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The jPod is a monthly podcast hosted and produced by Jennifer Karchmer, an independent journalist who protects and defends freedom of the press.
Jennifer monitors threats against journalists worldwide and volunteers as a press freedom advocate and media liaison with the Society of Professional Journalists (based in the US) and Reporters Without Borders. By and large, the podcast focuses on the journalism industry, freedom of the press, reporter safety and the profession of journalism. Occasionally, Jennifer switches it up and highlights random topics she's interested in: including books, baseball, ice hockey, technology, film and culture. Don't miss Jennifer's other podcast The Whatcom Wordsmith, interviews with writers, authors and editors. [Click here] |
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Episode 04:
L&J Series (Law & Journalism) "Protecting Student Journalists Protects All Journalists" Guest Frank LoMonte, lawyer & press freedom advocate Interview date: July 11, 2017 Podcast runtime: 30 mins Frank LoMonte is a writer, lawyer, and former professional journalist. Most importantly, he served as Executive Director of the Student Press Law Center for nine years preserving a student's right to freedom of speech. When I spoke to Frank on Aug. 4, he was moving into his fresh new office at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (you can hear the echo from the bare walls). |
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SPECIAL EPISODE!
Episode 03: Bellingham Bells Baseball in Bellingham, Washington Guest: Sports Broadcaster Tom Prizeman Interview date: July 11, 2017 Podcast runtime: 26 mins Because it's summer, and I, a baseball fan, I produced this special, non-journalism related episode. The topic is the Bellingham Bells -- a competitive baseball team in Washington state, about 90 miles north of Seattle. The Bells are in the North Division of the West Coast League, a collegiate wood bat league comprised of teams from Washington and Oregon and parts of British Columbia, Canada. |
Tom Prizeman, broadcaster for the Bellingham Bells baseball team.
Be sure to listen to the companion podcasts with Bells Pitching Coach Jim Clem and Bells GM Stephanie Morrell
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To enlighten us about these college players and baseball in the Pacific Northwest, I caught up with Tom Prizeman, in his second season as the play-by-play and color announcer for the Bells. Tom tells us how he got started in broadcasting at a very young age (10 years old) and how he grew up a New York Yankees fan. We hear about a day in a life of a broadcaster and get sage advice for going into sports broadcasting.
I spoke with Tom while he was in Bend, Oregon preparing to announce a matchup between the Bells and the Bend Elks. *Images and audio clips courtesy of Tom Prizeman and the Bellingham Bells. |
Elle Toussi, press freedom advocate and founder of "In One Minute." Photo: courtesy Elle Toussi.
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Episode 02: International Women Journalists
Guest: American journalist Elle Toussi Interview date: June 21, 2017 Podcast runtime: 39:30 Threats against women journalists are a concern as these accounts don’t always go reported. Additionally, there is a lack of female voices in international storytelling. In this episode, I talk with American journalist Elle Toussi, the co-chair of the SPJ International Community. With SPJ, she has spearheaded #PressFreedomMatters, highlighting the work of international female journalists. Resources mentioned in this episode: Elle Toussi The SPJ International Community Blog Nomination Form for the SPJ Women Journalists Campaign Series The Coalition for Women in Journalism #WomenMatter #WomenInJournalism #PressFreedomMatters |
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MAIDEN VOYAGE of The jPod
Episode 01: What is Expert Chat? Guest: Sam Doshi of Relayo.com Interview date: May 11, 2017 Podcast runtime: 44:44 In this maiden voyage of The jPod, I talk with Sam Doshi, the Co-founder of Relayo.com, an online chat portal that links experts with users. It's a place to get your questions answered in real time via chat. Sam was a very fun guest talking to me from Walnut Creek, Calif. |
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The Whatcom Wordsmith
If you love "The jPod" then you will enjoy my first podcast, "The Whatcom Wordsmith," a radio show in dedicated to the craft of writing, the lives of writers and the business of writing.
