The Underground Writing Podcast

Underground Writing•undergroundwriting.org

The Underground Writing Podcast is an audio channel focusing on student writing. Flowing in and through this river, as it were, are interviews, guests, and organizational updates, as well as two smaller tributaries: Linebreak (a single piece of writing) and Kite (our student writing audio zine).

We are a literature-based creative writing program serving migrant, incarcerated, recovery, and other at-need communities in Washington through literacy and personal transformation. We facilitate generative readings of literature spanning the tradition—from ancient texts to those written in our workshops. Honoring the transforming power of the word, we believe that attentive reading leads to attentive writing, and that attentive writing has the power to assist in the restoration of communities, the imagination, and individual lives.

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Last refreshed: August 18th, 2025 at 1:30 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

I, Too, Sing America

Student Writing from the YMCA Oasis Daylight Center, after Langston Hughes' I Too. Matt and Alvin talk about the courageous nature of declarative works that these pieces have in common. Matt discusses how Hughes took the lead from Walt Whitman's work, cataloguing the nation. What is a voice? What is a country? UW updates: -Upcoming week-long intensive at the juvenile detention site, based on the book Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, led by teaching writer Jennifer Bradbury. -Community Highlight ...

Aug 13, 2018•20 min

I, Too, Sing America Extended Cut

Student Writing from the YMCA Oasis Daylight Center, after Langston Hughes' I Too. Matt and Alvin talk about the courageous nature of declarative works that these pieces have in common. Matt discusses how Hughes took the lead from Walt Whitman's work, cataloguing the nation. What is a voice? What is a country? UW updates: Upcoming week-long intensive at the juvenile detention site, based on the book Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, led by teaching writer Jennifer Bradbury. Community Highlight po...

Aug 13, 2018•27 min

The Book Was Fat And Big

Student writing this week, "The Book Was Fat And Big" comes from the juvenile detention site. Matt and Alvin discuss how this piece of dream-vision literature joins the ranks of Paul Valéry, Coleridge, and John of Patmos. UW writing workshops often introduce poems and invite students' response to "after" them. Matt gives an update on a future teaching site: the Skagit County Community Justice Center. They discuss logistical tasks and the Justice Center in the context of Mount Vernon's former jai...

Jul 31, 2018•16 min

The Book Was Fat And Big Extended Cut

Jul 31, 2018•23 min

Dear America

Matt reads a piece from an Underground Writing class at juvenile detention. The piece, titled 'Dear America' was written the day after the presidential election in November 2016. Matt and Alvin talk discuss the ongoing internal battles that our nation and world undergo, the histories of oppression and hatred that divide us, and the anthems that propel us forward. They also remember visiting the Ellis Island Museum with the students from the Migrant Leaders Club. Matt gives us an update about the...

Jul 17, 2018•9 min

Dear America Extended Cut

Matt reads a piece from an Underground Writing class at juvenile detention. The piece, titled 'Dear America' was written the day after the presidential election in November 2016. Matt and Alvin talk discuss the ongoing internal battles that our nation and world undergo, the histories of oppression and hatred that divide us, and the anthems that propel us forward. Matt gives us an update about the week-long intensive that just wrapped up at the Oasis site and relays some news on some of Undergrou...

Jul 17, 2018•13 min

Society Weighs Me Down Extended Cut

Our student writing this week is titled "Society Weighs Me Down." Matt and Alvin talk about the individual and the larger community, and how one affects the other in deliberate ways or not. Matt gives an update on the process of publishing the UW anthology and thoroughly recommends the book of poetry by Tyehimba Jess titled Olio. Note: We are a creative writing program serving at-risk populations. We do not broadcast names or identifying details of the students we work with. LINKS OF INTEREST:Wh...

Jul 03, 2018•33 min

Society Weighs Me Down

Our student writing this week is titled "Society Weighs Me Down." Matt and Alvin talk about the individual and the larger community, and how one affects the other in deliberate ways or not. Matt gives an update on the process of publishing the UW anthology and thoroughly recommends the book of poetry by Tyehimba Jess titled Olio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 02, 2018•13 min

Trying to Catch Up to You Extended Cut

This week, we read a piece titled "Trying to Catch Up to You," from one of our earlier sites. Matt and Alvin discuss the vulnerability and courage required to share an all-too-common grief that many of our students carry. It was raining at the UW headquarters; please ignore that rattling sound at the beginning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 19, 2018•21 min

Trying to Catch Up to You

This week, we read a piece titled "Trying to Catch Up to You," from one of our earlier sites. Matt and Alvin discuss the vulnerability and courage required to share an all-too-common grief that many of our students carry. It was raining at the UW headquarters; please ignore that rattling sound at the beginning. Note: We are a creative writing program serving at-risk populations. We do not broadcast names or identifying details of the students we work with. LINKS OF INTEREST:What No One Ever Tell...

Jun 19, 2018•8 min

I Belong Here Because

Student Writing from Migrant Leaders Club of Mount Vernon Public Schools. Discussion of recent FilmVerse event with Voices of the Children, the Lincoln Theatre, and Underground Writing. Music by Luis Lopez and the Migrant Leaders Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 04, 2018•11 min

At the Beginning or The Best Drug

This is our first bi-weekly update podcast! Director Matt Malyon and Producer Alvin Shim met briefly in the UW admin headquarters to touch base on the many program goings-on. It's a short six-and-a-half minute podcast that features a piece of writing by a UW student and a quick update about our recent trip to New York with the Migrant Leaders Club to see Miss You Like Hell , written by Quiara Alegría Hudes. Note: We are a creative writing program serving at-risk populations. We do not broadcast ...

May 21, 2018•7 min

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