Writing in graduate school is hard, but it doesn't have to be. Through open-ended interviews with graduate students, this podcast from the University of Washington's Odegaard Writing and Research Center offers a practical companion to writing at the graduate level by asking experienced students how they write. Listen in as our writers talk about what works for them and how to work around some of the pitfalls they have encountered. Maybe you'll even find a strategy that is right for you!
On this episode, we talk with Sikose (she/her), a Ph.D. student in the Department of English studying underground literature in South Africa during apartheid. Together, we talk about how her research informs her perspective on writing and why writing matters to her.
Please note that this episode contains discussions of police and state violence.
Historical context:
1949 – the first apartheid law is enacted in South Africa
1952 – Regional pass laws, which required Black South Africans to carry identifying documents to travel through internal checkpoints within the country, are replaced by a national pass law
1953 – The Bantu Education Act is enacted, effectively restricting education access for non-White South Africans
1960 – Sharpeville Massacre occurs when police ambush crowds protesting against the national pass law
1963-64 – The Rivonia Trial takes place, sending many leading anti-apartheid activists to prison for life, including Nelson Mandela
1976 – Soweto Uprising, a protest that begins as a response to planned language policy instituting Afrikaans as the language of instruction for Black South African students, becomes a broader challenge to the authority of the apartheid government
1990 – Negotiations begin to end apartheid in South Africa; Nelson Mandela is released after 27 years of imprisonment
Material and resources discussed:
South Africa Belongs to Us: A History of the ANC – Francis Meli (Zimbabwe Publishing House, 1988; accessible via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/19md426/alma99112411940001452))
Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto – Tricia Hersey (Little, Brown Spark, 2022; accessible via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99162589264101452))
On the Stage of Time – Sikose Mji (Beyond the Vale Publishing, 2024; available soon via UW Libraries)
Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature – Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Heinemann, 1986; accessible via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99131438410001452))
The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-love – Sonya Renee Taylor (Berrett-Koehler Publishers; accessible via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99162082120401452))
Storytelling Fellows (https://sites.uw.edu/libstory/) – a program for UW students, faculty, and staff organized by the UW Libraries offering beginner-level workshops on podcasting, digital exhibition, and video storytelling.
Audio transcript: Episode 4 (coming soon!)
25 Apr 2025
Richa
In this episode, we hear from Richa (she/her), a Master’s student in Communications with a background in business and marketing. With her current studies and professional experience, Richa brings an informative perspective on practical writing, focusing on the audience, and the value of reading broadly.
Material and resources discussed:
The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People around the World Buy and Live as They Do – Clotaire Rapaille (Crown Business, 2007; accessible via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99140083200001452))
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion – Jonathan Haidt (Crown Business, 2012; accessible via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99138590130001452))
Audio transcript: Episode 3 (coming soon!)
25 Apr 2025
Gabrielle
In this episode, we chat with Gabrielle (she/her), a Ph.D. candidate from the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering. Listen in as we talk about writing, technology, and finding confidence in your work.
Material and resources discussed:
How the Page Matters – Bonnie Mak (University of Toronto Press, 2011; accessible via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99143849680001452))
Otter.ai (https://get.otter.ai/interview-transcription/?hsa_acc=6047463090&hsa_cam=20485057842&hsa_grp=151407997566&hsa_ad=620848099639&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-326705171901&hsa_kw=automatic%20transcription%20software&hsa_mt=p&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1) – An AI-based transcription and notetaking software
The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World – Iain McGilchrist (Yale University Press, 2010; accessible in print (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99109134560001452) or ebook (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99162013909701452) via UW Libraries)
Association for Computing Machinery (https://www.acm.org/) – a major professional association focused on computing science and technology
The Notebooks of Simone Weil – Simone Weil (Routledge, 2004; available via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/19md426/alma99138567500001452).
Tim Ingold (https://www.timingold.com/) – Emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Aberdeen
Phenomenology of Perception – Maurice Merleau-Ponty (Routledge, 2012 [1945]; available via UW Libraries (https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99156485640001452).
Writer’s Routine (https://writersroutinedotcom.wordpress.com/) podcast – a chat-based podcast in which published authors describe and reflect on their writing routine
Audio transcript: Episode 2 (coming soon!)
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