Wild Roof Podcast

#40 - Wild Roof Podcast: Colleen Sabaka, Editor of Opt West

In the June episode, Colleen Sabaka joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about creating Opt West Magazine, moving from Minnesota to Los Angeles, and how law school got her back into poetry. Colleen shares her deliberate approach to reviewing submissions and gives us a preview of a new project with poet Brad Vogler called This Revisiting.

See more about Opt West here and connect on Instagram.

#39 - Wild Roof Podcast: Gabriela Blandy, founder of Wild Muse

In the May episode, Gabriela Blandy joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her current writing projects, the Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize, and the challenges of writing about profound experiences in nature. Gabriela has experience as a life coach, breathwork facilitator, yoga teacher, and shamanic practitioner, and she explains how all these areas connect in her creative life, leading to the development of Wild Muse.  

Gabriela closes the episode with a writing prompt centering around the age old question of "what do you want?"

See more about Gabriela and the Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize here and connect with Gabriela on Substack. You can also follow Wild Muse on Instagram.

#38 - Wild Roof Podcast: Ophelia Monet, Editor of Wildscape

In the April episode, Editor of Wildscape Literary Journal joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her start as a writer, the development of Wildscape, and the adrenaline rush of storm chasing.

Ophelia closes the episode with a reading of her poem, "Yes/No."

See more about Wildscape here and more about Ophelia on Instagram.

#37 - Wild Roof Podcast: Jacob Riyeff, author of Be Radiant

In the March episode, Jacob Riyeff joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about his poetry collection, Be Radiant, which is available now from Fernwood Press.

We chat about Jacob's writing background, from beat poet beginnings of reading Ginsberg and Kerouac to the fascination with the natural world (i.e. knowing the difference among marshes, bogs, and swamps). Along the way, Jacob shares his love of Old English poetry, and how it matters to us as English speakers in 2025. He tells us why is collection is subtitled "A Sonata Pome," and closes the episode with a reading of two pieces, "On the Year's First Compost" and "Shallow Ocean, ca. 460-420 million years ago."

See more about Be Radiant here and more about Jacob at his website.

#36 - Wild Roof Podcast: Amy Dupcak of Cagibi Literary Journal

In the February episode, Amy Dupcak joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her role as Editor in Chief of Cagibi Literary Journal.

We chat about Amy's writing background, from the moody poetry of adolescence to the publication of her short story collection dust, as well as some practical advice for submitting your work. Along the way, we discover our mutual appreciation for the novels of Vladimir Nabokov, including the book-nerd intricacies of Pale Fire.

See more about Cagibi here and more about Amy at her website.

#35 - Wild Roof Podcast: September Herrin of Weird Lit Mag

In the January episode, September Herrin joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about her role as Editor in Chief of Weird Lit Mag.

We chat about September's time in a Seattle goth punk band, the connections of music & writing, as well as the origin story of the new online publication Weird Lit Mag. And cryptids too! We cover September's fascination with Sasquatch and other mysterious beings.

If you like offbeat lit mags, absurdist fiction, and a healthy dose of DIY ethos, you'll want to listen up!

See more about Weird Lit Mag here and more about September at her website.

#34 - Wild Roof Roundtable: Wendy Wallace of Peatsmoke Journal

In the November episode, editor and writing professor Wendy E. Wallace joins host Aaron Lelito to talk about Peatsmoke Journal.

We chat about the origin story of Peatsmoke, what sets it apart from other online lit mags, what they look for during the review process, along with some general submission advice. Wendy grew up in Buffalo, NY, so it was great to talk a bit about the WNY region — the friendly people, beautiful summers, and over-the-top Halloween decorations!

If you like good writing, visually appealing lit mags, and a wee dram of peaty Laphroaig, you'll want to listen up!

See more about Wendy at her website.

#33 - Wild Roof Roundtable: Dawn Leas and John Tessitore

In the March episode, authors Dawn Leas and John Tessitore join host Aaron Lelito to read some poems and talk about how they were made. If you like getting a behind-the-scenes view of the creative process, listen up!

We also chat about the question, “What keeps you going as a writer?” and how we choose to include personal life in our writing. Lastly, we offer a few practical writing suggestions (because, after all, we’re here to help!).

See more about Dawn at her website. John’s poetry collections are available here.

#32 - Wild Roof Discussion with Kelly Gray

In the January episode, writer and previous WRJ contributor Kelly Gray joins host Aaron Lelito to chat about her new poetry chapbook called The Mating Calls of a Specter, out now from Tusculum Review.

Kelly writes about what she knows or is trying to know: parenting, systemic violence, dead things, monsters, prophetic animals, relationships to self and others, and rural life. In our conversation, we cover some of Kelly's early writing experiences and how they impacted her, the writing process for her new chapbook, and the question of how to respond to creative blocks. Kelly finishes with a reading of her poem "Parade Day."

See more about Kelly's work at her website.

#31 - Wild Roof Discussion with Amber Herzog Lyman

In the November episode, poet, film writer, and adventurer Amber Herzog Lyman joins hosts Aaron Lelito and Nicole Bethune Winters to chat about her creative process and her connection to nature, as well as her new poetry/music album called Listen Deep.

Amber also shares a poem from the album called “Our Mother.” If you like poetry, music, and cetaceans (a classic trio), I recommend that you listen in, listen up, and listen deep!

See more about Amber’s work at her website and on Instagram @wildwondernature.