Relationship with God1:05:37 The Spiritual Experience and Its Evidence1:08:12 The Identity of Jesus in Different Religions1:11:08 Redemptive History and God's Plan1:17:50 Charity and Its Disconnect in Africa1:21:30 The Role of Nonprofits vs. Business in Development1:25:24 On Pursuing Policy Advocacy1:26:21 Reflections on Upbringing and Personal Growth1:34:27 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Understanding Core Values1:41:09 Favorite Book1:42:25 Digital Nomadic life & Algorithms1:45:53 Literary Reflections: Crime and Punishment, Born A Crime, The Dictator's Handbook1:52:31 Life Philosophies and Personal Mantras1:55:11 The Writer's Journey: Why We Write1:59:10 Writing through mimicry 1:59:51 Navigating the Landscape of Ideas2:03:27 Defining a Life Well Lived➡️Suggest A guest or sign up to feature as a guest:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EqDjF6eBp01oLq5BWkDiACgeo4NJ5taoAsz0_OaPfoo/preview----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------📲 Follow us on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepenandpulsepodTwitter: https://x.com/phiwemhlopeTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepenandpulsepod🔗 Check out my website: https://www.mhlopephiwe.com/🎙️ Don’t forget to Subscribe, Share and Turn on Notifications!:https://www.youtube.com/@UCznNtAguf40a4UMSWUklkJw or leave a nice comment, or just say hie. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Music Attribution:Track Title: Kid KodiArtist: Blue Dot SessionsSource: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Skittle/Kid_Kodi/License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Changes Made: No changes made.</p>
September 4, 2025
<p>In this conversation with Rudo D Manyere—writer and author of "3:15AM & Other Stories", we explore the emotional journey of writing, the complexities of cultural identity and family dynamics and social medial and mental health.</p><p><br></p><p>Rudo shares insights into her writing journey and process, challenges of navigating personal growth amidst cultural challenges, and her personal connections to her narratives. We also discuss historical contexts that shape writing, personal and psychological experiences that influence storytelling, the importance of African Literature, and perceptions on it. Tune in for a very laid back intriguing conversation.</p><p><br></p><p>Chapters:</p><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>01:50 Discovering Rudo's Work</p><p>02:27 Who is Rudo and where's she's from.</p><p>06:16 Writing as a longing for Home</p><p>09:48 The Emotional Landscape of Writing</p><p>15:04 Writing a Second Book</p><p>15:33 Inspiration & Action in writing</p><p>16:11 Reflections on Migration, Navigating Parental Relationships and Emotional Clashes</p><p>22:42 Importance of Direct Communication</p><p>24:45 Sharing Parts of You in Writing.</p><p>25:47 Writing Growth from Primary School</p><p>28:20 The Evolution of Writing to more authentic storytelling</p><p>29:48 Discovering African Literature</p><p>34:02 Reading only African Literature</p><p>36:02 How 3:15 AM, the book came about</p><p>38:30 Favorite story from the book</p><p>48:00 Exploring Themes in Stories and Personal Connections</p><p>51:17 On Character Creation & Development</p><p>55:02 Struggling with Reading the Classic Novels</p><p>57:00 Writing Historical Fiction</p><p>1:01:00 Personal Impact of the Stories on the self</p><p>1:06:30 Afro-Surrealism</p><p>1:08:00 Diverse Genres in African Literature & Stereotypes</p><p>1:13:22 Curating African Literature Reviews Content</p><p>1:15:38 On the Writing Process</p><p>1:18:19 Writing Influences</p><p>1:23:08 The Role of Emotion in writing</p><p>1:24:18 Man writing Romance</p><p>1:27:37 Where authentic stories come from</p><p>1:30:26 Nostalgia and Music in the Creative Process</p><p>1:34:40 Content Creation and Community Engagement</p><p>1:36:00 A Philosophy on life</p><p><br></p><p>➡️Suggest A guest or sign up to feature as a guest:</p><p>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EqDjF6eBp01oLq5BWkDiACgeo4NJ5taoAsz0_OaPfoo/preview</p><p><br></p><p>📱Follow Rudo Manyere:</p><p> @WhatsRudoReading </p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatsrudoreading/</p><p>Twitter: https://x.com/RudoManyere</p><p><br></p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>📲 Follow us on social media:</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepenandpulsepod</p><p>Twitter: https://x.com/phiwemhlope</p><p>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepenandpulsepod</p><p><br></p><p>🔗 