When I started the show in 2016, we taped each episode at the studios of commercial station KMRE 102.FM at 1312 Bay Street in Bellingham, Wash., Whatcom County -- the farthest northwest county in the contiguous United States. As the creator, host and producer, I interview writers, authors, editors, proofreaders, bloggers and journalists (and sometimes baseball players). Below, you will see the archives of this wonderful podcast where you will learn more about publishing and books from fellow writers. |
Podcast Review
"The moment we met face to face, I knew I was in the presence of a true professional. Having done many interviews in my life, I immediately felt comfortably at ease. Her subtle ways of prodding me along in my story was the sign of a pro and so delightful and made the podcast interview a fun event." ~ Johannes F Lisiecki, Author of "Gibraltar the Story of My Heart." Guest on Episode 12. Scroll down for Episodes 1-24 of
Season 01 of The Whatcom Wordsmith |
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Episode 24
John Morsell Air date: Aug. 24, 2016 Originally from Milwaukee, John Morsell attended University of Wisconsin majoring in zoology with emphases on aquatic biology and applied ecology. After graduating with a masters degree, he worked as a fishery research biologist in the north woods of Wisconsin for several years. Following that, he attended the University of Montana for additional graduate work on applied ecology. In 1974, John moved to Anchorage to work as a field Environmental Specialist for the company building the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. He joined a large consulting company as an aquatic scientist and environmental project manager. In 1986, he formed his own small consulting company continuing research on fish and aquatic habitats, traveling extensively to all regions of Alaska. In 2004, John and his wife Sally moved to Whatcom County and they currently reside in Bellingham. "Death at the End of the Road," a mystery thriller set in Homer, Alaska, is John's first attempt at fiction writing and is partly inspired by thirty years of travel among Alaska’s communities with all their charm and eccentricities. |
John Morsell is the author of "Death at the End of the Road," a mystery thriller based in Homer, Alaska.
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Elena Hartwell joins us in the KMRE studios in Bellingham, the city she has chosen to set her Eddie Shoes mystery series.
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Episode 23
Elena Hartwell Air date: Aug. 10, 2016 Elena Hartwell is the author of the Eddie Shoes Mystery Series. She was born in Bogota, Colombia, while her parents were in the Peace Corps. With twenty years working in the theater as director, designer, producer and educator, she's no stranger to storytelling. First though she is a playwright. Productions of her scripts have been performed around the US and the world. She has taken those skills into novel writing with her first book One Dead, Two to Go, which is Book One in the Eddie Shoes mystery series. Her other titles are Two Dead Are Better Than One and Three Dead, You’re Out. Elena lives in North Bend, Washington with her husband. She’s an animal lover of dogs and horses. |
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Episode 22
Stephanie Morrell Air date: Aug. 10, 2016 Stephanie is the General Manager of the Bellingham Bells, a collegiate baseball team in the West Coast League in the Pacific Northwest. The league has teams extending from British Columbia, Canada into Washington state all the way to Oregon. Originally from Yakima, Wash., Stephanie graduated from Western Washington University in 2008. She was Advertising Sales Consultant with the Bellingham Herald newspaper and then moved on to working with the Bells in 2014 as Marketing Director. In 2015, she took a promotion to Assistant General Manager and today serves as GM. |
Stephanie Morrell is the GM of the Bellingham Bells, one of the few females in leadership positions in the West Coast League.
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Sea kayaker Susan Conrad paid a visit to the KMRE studios to discuss her memoir.
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Episode 21
Susan Conrad Air date: August 3, 2016 Susan Conrad is an accomplished kayaker. In 2010, she took her 18-foot sea kayak and completed her long-time goal of paddling the Inside Passage – a 12-hundred mile region from Anacortes, Washington, to Juneau, Alaska. She completed the voyage solo. She chronicles her paddling voyage, and her inner metamorphosis in her memoir titled: “INSIDE—One Woman’s Journey Through the Inside Passage” published by Epicenter Press on May 15, 2016. Susan has been a fitness trainer, ski patroller, avalanche team leader, whitewater raft guide, graphic designer and marketing. Originally from Woodbourne, New York in the heart of the Catskills, Susan has been involved in paddlesports for 25 years. She is an EXPED adventure ambassador and sponsored athlete and holds an American Canoe Association ACA) Open Water Coastal certification. |
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Episode 20
Todd Warger Air date: July 27, 2016 Todd is an historian, writer, documentary producer, and author, most notably of the “Murder in the Fourth Corner: True Stories of Whatcom County's Earliest Homicides, and “MORE MURDER in the FOURTH CORNER: True Stories of Whatcom & Skagit Counties’ Earliest Homicides, the second book in a series of true crime occurring in Whatcom and Skagit Counties between the middle nineteenth and early twentieth-centuries. He is the co-author of “Images of America: Mount Baker.” Todd works at Whatcom Museum, where he has curated history exhibits. Additionally, Todd is an Emmy Award nominee for “The Mountain Runners” and a recipient of the Washington State Historical Society’s 2008 David Douglas award for “Shipyard.” Originally from Massachusetts, Todd currently lives in Bellingham. |
Todd Warger is the author of "Murder in the Fourth Corner: True Stories of Whatcom County's Earliest Homicides."
