The Wandering Pen: A Podcast of Resilience, History, and the Power of Storytelling.

Between Verses and Translations: Nancy Jean Ross on Crafting Literary Bridges

Join Christine Musser as she delves into the creative and academic worl of Nancy Jean Ross, a distinguished poet and literary translator. Our conversation unravels the intricate tapestry of Nancy’s work, where poetry, research, and translation converge to preserve and celebrate female voices across cultures and eras.              
Nancy shares her journey from the lyrical exploration of motherhood in her award-winning chapbook A Gold Seed, Green Pain to her profound research on the Mexican writer Rosario Castellanos. Through vivid storytelling, we explore how Nancy’s translations bring Rosario’s intimate and politically sharp letters to life for English-speaking audiences.
As Nancy reflects on her academic journey and the poetic inspiration she finds in everyday experiences and global travels, listeners are invited to a deeper understanding of how personal narratives and scholarly pursuits can illuminate each other. Join us for an exploration of the delicate art of translating not only languages but the essence of human experience. 
Find Nancy's thesis "Negotiating the feminine: Travel, Writing and Identity in Rosario Casianos's Non-Fiction" online at the University of British Columbia and in the Asymptote Journal. Nancy's contact info is nr209@nyu.edu. 
#PoetryPodcast #LiteraryTranslation #WomenWriters #RosarioCastellanos #MotherhoodInPoetry #TranslatingVoices
#Personal #Political #BilingualWriting #LettersAndLanguage #PoeticVoice
                    

Writing from the Wild: Cynthia O’Neil on Horses, Land, and Living Between Worlds

         In this heartfelt episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, Christine Musser sits down with writer Cynthia O’Neil. From the moss-covered hills of Western North Carolina, Cynthia shares her journey as a triracial writer, her deep bond with horses, and how land, resilience, and ancestral memory shape her voice.
 
Together, they explore Cynthia’s roots in Massachusetts, her experiences as a teenage mother, loss, her Native heritage, her journey living with lupus, and the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Cynthia also opens up about her creative process, her writing on Substack, and the spiritual lessons she draws from nature and stillness.  
          Whether you’re a writer, an animal lover, or someone walking  your own path of survival and healing, this conversation will resonate with your heart.
Read Cynthia’s work on Substack: https://coneilwriter.substack.com#writinglife #memoir #horsetherapy #indigenouswriters #spiritualresilience #lupuswarrior #northcarolinawriters #substackwriters #healingwithnature #thewanderingpen

From Vulnerability to Voice: A Personal Reflection & Future Glimpse

In this heartfelt solo episode, host Christine Musser pauses to reflect on the growth, gratitude, and genuine connection that have defined the first 21 episodes of The Wandering Pen. What began as a podcast rooted in vulnerability and storytelling has blossomed into a meaningful space for authors, historians, artists, and everyday people to share their truths.
Christine opens up about her challenges with anxiety and finding her voice again—and shares exciting news about upcoming guests, including triracial writer Cynthia O’Neil, resilient real estate trailblazer Natalie Crawford, and literary scholar Nancy Jean Ross. She also announces her upcoming memoir writing class, inspired by Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir, which starts on June 23.Memoir Writing Course Information  Subscribe/Follow The Wandering Pen Podcast    Learn more about Christine Musser
          
If you’re a lover of true stories, raw reflections, and deep conversations, this is your invitation to keep wandering.
#TheWanderingPen #PodcastMilestone #MemoirWriting #StorytellingMatters #WomenPodcasters #RealTalkPodcast #WritersOfInstagram #AuthorLife #PersonalGrowth #CreativeJourney #PodcastAnnouncement #IndiePodcasts

History, Heritage & Nonconformity: Anne Deeter Gallaher Reflects on Her Roots

Today’s episode tells the story of a trailblazing Pennsylvania family who challenged expectations and left a powerful legacy.
              
 
 
 
Based in the Harrisburg area during the early 1900s, this family defied societal norms: a mother who began a professional singing career at 50, a daughter who became one of the highest-earning women of her time and later led the National Girl Scouts, another daughter who became a doctor and suffragist, and a son who founded a theater—still active today—that’s now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Join me for a fascinating conversation about family legacy, leadership, the women’s rights movement, and the power of the arts to shape culture across generations. 
Anne's contact info - Grit & Gravitas Podcast  Deeter Gallaher Group    Women in High Gear: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, On-Rampers, and Aspiring Executives
Photo Credits: top to bottom  Jane Deeter Rippin
Jasper Deeter
Dr. Ruth Deeter - (pictured 4th from the left) Evening News Archives
#FamilyLegacy #WomenInHistory #HistoricTheater #PennsylvaniaHistory #GirlScoutsLegacy #Suffragist #Nonconformists #HarrisburgHistory #TrailblazingWomen #LeadershipThroughGenerations #TheaterHistory #NationalRegisterOfHistoricPlaces #MemoirPodcast #InspiringStories #LegacyAndLeadership #CreativeLegacy

