Advertise on podcast: LitCit: Antioch's Literary Citizen Podcast

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Shayla Kerr-Munsie chats with poet, scholar and nonfiction author, Harryette Mullen. Mullen is a Professor of English at University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of numerous works. Her most recent work, Regaining Unconsciousness, was published in 2025. Mullen has been awarded a Gertrude Stein Award for innovative poetry, a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award and a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, among other achievements. In this episode, produced by Shannon Sanquist and edited by Odin Rasco, Mullen speaks about her work and her philosophy regarding education.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Gabriela Revilla Lugo of the MFA in Dramatic Writing (Screenwriting) program sits down with writer, editor, and translator Mike Fu. Mike Fu is a Tokyo-based writer, editor, and translator. His Chinese-English translation of Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao (Bloomsbury, 2020) was named a Favorite Book of the Year by the Paris Review and shortlisted for the 2021 National Translation Award in Prose. Fu's debut novel, Masquerade, was published by Tin House in 2024. He has taught at Temple University Japan, Parsons School of Design, and the City University of New York, and received his PhD in cultural studies from Waseda University. He is a writer and editor for The Japan Times. This episode was produced by Hylee Kim and mastered by Max Pearl and Odin Rasco.

On this episode of Antioch MFA Program's LitCit, host Teré Fowler-Chapman chats with guest  Niki Herd. Niki is the author of two poetry collections, The Stuff of Hollywood (2024) and The Language of Shedding Skin (2011), and the chapbook ____, don't you weep (2022). She is a four-time Pushcart Prize nominee and is an assistant professor at Franklin & Marshall College. This episode was produced by Jenna Ray and edited by Odin Rasco.

On this episode of Antioch MFA Program's LitCit, host Jenna Ray chats with BookEnds Literary Agency agent, Allegra Martschenko. Allegra's client list represents a dynamic range of thoughtful, funny, ambitious and propulsive reads across speculative and romance genres. Following a career in scholarly publishing with presses including Princeton University, The University of Colorado and Cornell University, they are also an author under pen names and an artist. Jenna and Allegra discuss the publishing landscape for authors, life as a literary agent, their manuscript wishlist and advice for authors and MFA students. This episode was produced by Justin Clarel and mastered by Jenna Ray.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Gabriela Revilla Lugo chats with award-winning author Reyna Grande. Grande is the bestselling writer of The Distance Between Us, A Dream Called Home, and A Ballad of Love and Glory, and her work has been celebrated internationally for its intimate portrayals of migration, resilience, and belonging. In this conversation, Grande reflects on her evolution as a storyteller, the craft behind writing across genres, and the emotional truths that guide her work. Learn about her creative process, the experiences that shaped her voice, and what she's working on next. This episode was produced by Karen Sampson and mastered by Mitko Grigorov.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Hyelee Kim chats with Annie Hwang. Hwang is an agent at Ayesha Pande Literary, an advocate, and a champion for underrepresented voices. Her authors include John Paul Brammer, Franny Choi, Alison Rollins, and USA Today best-selling author Jihyun Yun. As a former journalist with a keen editorial eye, Hwang discusses her career and preference for "literary fiction with teeth." Hwang also provides hope, guidance, and insight for aspiring writers. This episode was produced by Diane Woodworth and mastered by Hyelee Kim.

On this episode of Antioch MFA Program's LitCit, host Jenna Ray chats with author, artist, teacher and antioch MFA alumni, Lisa Freeman. They discuss her multi-faceted career, her historical young adult novels, Honey Girl and Riptide Summer, her newest story "Snow People" in the anthology The Gift Exchange, and writing about LGBTQIA+ and women's reproductive rights in a historical context. This episode was produced by Hyelee Kim and mastered by Odin Rasco.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Gina Rae Duran interviews acclaimed writer Bonnie Hearn Hill. Hill is author of sixteen suspense novels, most recently the Kit Doyle Crime Blogger series and the novel The River Below. Hearn Hill's work also appears in The White Picket Fence, an anthology from Flower Song Press edited by host Gina Rae Duran. Listen to Hearn Hill reflect on her career, her writing, her research process and how she approaches storytelling through the exploration of the theme of misfits. This episode was produced by Bo Thomas Newman and mastered by David Nguyen.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Gabriela Revilla Lugo interviews acclaimed writer Winnie Holzman. Holzman is the creative force behind some of the most influential works in contemporary storytelling, including the beloved musical Wicked and TV classics like My So-Called Life and Once and Again. Hear Holzman reflect on her artistic journey, the cultural resonance of her work, and the lessons she's learned from a career spent shaping iconic narratives. This episode was produced by Mansi Aneja and mastered by David Blixt.

On this episode of Antioch MFA Program's LitCit, host Ash Anderson chats with Tony-nominated actor, award-winning playwright and novelist, John Cariani. Cariani is an Antioch University mentor and has penned more than twenty plays, including Almost, Main, which has been produced more than 5000 times and which he adapted into a novel. This episode was produced by Karen Sampson and mastered by Mitko Grigorov.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Gabriela Lugo chats with Colette Freedman. Freedman is an internationally produced playwright with over 50 produced plays and musicals. Her play Sister Cities has been produced around the country and internationally, including Paris (Une Ville, Une Soeur), Rome (Le Quattro Sorelle), and Australia. She made her West End Debut at the Lyric Theatre in April 2025 as co-book writer and lyricist in Bettie Page Queen of the Pinups: The Musical. Freedman is a much-loved teaching faculty at Antioch University's MFA program. Soak in her vibrant energy, her process as a writer, and her journey as a storyteller so far. This episode was produced by Karen Sampson and mastered by Mitko Grigorov.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Mansi Aneja chats with writer and Antioch nonfiction faculty member, Edgar Gomez. Gomez is a queer NicaRican writer born and raised in Florida. He is the author of the memoir High-Risk Homosexual that was released in 2022 and won the American Book Award, a Stonewall Israel-Fishman Nonfiction Book Honor Award, and the Lambda Literary Award. Get to know Gomez, his writing process, and the journey of his second book that was released in February 2025 entitled Alligator Tears. This episode was produced by Bo Thomas Newman and mastered by Mitko Grigorov.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Alejandra Alexander chats with writer, director, producer, teacher, and esteemed Antioch dramatic writing faculty member, Joy Kecken. Joy's short films, Woman Hollering Creek and Louisville, and her feature documentary, The Biggest Little Farm, have screened at over 30 film festivals. She has also developed series for Amazon, ABC Signature, and FX. They discuss her career, which spans being the co-founder of The Film Foundry, a Culver City-based media company, writing and directing HBO's The Wire, serving as Co-Executive Producer on the fourth season of Genius: MLK/X, a National Geographic series, and her feature film, All-In, currently in development with Maven Pictures. This episode was produced by Bo Thomas Newman and mastered by David Nguyen.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Brenda Fantroy-Johnson chats with acclaimed author, essayist, activist, and esteemed Antioch faculty member Anjali Enjeti. Together they discuss in detail her debut novel The Parted Earth, her essay collection, Southbound, what writing as activism means, and exploring family history. This episode was produced by Bo Thomas Newman and edited by Brenda Fantroy-Johnson and David Nguyen.

On this episode of Antioch MFA's LitCit, host Bo Thomas Newman chats with author, screenwriter, editor, director, journalist, and professor, Morgan Jerkins. They discuss her multifaceted career as a professor, editor and journalist, the balance between fiction and nonfiction, her past works such as This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America and Caul Baby, her path to directing her first short film, Black Madonna, and how her new novel, Zeal, came to be, which is in stores now. This episode was produced by Mansi Aneja and mastered by Mitko Grigorov.