In this poetic solo episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, host Christine Musser invites listeners into a world before paved roads and power lines—a time when the Endless Mountains were sacred ground to the Iroquois, Lenape, Delaware, and Shawnee peoples. Through mist and memory, rain and rhythm, Christine reflects on the spirit trails, sacred waterways, and ancestral stories that shaped this land. From Loyalsock Creek to hidden hunting grounds and starlit skies, this episode weaves cultural history, personal experience, and reverent storytelling into a powerful tribute to Indigenous presence, connection to place, and the sacredness of nature.

Join Christine on this immersive walk through time and listen for what the forest still whispers.

#TheWanderingPenPodcast #BeforeTheRoads #EndlessMountains #IndigenousHistory #SpiritTrails #SacredLand #NativeAmericanStories #LoyalSockCreek #AncestralMemory #NatureStorytelling #WalkWithReverence #ChristineMusser #LandAndBelonging #HistoryBeneathOurFeet #CulturalConnection

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

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