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Abbe Rolnick gives advice on how to write your memoir.
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Episode 19
Abbe Rolnick Air date: June 29, 2016 Attention memoir writers! Be sure to catch this interview with writer Abbe Rolnick. Abbe gives great advice on how to approach memoir writing. She herself is the author of the newly-released "Cocoon of Cancer: An Invitation To Love Deeply," a non-fiction, creative book inspired by caring for her husband Jim Wiggins when he was diagnosed with cancer. Abbe is an author, entrepreneur and health food store owner. Originally from the suburbs of Baltimore, she moved to Florida as a teen where she started writing. She attended Boston Univeristy where she met her first husband, a native of Puerto Rico. In fact, her first novel, River of Angels, stems from her experiences living there. Her second novel, Color of Lies, is set in the Pacific Northwest. She and Jim live in Sedro-Woolley, Wash. |
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Episode 18
Paul Hanson Air date: June 15, 2016 Paul is the General Manager of Village Books and programmer for the Chuckanut Writers Workshops and Classes. Before arriving in Bellingham in 2011, Paul was the long-time manager of Eagle Harbor Book Company on Bainbridge Island. He is a writer and publisher, former President of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, a past core team member of Fields End, a writers’ community on Bainbridge Island, and is the President of the Historic Fairhaven Association. Paul has been one of the Chuckanut Writers Conference Coordinators since 2012. He holds a degree in English and Creative writing from the Uni of Washington. |
Paul Hanson is the General Manager of Village Books, the independent bookstore in Bellingham and the new second location in Lynden, WA.
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Leslie Wharton relocated to Bellingham after wildfire took the home she and her husband built in Colorado.
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Episode 17
Leslie Wharton Air date: June 8, 2016 In this interview, Leslie Wharton talks about "Phoenix Rising: Stories of Remarkable Women Walking Through Fire," a collection of personal stories of women who were affected by six different Colorado wildfires. Leslie has a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. Along with working on her memoir "Edge of Next" and gathering stories for "Phoenix Rising," she is a caregiver for the elderly in Bellingham. You can see her on Saturdays at the Farmer's Market, where she sells veggies for Growing Washington. She is the recipient of a Sue C. Boyton Poetry Contest Award for her poem "Nooksack Salutation." |
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Episode 16
Marian Exall Air date: June 8, 2018 After a career as an employment lawyer, Marian Exall now writes what she loves to read: mysteries. Like her heroine, Sarah McKinney, Marian was born and raised in England. She lived for 30 years in Atlanta before moving to the Pacific Northwest where she hikes, gardens and does grandparent duty. "A Slippery Slope" is her debut novel and she has followed up with "A Dangerous Descent," the second in the Sarah McKinney Mystery series. Be sure to catch the entire interview as Marian reads an excerpt from " A Slippery Slope." |
Novelist Marian Exall joins me in the KMRE studios in Bellingham.
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Poet Valerie Marie Leslie rocking out at KMRE.
Check it out! Valerie treats us to an acappella rendition
of her poem "Presence." Click below... |
Episode 15
Valerie Marie Leslie Air date: May 31, 2016 Join me in this lovely conversation with multi-talented Valerie Marie Leslie of Bellingham. Valerie is a singer, songwriter, poet and author of the newly-published, "Even the Smallest Bird Casts A Shadow" -- a collection of her original poems from adolescence to early adulthood. Originally from the San Fernando Valley, Valerie earned a Bachelor’s degree of Music in Theory & Composition at Central Washington University. When she's not working full-time as a copywriter, she can be found singing harmonies for her singer-songwriter husband, Stephen Ray Leslie. SHOW NOTES
(Episode 15 with Valerie Marie Leslie):
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Episode 14
Jim Clem Air date: May 25, 2016 With baseball season upon us, I devote an entire episode to discussing the Bellingham Bells, Whatcom County's summer collegiate baseball team, which opens with its first home game of the season on Tuesday, June 7 at Joe Martin Field. First pitch is 7:05p Bells Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Jim Clem walks us through the history of the Bells, the difference in play between natural grass and the new synthetic turf, the communication required between pitchers and catchers and how he helps build leaders out of young baseball players. Be sure to listen to the end and find out about Jim's first Major League Baseball game he attended at Seattle's Sick's Stadium in 1969. This episode is dedicated to Martin B. Karchmer (1935-2014), father and lifelong baseball fan.