The Power of Grit: Mari Sandoz’s Legacy as the Story Catcher of the Plains

 
In this episode of The Wandering Pen, host Christine Musser welcomes historian and author Shannon D. Smith, President of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society, for a compelling conversation about the life, work, and enduring legacy of Mari Sandoz—one of the most powerful voices of the American High Plains.
Born in 1896 in a sod house in northwest Nebraska, Mari Sandoz faced relentless hardship, rejection, and personal sacrifice on her path to becoming a published author. With only an eighth-grade education and a fierce determination, she rose to literary prominence with books like Old Jules, Crazy Horse: Strange Man of the Oglala, The Buffalo Hunters, and Miss Morissa. Sandoz was more than a writer—she was a truth-teller, a creative nonfiction pioneer, and a fierce advocate for authentic Plains history, especially Indigenous perspectives.
Together, Christine and Shannon explore:
How Sandoz’s gritty upbringing shaped her voice and purpose
Why her meticulous research and index card system became legendary
What made her writing style controversial yet visionary
Her legacy as an ally, educator, and story-catcher of the Plains
Why her books remain relevant today, especially for writers, historians, and lovers of the American West
Whether you're a fan of historical fiction, biography, Western history, or women's stories of perseverance, this episode brings Mari Sandoz’s unique journey vividly to life.
🔗 Learn more at mariSandoz.org and thewanderingpen.net
                
#MariSandoz #AmericanWest #WomenWriters #HistoricalNonfiction #HighPlainsHistory #CrazyHorse #OldJules #NebraskaHistory #IndigenousHistory #StorycatcherofThePlains #WritingWithGrit #WomensVoices #LiteraryLegacy #TheWanderingPenPodcast #NebraskaSandhills 
 

Resilience and the Writer’s Journey: Julie Burtinshaw on Grief and Renewal

 
In this heartfelt episode, author Julie Burtinshaw joins host Christine Musser to explore the healing power of writing through personal loss and life’s most challenging moments. Julie opens up about her journey back to writing after deep grief, sharing how creativity can be both a refuge and a path to renewal. Together, Christine and Julie reflect on resilience, the challenges of staying motivated, and finding hope even when life feels overwhelming. This candid conversation blends laughter with honest emotions, offering inspiration for writers and anyone navigating grief or creative roadblocks.
If this episode moves you, please share it with others who might benefit—and don’t forget to follow The Wandering Pen Podcast on any podcast platform for more powerful conversations and stories that remind us: storytelling can heal. Julie’s contact is jburtinshaw@gmail.com, and her website is https://burtinshaw.wordpress.com/.
You can find her books on Amazon or by googling for her. 
#WritingThroughGrief #JulieBurtinshaw #AuthorInterview #HealingThroughWriting #PodcastForWriters #CreativityAndResilience #GriefJourney #TheWanderingPenPodcast #StorytellingHeals

From Hemingway to EcoWatch: Cristen Hemingway Jaynes on Storytelling and Sustainability

           
In this episode of The Wandering Pen, Christine Musser welcomes Cristen Hemingway Jaynes—great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, author, and environmental journalist—for a thoughtful conversation on legacy, creativity, and the natural world. From retracing her famous ancestor’s steps to carving out her own voice through fiction, nonfiction, and environmental advocacy, Cristen’s path is one of curiosity, courage, and connection.
You’ll hear about:
How her JD, creative writing, and journalism converge
The story behind her biography on the places Ernest Hemingway traveled to and lived - Ernest’s Way: An International Journey Through Hemingway’s Life. 
 
