The Mighty Writers Podcast... with Maureen Boland

Mighty Writers

The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is a show from Mighty Writers, a Philly nonprofit that promotes literacy as a tool for social change. Through decades of experience as a writing teacher, host Maureen Boland knows the power of storytelling and mindful listening; how an honest story, especially one that looks unflinchingly at a sometimes brutal world, has the power to lessen the isolation, despair and polarization so many of us feel. Like the Mighty Writers centers themselves, this podcast is a place to find creativity, compassion and community through devotion to writing and storytelling.


The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is produced by Mighty Writers in partnership with Rowhome Productions. The executive producer is Tim Whitaker. Lead producer is Sojourner Ahebee. Rowhome’s executive producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers.


The Mighty Writers Podcast theme song was composed by Jim Morgan.

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Episodes

A Mighty Writer from Kensington: Brooke Fulton
Jun 6 2024
A Mighty Writer from Kensington: Brooke Fulton
We end the second season of the award-winning Mighty Writers podcast in my personal comfort zone, as I sit down with a former student,16-year-old Brooke Fulton.Brooke talks to me about her childhood in one of the most distressed neighborhoods in Philadelphia — a section of the city where drugs are sold and used openly, a place that continues to be afflicted by all of the devastating effects of the opioid crisis, especially homelessness and violence.  Brooke was born in Brooklyn, but her family moved to Kensington when she was 4 years old. She lives with her 11-year-old sister and 7-year-old brother just off of the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Allegheny, a place so well-known that many Philadelphians refer to it simply as “K&A.”Brooke was a student of mine when I taught 9th grade English at an accelerated school where students earn diplomas and associate’s degrees in four years. She is an exceptional student with grand academic achievements and ambitions.I spoke to Brooke the day after the mayor made good on her promise to clear encampments that had been erected by people in addiction at Kensington and Allegheny.Brooke talks to me about growing up in Kensington and what she thinks about the new mayor’s plan to revitalize the community. ---The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is produced by Mighty Writers in partnership with Rowhome Productions. The executive producer is Tim Whitaker. Lead producer is Danya AbdelHameid. Rowhome’s executive producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers.Our theme song was composed by Jim Morgan. This episode also includes music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Talking About Grief With Counselor Samantha Anthony
Mar 7 2024
Talking About Grief With Counselor Samantha Anthony
Philadelphia is awash in grieving children and families. But it’s not all bad news, because where there are serious problems, there are humans at work on serious solutions. In my years as a classroom teacher, I saw many organizations try to help students with problems like grief. Rarely did I see an immediate impact — that is, until I observed the work of Uplift, formerly known as The Center for Grieving Children. Uplift’s therapists go into schools (and other places where kids gather) and convene groups of young people who have lost someone significant. Some of my students involved with Uplift moved from despondent and unfocused to engaged and hopeful after just six sessions. My only regret was that they couldn’t work with more of the kids in my school. It sometimes felt like they were only getting at the tip of an iceberg.Because I believe so deeply that children need this kind of support, I invited Samantha Anthony, a senior clinician, to speak with me about her work facilitating therapeutic grief groups with youth in grades K-12. Like others at Uplift, Samantha also provides support for the families of grieving children. Samantha and I talk about how grief presents itself in young people, as well as our own experiences with grief, her work with students at the Juvenile Justice Center, and what it means to say that grief is a social justice issue. It’s a heavy but hopeful conversation about the good that comes when we acknowledge grief in community and with mindful empathy. The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is produced by Mighty Writers in partnership with Rowhome Productions. The executive producer is Tim Whitaker. Lead producer is Danya AbdelHameid. Rowhome’s executive producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers.Our theme song was composed by Jim Morgan.This episode also includes music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Coming of Age in the City of Brotherly Love with Semaj H.
Feb 15 2024
Coming of Age in the City of Brotherly Love with Semaj H.
I’ve been obsessed with coming-of-age stories since I first read “A Catcher in the Rye” when I was in seventh grade. That obsession is probably what made me feel entirely at home when I became a ninth grade English teacher. There is very little that moves me more than hearing people grapple in language with themselves and society during that short but profound moment that occurs somewhere between the ages of 13 and 16. In the thousands of pieces of writing I had access to as a ninth grade English teacher in Philadelphia, certain themes emerged over and over. And when I met a young person named Semaj in a workshop I facilitated for Mighty Writers, I was struck by how his storytelling embodied those themes, including the way his everyday life was shaped by gun violence and an inequitable criminal justice system. Semaj embodies something else I’ve seen repeatedly: He really wants his story to be heard.People are sometimes surprised to hear this about teens. But in my experience, young people can quickly sense a safe space, and when they do, they often want to share their experiences far and wide.Semaj’s voice is memorable and beautiful for reasons far beyond his vulnerability and what he can tell us about broken systems, gun violence and injustice. It’s also worth hearing because he shares wise advice for living in this deeply fraught place, time and place (no matter your zip code). He reminds us to reflect, meditate, accept, strive, connect, dream and heal. I am deeply honored to be able to share this interview with you, and I hope Semaj’s voice does, in fact, travel far and wide. The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is produced by Mighty Writers in partnership with Rowhome Productions. The executive producer is Tim Whitaker. Lead producer is Danya AbdelHameid. Rowhome’s executive producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers.Our theme song was composed by Jim Morgan.This episode also includes music from Blue Dot Sessions.