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Jim Clem of the Bellingham Bells joins me for this special episode devoted to baseball.
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Essayist Brenda Miller joins us to talk about her latest collection, "An Earlier Life."
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Episode 13
Brenda Miller Air date: May 18, 2016 Attention nonfiction writers! Don't miss this informative interview with Brenda Miller, a self-described essayist. Brenda is the author of several collections of non-fiction and books on writing, most recently "An Earlier Life." As a professor of English and Creative Writing at Western Washington University, she shares with us how she grades writing for college students and don't miss the part about "Writing by Hostage," a writing technique she employs with the help of a fellow author. Brenda shares lots of ideas for writing retreats too. *Special treat: go straight to 13:30 to hear Brenda read an excerpt from her new book, "An Earlier Life." |
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Episode 12
Johannes Lisiecki Air date: May 10, 2016 In this lively interview, Johannes Lisiecki takes us on a wonderful journey that resulted in publishing his book, "Gibraltar: The Story of My Heart." At 68, he had major heart surgery but came back to recover through his newfound love of swimming and at 76, he has swum more than 14-hundred-and-50 miles. In fact, he started the Heart Challenge Swim Association, which brings awareness to congenital heart defects. Johannes is the author of two other books: "An Adventreneur’s Odyssey" republished under the new title ‘Following a Dream’ and his autobiography, "The Johmalites." |
Johannes Lisiecki's "Gibraltar: The Story of My Heart" is a personal account of how he used a newfound love of swimming to recover from major heart surgery at 68.
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Editor's Note: Episodes 10 & 11 were replays of previous episodes of The Whatcom Wordsmith.
Pamela Beason is the author of mystery and romantic suspense novels.
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Episode 09
Pamela Beason Air date: April 20, 2016 As the author of eight full-length fiction works, Pamela Beason is no stranger to the writing life. Living in Bellingham brings her joy as she spends as much time outdoors kayaking and hiking. When she is not enjoying nature and wildlife, she writes mystery and romantic suspense books, many of which have earned writing awards. Listen to our conversation where Pam talks about being a private investigator, her time working at Microsoft and how she infuses her fiction with autobiographical elements. |
Read reviews of The Whatcom Wordsmith podcast
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Episode 08
Kiffer Brown Air date: April 13, 2016 If you want to learn more about marketing your books, then you've come to the right interview. I spoke with Kiffer Brown about how she started the Chanticleer Authors Conference, which is in its third year, held in Bellingham, Wash. in April. With her extensive background in marketing, she runs ChantiReviews, a review service for fiction and non-fiction books. |
Kiffer (Kathy) Brown is the founder and organizer of the Chanticleer Authors Conference held in Bellingham.
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Riley Sweeney studies language in media and politics, influenced by the research of George Lakoff and Frank Luntz. Photo credit: Bryna Sweeney.
