“With this podcast, we’re going to investigate what writing looks like in higher ed and change the way we look at writing in and beyond the classroom altogether. Despite some common misconceptions, writing isn’t limited to the five paragraph essays you wrote about Romeo and Juliet back in your sophomore year of high school English class years ago. Writing education takes many forms: It’s teaching students how to write thorough lab reports and how to juggle scientific accuracy with differing levels of scientific literacy among scientists and public audiences. It’s teaching students how to articulate dance moves into concrete actions and descriptions, in the hopes of better capturing the indescribable art form of dance in words. It’s teaching students how to write about history, how to write about literary theory, and how to write about philosophy. Writing in higher ed should prepare students to communicate with a variety of audiences and to share their findings confidently, in their academic careers and beyond.
Whether you’re a professor looking for tips on how to improve writing opportunities in your own classroom, a student in STEM or the humanities trying to improve your written communication skills for class, or just someone interested in writing, this podcast will have something for you. You’ll get to hear from writing instructors in a number of departments to see what writing looks like in their field and how we can better understand what an advanced writing education should look like.
Let’s revise the way we look at writing in higher education, here on Red Penned.
You can find episodes of Red Penned on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, and right here.
Season Nine
Writing in the Wild
Hosted and produced by Abigail Fisette, WIP Intern
Audio production by Mann Chung Hak Sy Tha, WIP Intern
Spring 2025
Write a paper, eat, sleep, repeat. A reality for many students at the University of Georgia and universities around the globe. But writing is more than what we do for a class assignment. It’s an activity that lurks, waiting to pounce in the tall grass everywhere. It’s on our phones, in our inboxes, in our clubs, and part of our jobs. On this season of Red Penned, host Abigail Fisette and guests will be exploring how developing a vital skill like writing can and will have immense value in the wilderness outside of academics.
Season Eight
Between a Rock and a Headspace
Produced by Will Penoncello, WIP Intern, Fall 2024
Writing is a form of communication, a bridge for people to send their thoughts and ideas into the physical world. Communication takes a variety of forms. In this season of RedPenned, we’ll observe different avenues of communication by exploring the distinctions, impacts, and limitations of each form. After exploring these forms of communication, we’ll focus on the distinct aspects of written communication and why it is one of the (if not the most) valuable forms of communication.
Season Seven
The Writers
Produced by Maya Gotschall, WIP Intern, Spring 2024
In this season of RedPenned, host Maya Gotschall and esteemed guests will delve into the concept of writing as a whole, its applications to different fields of study and work. From one end of the scope we’ll be discussing music, art, and of course- literature. On the other end, Maya will be interviewing people who work in the subjects of science and academics.
How do these people in these vastly different fields approach the concept of writing? How does it change between the reports, essays, resumes, etc.? And is it all still writing? Of course it is! Tune in this season to hear all about it.
Season Six
AI and Writing
Produced by Katie Burdett, WIP Intern, Fall 2023
On this season of RedPenned, we look across several fields in higher education to try and find common ground on AI. Through English, Ethics, Entertainment Media Studies, and Computer Science, all of which have a complicated history with AI, we begin to see nuanced opinions that could change the way we see this new technology—and even writing. Is AI enhancing or debilitating the creative, cultural, and academic spaces that express themselves through writing in higher education and beyond? Where do professionals and pre-professionals see this tide turning in the next decade? Part of our mission reads, “ Writing in higher ed should prepare students to communicate with a variety of audiences and to share their findings confidently, in their academic careers and beyond.” But what happens when students face a technological shift of this magnitude, one that has the potential to upend their lives in and out of the classroom? All of these things and more on RedPenned: AI and Writing.
Season Five
Intro Body Conclusion
Produced by Anya Ricketson, WIP Intern, Spring 2023
This season, we’ll be focusing on writing assignments—everything from scientific research papers and journal articles to poetry analysis and creative writing. Join us on a journey to gain a better understanding of how different types of people approach writing in their fields. Let’s investigate and rethink what writing looks like in higher education together.
Season 4
Writing is Life?
Produced by Matthew Karshna, WIP Intern, Fall 2022
This season, we’ll discover just how important writing is for a variety of individuals—including working students and a martial artist—in a variety of fields—from media and design to education. For these individuals and in these contexts, communication skills are key; writing just looks a little different. So why is this important? Writing is something that we will ALL have to do at some point, and not only this, but we will all put our own twist on it in order to accomplish beautiful things, hard things, important things—all the things. We are all writers.
Season Three
Produced by Jaylin Small, Maille Heneghan, & Mary Carroll Waller, WIP Interns, Spring 2022
This season, we look at writing tips, places, and projects. In Episode 1, we share highlights from On Writing Well by William Zinsser. In Episode 2, we explore Athens and UGA to uncover the best places to write. And in Episode 3, we dive deep into the mysterious world of undergraduate thesis projects.
Season Two
Produced by Karson Corbitt, WIP Intern, Fall 2021
Karson Corbitt is a senior at the University of Georgia studying English and Interdisciplinary Writing. She believes that writing in any discipline is a skill worth pursuing, and hopes that her experience with the Writing Intensive Program can show other students its worth.
Season One
Created and produced by Abby Brunn, WIP Intern, Spring 2021
Abby Brunn (Class of 2021) earned her B.A. in English with a minor in Communication Studies and an interdisciplinary writing certificate. During her time at UGA, she served as President and Bicentennial Anniversarian of the Phi Kappa Literary Society, a debate and oratory organization founded in 1820. She interned with the University of Georgia Press for three years and served as an editorial intern for Borrowers & Lenders: The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation. She hopes to pursue a career in technical writing, copywriting, or publishing..