 Her upcoming novel about traveling on buses and trains.
Her reflections on growing up in the Hemingway family. 
Insights into climate control, sustainable agriculture, Indigenous wisdom, and storytelling as activism.
Whether you’re a writer, wanderer, or someone who finds meaning in place and purpose, this episode will inspire you to keep exploring and writing!!
📚 Books: Ernest Way, The Smallest of Entryways🌿 Connect: Instagram & Facebook @CristenHemingwayJaynes  - Email cristenjaynes@gmail.com
                  
#PodcastInterview #WritersOnWriting #StorytellersOfInstagram #CreativeVoices #WomenWhoWrite #AuthorInterview #CristenHemingwayJaynes #HemingwayLegacy #EnvironmentalJournalism #TravelWriting #NatureInspired #SustainableLiving #EcoWatch #ClimateStories #IndigenousWisdom #OrganicFarming #LegacyAndVoice #WritingThroughWanderlust #StoriesThatMatter #FindingYourVoice #WriteYourLegacy #WordsAndWilderness #TheWanderingPen

Dennis Owens on 30+ Years in Journalism and the Changing Face of Local News

                    
 
In this episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, Christine Musser sits down with Dennis Owens—longtime ABC27 anchor, political reporter, and host of This Week in Pennsylvania—for a compelling conversation about the transformation of journalism over the past 30 years.
From his early days in sports broadcasting to becoming a trusted political voice at the Pennsylvania state Capitol, Dennis shares personal stories from the newsroom, reflects on the decline of local journalism, and weighs in on the public’s shifting trust in media. He also addresses the challenges of covering politics in a deeply divided time and explains why local news still matters—now more than ever.
Whether you’re curious about how newsrooms operate,  how media decisions are made, or what the future of journalism looks like, this episode offers rare insight from someone who’s been behind the headlines for over three decades.  #DennisOwens #LocalJournalism                   #MediaTrust #PoliticalReporting #StatePolitics                      #BroadcastNews #NewsroomStories                                      #JournalismThenAndNow #MediaEvolution                          #TheWanderingPenPodcast #PodcastInterview                      #StorytellingMatters #SupportLocalNews                               #PhiladelphiaEaglesFan #PhiladelphiaPhilliesFan
    
          

The Peebles' Homestead: A Piece of Pennsylvania’s Past Worth Saving

   
In this episode of The Wandering Pen, Christine talks with Brian Fritz, a historic preservation advocate who has spent the past five years working to save the Peebles Farmstead—a limestone homestead built in 1773 just outside Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Once home to Revolutionary War veteran Alexander Peebles Sr., this historic property tells the story of early Scotch-Irish settlement, enduring architecture, and the ongoing fight to preserve what remains.               
Brian shares how his interest in documenting the farmstead evolved into a passionate mission to protect it from commercial development and demolition by neglect. We explore the property’s archaeological significance, environmental concerns surrounding nearby sinkholes, and the creative vision for turning the homestead into a space for community learning and historical events.
This conversation examines the intersection of local history, grassroots advocacy, and what it really takes to prevent stories like these from being lost.
In this episode:
The history and legacy of the Peebles family
National Register eligibility and its limitations
Karst topography and risks to Newville’s water supply
Preservation efforts, community outreach, and future plans
Why saving old places matters to all of us
Learn more on the Peebles Homestead and Alexander Peebles of Shippensburg Facebook page, or find the property on Peebles Family Homestead. -
Find a grave - Captain Alexander Peebles, Sr. 1740-1824
       
#HistoricPreservation #PeeblesFarmstead #ShippensburgHistory #RevolutionaryWar #HistoricHomes #GrassrootsPreservation #SaveOldHouses #WanderingPenPodcast #savingplaces #pennsylvania #stonehouses ##farming #agriculture 
 

Grounded and Growing: Martha Judy Bailey on Land, Legacy, and Leadership

 
                                 
In this episode of The Wandering Pen, host Christine Musser welcomes guest Judy Bailey—a retired nurse anesthetist, lifelong conservationist, and now candidate for Upper Allen Township Commissioner. Judy shares her inspiring journey from her early days in a student conservation program in the Smoky Mountains to her leadership in the South Mountain Trolley Greenway project.
They discuss the power of community-driven conservation, the legacy of trails and open spaces, the urgent need for sustainable township planning, and how Judy’s personal story—raising two daughters as a single parent, maintaining her family farm, and stepping up in the face of community challenges—has shaped her mission.
Together, Christine and Judy reflect on the importance of preserving what makes a place feel like home, and how every voice can make a difference.
Topics include:
Judy’s candidacy and campaign values
The history and future of the South Mountain Trolley Greenway
Land use, development pressures, and open space preservation
Personal stories of resilience, responsibility, and grassroots leadership
   Tune in and hear show one person’s voice, paired with passion and purpose,       can help shape the future of a community.
   #SouthMountainPA #OpenSpaceMatters #RailsToTrails #GreenwayProject             #CommunityPodcast #WomenWhoLead #JudyBaileyForCommissioner                   #LocalLeadership #PennsylvaniaTrails #TrailToChange #ConservationVoices           #TheWanderingPen