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Episode 07
Riley Sweeney Air date: April 6, 2016 I know you will enjoy this fun conversation with Riley Sweeney, an Olympia native, because it's chock full of words, local tidbits and laughs. Riley has worked as a political organizer on a cross-section of Democratic campaigns in the last seven years and because of his interest and research into how language is used in political campaigns, we talked about the difference between the "estate tax" vs. "the death tax," an "activist" vs. "protestor" and how we can "address" problems rather than "deal" with them. You'll hear about Riley's "aha" moment that got him interested in politics as a career. Riley graduated from WWU with a degree in communication, which has served him well as he currently is Communication Officer for the City of Ferndale, where he is helping promote the new STAR park, designed by kids and being built entirely by volunteers. Lastly, find out about the 1930s detective radio drama "Bellingham Terror" he's producing with his wife Bryna and dozens of other volunteers. |
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Episode 06
Sean Dwyer Air date: March 30, 2016 Originally from Gary, Indiana, Sean Dwyer moved to Bellingham a few years ago to work as a Spanish instructor at Western Washington University. In addition to Spanish, he speaks several languages -- French, Portuguese and German -- and is writing a book in Spanish. During our lively interview, Sean spoke candidly about a 2015 car accident that left him with post-concussion syndrome forcing him to put down his manuscript for "Chocolates on the the Pillow," a book that he was close to publishing. He's since picked it back up and is finalizing editing. Sean is active in the Bellingham writing community, especially through self-designed "Write Outs" where he takes out his laptop to do extemporaneous writing (see photo for a transportation "Write Out"). He has three sons and lives in Bellingham with his wife Maureen. |
Sean Dwyer conducting a "Write Out" on the WTA bus in Bellingham.
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Author, editor and writing teacher Sara Stamey displays her novels while visiting the KMRE studios.
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Episode 05
Sara Stamey Air date: March 16, 2016 This was a wonderful interview about the nitty gritty of book editing with Sara Stamey. Sara is a published novelist -- author of the Caribbean psychic-suspense novel Islands, which was named a Foreword Book of the Year finalist and won the Chanticleer Paranormal Suspense Award. She is also the author of a near-future thriller set in the Greek islands, The Ariadne Connection, which received the Cygnus Award for Speculative Fiction. In our hour-long conversation, Sara discusses her approach to teaching students, working with clients and the difference between copyediting and line editing. She teaches writing at Western Washington University and holds a master’s degree in English and Writing from WWU. Sara infuses her books and stories with fascinating experiences throughout her life. Did you know she was a scuba diving teacher in the Caribbean, has has operated a nuclear reactor and backpacked around Greece and New Zealand? Find Sara's work at: http://sarastamey.com/ and enjoy our conversation via the link at left. |
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Episode 04
Bob Wright Air date: March 9, 2016 I had a wonderful conversation with Bob Wright, who is a pilot, consultant and author. "Beyond Ultra," his first book, focuses on his interest in twentieth century historical fiction. The sequel, "Valhalla Revealed," was published in 2014 and he's working on a third tome to complete the trilogy. Bob discusses the painstaking steps he takes to preserve the factual history in his books. Find out what gift he received in 1959 from his parents that sparked his lifelong interest in geography, history and maps, and how he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his solo flight. |
Bob, the author of two historical novels, is a longtime pilot and retired with more than 20 years with the FAA.
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With Janet Oakley joins us at KMRE 102.3FM studios in Bellingham, Wash.
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Episode 03
Janet Oakley Air date: March 2, 2016 Janet Oakley is an award-winning author of memoir essays and historical fiction including "Timber Rose" and "The Tree Soldier." Did you know that in 2006, Janet was the manager of a History Channel grant, researching old court cases in early Washington Territory? She enjoys the hunt in old newspapers, court cases and other delights in archives around the country. |
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Episode 02
Stonewall Jackson Bird Air date: Feb. 24, 2016 Stoney Bird formerly served as an international corporate business lawyer. Today, he is a writer and community activist engaged with growth management, environmental concerns and transportation issues. NOTE: This episode is two parts. |
Photo courtesy Facebook and Stoney Bird.
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Amanda June Hagarty, the first guest on The Whatcom Wordsmith.
Episode 01
Amanda June Hagarty
Air date: Feb. 17, 2016
Check out the FIRST episode of The Whatcom Wordsmith, which aired on Feb. 17, 2016 with writer and author Amanda June Hagarty. We talked about Amanda's passion for helping authors with social media marketing, writers' conferences in the US and Canada and how to get involved with the Whatcom Writers and Publishers group, among other topics. You can find more about her at: www.amandajunehagarty.com
Amanda June Hagarty
Air date: Feb. 17, 2016
Check out the FIRST episode of The Whatcom Wordsmith, which aired on Feb. 17, 2016 with writer and author Amanda June Hagarty. We talked about Amanda's passion for helping authors with social media marketing, writers' conferences in the US and Canada and how to get involved with the Whatcom Writers and Publishers group, among other topics. You can find more about her at: www.amandajunehagarty.com