Podcast Readers

Thank you for being willing to be a reader for Speak Up’s upcoming podcast.

Follow the steps below to select and record an article.

Select a Piece

There are two ways to do this.

One is for you to scan through the entire archive containing more one hundred stories and pick something you want to read. This may take awhile.

The other (better?) option is for you to pick from the short curated list below. Quicker!

We’ve divided them by male and female readers.

To start with, we want the author’s and reader’s genders to be the same, though this may change in the future.

Once you decide which piece to read, send Matt Shaw an email and we’ll remove it from the list.


Female Readers

Suddenly Homeless by Lynn Mendes

I’m Not Bitter, I’m Better by Ava


Male Readers

I Don’t Think It Will Last Long by Tyrone

No Idea Why by Edward Smalls

Think Better by Angel Williams

On and Off The Streets by Troy Burtnick

Three Friends by Dustin LaPres


Recording Tips

Find a good place to read and record. It should be indoors, away from other voices or background noice.

Use your smartphone. Most devices have a built-in app (often called “Voice Memos” or similar)

If you mess up or stumble verbally while reading, no worries! You don’t have to start over. Just say “I’m going to redo that” and then re-start the sentence or paragraph. We’ll edit it out afterwards.


Format the recording like this:

  • Start with the title, the subtitle, and the author’s name.

  • Then: “Read by [your name]”

  • Read the entire piece. Take your time with it.

  • Conclude with: “Visit speakupmag.com to read this piece and others from writers facing homelessness. Thank you.”

Here’s an example:

0:00
-1:24


That’s it!

Email the completed audio file to Matt Shaw.