Check out my website: https://www.mhlopephiwe.com/</p><p><br></p><p>🎙️ Don’t forget to Subscribe, Share and Turn on Notifications!:</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/@UCznNtAguf40a4UMSWUklkJw </p><p>or leave a nice comment, or just say hie. </p><p><br></p><p>📚Mentioned Literature</p><p>1. "3:15 AM & Other Stories", Rudo D Manyere</p><p> https://a.co/d/1MGj3u2</p><p><br></p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Music Attribution:</p><p>Track Title: Kid Kodi</p><p>Artist: Blue Dot Sessions</p><p>Source: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Skittle/Kid_Kodi/</p><p>License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/</p><p>Changes Made: No changes made.</p>
January 24, 2025
<p>In this conversation with Dr Chido Muchemwa: writer and author of "Who Will Bury You and Other Stories", I had the pleasure of delving into the intricacies of writing, exploring themes of identity, loss, migration, family narratives, dreams and societal expectations. Chido shares insights into her writing process, the significance of her latest book and the importance of representing marginalized voices, particularly in the context of queer and African narratives. This discussion highlights the balance between personal experiences and fictional storytelling, as well as the challenges and joys of being a writer in today's world. She also discusses the challenges faced by African authors, navigating the publishing landscape, the role of workshops and value of MFA programs. Tune for a very laid back intriguing conversation. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:52 How Phiwe discovered the book. 04:28 Exploring the Title: Who Will Bury You? 05:30 How much of the Fiction is based on real experiences 07:47 Chido's Writing Journey 09:46 The Writer's Process: Creating Characters 10:30 What is the Purpose of Writing 13:03 Should you write for an ideal audience? 13:55 Writing Common Experiences: Marriage Pressure as an adult 18:09 Favorite stories in the book 21:00 Writing Queer Narratives 26:00 The Fight For Marginalized Voices 29:00 Exploring Acceptance in Queer Narratives 32:00 Nuances of Parental Acceptance 34:00 Homelessness and Belonging 38:18 Beliefs in Mermaids, Magic and the Supernatural 40:01 African Stories in Western Spaces 47:38 On Father-Daughter Relationships & Expressing Emotions 52:50 The Search for Meaning in Life and Dreams 57:14 Writing Routine and Process 01:00:00 Navigating the Publishing Landscape 01:02:23 Role of Writing Workshops & Blogs 01:06:53 Role of MFA Programs 01:09:58 Writing Influences and Inspirations 01:13:58 Making money As A Writer 01:19:12 Nutty O Favorite Artist 01:20:08 Advice for Aspiring and Young Writers ➡️Suggest A guest or sign up to feature as a guest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EqDjF6eBp01oLq5BWkDiACgeo4NJ5taoAsz0_OaPfoo/preview 📱Follow Chido Muchwemwa: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chidomuchemwa/ Twitter: https://x.com/chidomuchemwa Website: https://chidotmuchemwa.wordpress.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 📲 Follow us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepenandpulsepod Twitter: https://x.com/phiwemhlope TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepenandpulsepod 🔗 Check out my website: https://www.mhlopephiwe.com/ 🎙️ Don’t forget to Subscribe, Share and Turn on Notifications!: https://www.youtube.com/@UCznNtAguf40a4UMSWUklkJw or leave a nice comment, or just say hie. 📚Mentioned Literature 1. "Who Will Bury You and Other Stories", Chido Muchemwa https://houseofanansi.com/products/who-will-bury-you? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Music Attribution: Track Title: Kid Kodi Artist: Blue Dot Sessions Source: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Skittle/Kid_Kodi/ License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Changes Made: No changes made. </p>
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Amplifying young African voices at home and in the diaspora thus, adding to the global discourse of making home a better place. On each episode, I deep dive into conversations with authors, influencers, writers, entertainers and thought leaders, social and political commentators, and friends.
We talk about literature, writing, politics, technology and maybe a general philosophy of life.
New Episode every other Friday.
Subscribe to my Newsletter for more in-depth perspectives.
This podcast updates weekly.
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