Names of the men

It's been fifty years since the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was lost in Lake Superior during a snow squall. Gordon Lightfoot's song "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" made the ship infamous. Lightfoot wrote the song because he felt the boat and its crew were not being honored the way they should have been.

My guest on this episode is Executive Director Bruce Lynn of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society & Museum. The Historical Society & Museum is located at Whitefish Point, approximately seventeen miles from where the "Fitz" went down. Bruce shares other stories, too, about ships that have been lost on the Great Lakes, but the focus is on the Edmund Fitzgerald and those lost. What is most important here is - it's more than just a song - more than just a shipwreck story. Twenty-nine lives that were lost on November 9, 1975, for a routine trip across Lake Superior never thought they said "good-bye" to the ones they loved for the last time. Please tune in and learn about the story and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Please share and follow The Wandering Pen Podcast so you don't miss a story.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum FaceBook Page

For the live memorial service either click on the link website link or the FB link for access to watch it live online. The service begins at 7 p.m. (est) on November 10.

The following link will take you to a video shared by the Upper Pennicila, Michigan Supply Company. It's a compelling short that is set to Lightfoots song. In it you will see footage of the "Fitz" being loaded with taconite pellets (iron ore), sailing Lake Superior and the crew on the ship. Watching the video and listening to the song is powerful.

https://upsupply.co/journal/the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald

From the Appalachian Trail to the African savanna, this episode explores what it means to live between two wild worlds. Each year, military veteran, Brian N. Johnson travels to Kenya to lead safaris, capture wildlife through his lens, and share the powerful rhythm of life where lions hunt, zebras run, and elephants roam free.

Brian is currently developing his own tour guide busines, Alpine and Savanna Adventures, LLC, which he plans to kickoff in 2026. His mission is to invites others to experience the wonder of the wild — and to see how adventure, purpose, and conservation connect across continents.

Zoning might seem like a bureaucratic afterthought—but in truth, it's one of the most powerful forces shaping our daily lives. In this episode, we explore how zoning determines where and how we live, work, and gather. My guest is the author of Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World and the founder of the National Zoning Atlas, a groundbreaking tool that brings clarity to the often-invisible rules governing land use across the country.

Together, we talk about:

• Why zoning laws matter more than most people realize

• How zoning impacts housing affordability, neighborhood design, and equit

• The environmental concerns around new development, including data centers

• How the National Zoning Atlas is helping communities understand and change their futures

From local ordinances to national patterns, this conversation sheds light on the code behind the curtain—and why it's time we all paid attention. National Atlas Website

You can get her book at

Whistlestop Book Shop

https://www.whistlestoppers.com/

Why does autumn feel like a story we're living inside? In What Remains: Autumn, Memory, and Meaning, Christine weaves poetry (Keats, George Eliot), paintings (Van Gogh, Millais), and music (Neil Diamond's "September Morn," Mumford & Sons' "October Skies") with the psychology of nostalgia—how scent, colder air, and seasonal change stir memory, belonging, and meaning. A short, reflective listen about beauty and loss, and what lingers when the leaves fall.

#Autumn, #Storytelling, #Nostalgia, #Psychology, #Keats, #GeorgeEliot, #VanGogh, #Millais, #NeilDiamond, #Mumford&Sons, #Memory, #Poetry, #Art , Music #Grief, #Identity

What happens when a box of forgotten World War I love letters sparks a story too powerful to stay hidden? In this episode, author Patti Stockdale shares her twenty-year journey of transforming family history into historical fiction, marked by hope, faith, and perseverance. From balancing romance and history on the page to overcoming rejection and finding resilience in the writing life, this conversation will inspire writers, readers, and anyone who loves stories that prove love and determination never go out of style.

#HistoricalFiction #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #PodcastPromo #ReadersOfInstagram #Storytelling #HopeAndHistory #AuthorInterview #WanderingPenPodcast #Perseverance

Before Washington crossed the Delaware… before the victory at Yorktown… there was William Thompson

In June 1775, this frontier fighter from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, became the very first colonel of the United States Army—leading an elite Rifle Battalion whose skill, precision, and daring helped shape America's fight for independence.

Most Americans have never heard his name. My guest, Dr. John Bonin, is a distinguished military historian who has followed Thompson's path from his stone home—named Soldier's Retreat—along the Conodoguinet Creek, to the icy waters of Lechmere Point, through the brutal hardships of the Canada campaign, and into the quiet obscurity of his final years.

This story is more than a forgotten chapter of the Revolutionary War. It's a story about leadership, resilience, and the birth of the U.S. Army, which celebrated its 250th birthday this past June. If you love American history, military history, or storytelling that brings the past to life, you'll want to hear this. And afterwards, please share with a friend, on social media, or in an email, so we can give Thompson the recognition he deserves.

Dr. John Bonin's book can be downloaded from the Department of Defense website. Thompson’s Rifle Battalion: The Original Unit of the Army of the United Colonies

Contact at - bonins4@planetcable.net

Becoming America - William Thompson, Story of the first colonel of the United States Army commissioned in June 1775 - This video was filmed at the restored William Thompson's house, "Soldier's Retreat", Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

#AmericanHistory #MilitaryHistory #RevolutionaryWar #USArmy #HistoryPodcast #WilliamThompson #StorytellingPodcast #ThompsonsRifleBattalion #ForgottenHistory #TheWanderingPen

What happens when a journalist who’s spent decades covering real-life crime turns to fiction to tell the stories that linger? In this compelling episode of The Wandering Pen Podcast, host Christine Musser sits down with award-winning Patriot-News journalist and thriller novelist John Luciew.

John shares how his investigative reporting on the chilling Joey Miller case—a serial rapist and killer who terrorized Harrisburg, PA—shaped his understanding of justice, trauma, and storytelling. As the author of Kill the Story and several other fast-paced thrillers, John reflects on the power and responsibility that come with writing both facts and fiction.

https://www.pennlive.com/staff/jluciew/ Facebook Author Page Amazon Page

Together, they explore:

• The blurred line between real-life reporting and fictional storytelling

• How journalism influences character development and plot

• Why some stories need to be told in more than one form

• The impact of local news on public awareness and policy

• The ethical tension between reporting, protecting, and revealing

Whether you're drawn to true crime, a lover of suspense novels, or curious about the craft of storytelling from both a journalist’s and novelist’s perspective—this episode delivers.

#TrueCrimePodcast #JohnLuciew #ThrillerFiction #InvestigativeJournalism #KillTheStory #WanderingPenPodcast #CrimeWriting #StorytellingMatters #HarrisburgPA #AuthorInterview #CrimeThriller #PodcastForWriters #NewsroomToNovel

n this solo episode, Christine Musser opens her heart to share a personal story of profound grief, layered over decades—the loss of her only sister, her middle brother at age 15, and her husband of 43 years. What begins as a reflection on loss becomes a compassionate offering to others walking the same path.

Christine explores what it means to carry grief not once, but over a lifetime—and how healing doesn't erase the ache, but softens it. Whether you've lost a sibling, a partner, a parent, or someone who simply got you, this episode offers comfort, connection, and quiet solidarity.

You are not alone. We carry these threads together.

Topics include: – Grieving a sibling or sister – Losing a spouse or long-term partner – Layered grief and lifelong mourning – The emotional toll of multiple losses – Coping with grief over time – Finding hope, healing, and self-compassion

💬 If this episode resonates with your journey, please share it with someone who may need to hear it.

🔗 Visit: www.thewanderingpen.net 📧 Contact: christine@thewanderingpen.net