American Dreaming with Yakquelin Garduño
Feb 1 2024
American Dreaming with Yakquelin Garduño
I often say that my favorite thing about being a classroom writing teacher was my access to stories. It was enriching to me as a teacher and as a human being to learn about my students' lives through their stories. And I learned a lot about issues in society by hearing the same kind of stories over and over again. One issue that came through to me via my students’ stories is the challenge people face when their citizenship — or the citizenship of their loved ones — was unsettled. I became aware of how anxiety-provoking it is to grow up worrying that a traffic ticket could lead to deportation. I watched the best and brightest high school seniors defer college dreams because they couldn’t figure out how to navigate the educational system without a U.S. birth certificate. Because this particular kind of anxiety is something I’ve heard so many times, I was deeply grateful when my colleague, Yakquelin Garduño, agreed to tell her story. As director of Mighty Writers in Kennett Square, Yakquelin works with children who are facing many of the same issues she faced as a DACA recipient (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). In this candid interview, Yakquelin shares her family’s immigration story and what her life has been like as someone who crossed the southern border before she was able to walk. Even though she’s never known life outside of the U.S., and even though she has lived a life of exemplary citizenship, she still cannot claim to be a U.S. citizen. Yakquelin agreed to this interview because she knows she speaks for countless others who live with the daily consequences of a broken immigration system. The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is produced by Mighty Writers in partnership with Rowhome Productions. The executive producer is Tim Whitaker. Lead producer is Danya AbdelHameid. Rowhome’s executive producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers.Our theme song was composed by Jim Morgan.This episode also includes music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Riding the Trolley with Soup Davis
Dec 14 2023
Riding the Trolley with Soup Davis
I am an obsessive people-watcher. Which is one of the reasons working in a school never-got old for me. Schools are full of people and stories. When I started the podcast, I thought about other workplaces that allow for good people-watching, and public transportation came to mind. Bus drivers, train conductors, transit workers — they all see an incredible cross section of the city’s population every day. My grandfather, Charlie Gibbons, knew this well: He was a trolley car driver for SEPTA, Philadelphia’s public transportation system. So as a sort of tribute to Charlie, I decided to interview someone who drove the same route that he did. That’s what led me to SEPTA driver Soup Davis, who talks to me in this episode about what it’s like to see all those people, and why he decorates his trolley for the holiday season each year. Soup’s perspective on the city is fresh and interesting. Like me, I’m guessing you’ll walk away from this episode with a deep appreciation for all of the city workers who maintain optimism and sincere concern for the people around them. That’s not always easy in Philadelphia. The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is produced by Mighty Writers in partnership with Rowhome Productions. The executive producer is Tim Whitaker. Lead producer is Danya AbdelHameid. Rowhome’s executive producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers.Our theme song was composed by Jim Morgan.This episode also includes music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Mighty Writing at Covenant House
Aug 10 2023
Mighty Writing at Covenant House
The U.S. is facing an unprecedented youth crisis: 1 in 10 young adults is dealing with some form of homelessness each year, and the numbers of them struggling with mental health issues has increased dramatically. When host Maureen Boland was a high school teacher, it was not unusual for her to discover that one of her students was homeless. The clues were subtle: Maybe they’d just be carrying extra bags, or arrive later than usual. But when she learned that one of her students who had a baby had no place safe to stay, she took her to Covenant House.In this episode, Maureen speaks with Makiyah, a young writer who’s in transitional housing at Covenant House, about how she came to be homeless and what that experience was like. She also talks to Covenant House Pennsylvania’s Hugh Organ, who describes the remarkable strengths he’s seen in some of society’s most vulnerable people: “I’ve been doing this 23 years. I’ve never met a bad kid in the bunch.”Warning: This episode deals with difficult topics such as childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence and may be triggering for some people. This episode is not appropriate for young children. Please take care when listening. The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is produced by Mighty Writers in partnership with Rowhome Productions. The executive producer is Tim Whitaker. Lead producer is Sojourner Ahebee. Rowhome’s executive producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers. Our theme song was composed by Jim Morgan.This episode also includes music from Blue Dot Sessions.