Words on a Wire: Recent Episodes
Words on a Wire
Words on a Wire is a radio show about fiction, poetry, the writing community, and whatever other issues concern literary writers and readers of books. Hosted by Daniel Chacón and Tim Z. Hernandez. Originally broadcasted on www.ktep.org Write to us: soychacon@gmail.com
On August 22, 2023 the legendary poet and publisher Ed Ochester passedaway at age 83. He was the driving force behind the Pitt Poetry Series, which launched the career of many well known names in contemporary poetry today. In honor of Ed Ochester, we are replaying the interviewTim did with him back in January of 2016. Tim introduces the episode by paying respect to Ochester, and recalling his time studying under him while at Bennington College in Vermont.
Host Daniel Chacón speaks with native Nicaraguan poet and UC Davis lecturer León Salvatierra about his collection of poetry, To the North/Al norte (University of Nevada Press 2022). Poet Javier O. Huerta, who translated To the North/Al norte into English, also joins the conversation.
Host Daniel Chacón speaks with poet Gabriel Dozal about his new collection of poetry, The Border Simulator (One World/Random House 2023). Poet Natasha Tiniacos, who translated The Border Simulator into Spanish, also joins the show to discuss the ground-breaking new book.
In a special episode recorded in the heart of Madrid, Spain, Host Daniel Chacón speaks with author and world traveler, Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez. They discuss a wide range of topics, including travel, artificial intelligence, and tacos in Poland.
Host Daniel Chacón speaks with author M. Evelina Galang about her incredible new collection of stories, When the Hibiscus Falls (Coffee House Press, 2023).
M. L. WILLIAMS is author of the chapbook Other Medicines and co-editor of How Much Earth: The Fresno Poets, and he served as editor or co-editor of Quarterly West for five years. His work is in many journals and anthologies, including Plume, Hubbub, Salt, Western Humanities Review, Miramar, The Journal of Florida Studies, The Cortland Review, Live Encounters Poetry, and Stone, River, Sky, and has been nominated for several Pushcart Prizes. He co-emcees the Poetry Stage at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and he teaches creative writing and contemporary literature at Valdosta State University.
Bonnie Ilza Cisneros is a fourth-generation educator in a line of Tejana school teachers. She holds an MFA from Texas State University, is a member of Macondo Writers Workshop, and was awarded a NALAC artist grant in 2018. She received an 2023 Individual Artist Grant from the City of San Antonio to archive, exhibit, and celebrate Siempre Verde: Música for Feeling & Healing, an interdisciplinary pandemic project at Evergreen Garden.
Host Daniel Chacón speaks with writer Heath Dollar about his book Old Country Fiddle.
Heath Dollar is the author of Waylon County: Texas Stories and Old Country Fiddle, which won the Texas Institute of Letters' Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction. Dollar has also won the Texas Observer Short Story Contest and the Gary Wilson Short Fiction Award as well as been named a finalist for the TIL's Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story.
In this episode, hosts Daniel Chacón and Tim Z. Hernández speak with novelist, playwright, actor, and teacher, Denise Chávez.
Her work focuses on the border corridor of southern New Mexico, West Texas and Northern México.Chávez’s book The King and Queen of Comezón, published by the University of Oklahoma Press, which won the 2015 International Latino Book Award in Fiction and the 2015 New Mexico-Arizona Fiction Award. Her other books include A Taco Testimony: Meditations on Family, Food and Culture, Loving Pedro Infante, Face of An Angel, and a short story collection, The Last of the Menu Girls, and a children’s book, La Mujer Que Sabía El Idioma de Los Animales/The Woman Who Knew the Language of the Animals. Chávez has performed her one-woman shows, Novena Narrativas: The Novena Narratives and El Muro/The Wall: A Chorus of Immigrant Women's Voices throughout the U.S.
In this episode of Words on a Wire we're here to bring you a very special show, a tribute to American poet and writer Benjamin Alire Saenz. This show is a compilation of the most memorable moments of the event, back in April of the present year at the El Paso Community Foundation. Featuring writers Daniel Chacón, Alessandra Narvaez Varela, Tim Z. Hernández, Lee Merrill Byrd and Bobby Byrd, Alfredo Corchado and Former US Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera as the principal guest speakers of the event.
A big thank you to our team of producers Claudia Flores, Ana Llurba and Iliana Pichardo Urrutia and to the entire team that made this episode posible. Our Sound Editor: Facundo Torrieri. Script writer: Iliana Pichardo and our KTEP Producer Paul Castro and his team for helping us recording this wonderful event. We would also like to thank the El Paso Community Foundation, former, Dean of the college of Liberal arts at UTEP Denis A. O'Hearn and his team for making this event possible. And lastly to the Creative Writing Team from the Creative Writing Department at UTEP, for helping with the organization and marketing of the event.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz is an author of poetry and prose for adults and teens. He was the first Hispanic winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and a recipient of the American Book Award for his books for adults. He is the author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, which was a Printz Honor Book, the Stonewall Award winner, the Pura Belpré Award winner, the Lambda Literary Award winner, and a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, and its sequel, Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. His first novel for teens, Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His second book for teens, He Forgot to Say Goodbye, won the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, the Southwest Book Award, and was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. He lives in El Paso, Texas.
John Boomer is a self-taught sculptor who started his career in 1968 while teaching on the Navajo Indian Reservation. His skills range from sculpting wood, stone, bronze, and woodblock printing. He’s showcased his work in presentations and demonstrations at schools around the Navajo Reservation including Ganado, Lukachukai, Window Rock, in Arizona, also in Navajo, Gallup, Thoreau, and Grants New Mexico schools.
Host Daniel Chacón speaks with Daniel A. Olivas about his forthcoming book, My Chicano Heart: New and Collected Storis of Love and Other Transgressions (University of Nevada Press, fall 2023)
Olivas is the author of eleven books and editor of two anthologies. His books include How to Date a Flying Mexican: New and Collected Stories (University of Nevada Press, 2022), The King of Lighting Fixtures: Stories (University of Arizona Press, 2017), Crossing the Border: Collected Poems (Pact Press, 2017), and Things We Do Not Talk About: Exploring Latino/a Literature through Essays and Interviews (San Diego State University Press, 2014). Daniel's forthcoming book is My Chicano Heart: New and Collected Stories of Love and Other Transgressions (University of Nevada Press, fall 2023).
In this new episode you will listen to host Tim Z. Hernandez and guest, Nico Antuna Cooper on the segment, the third story.
Antuna Cooper is a Renaissance man. He received his Master of Fine Arts from UTEP, specializing in poetry and multimedia design, and completed his Level 1 Training with the Court of Master Sommeliers. He has traveled around the world, spending time in Spain and completing the Camino de Santiago among other travels. He is a licensed Texas Realtor and Adjunct Professor of English at UTEP and EPCC.
In this episode Daniel Chacón talks to Sergio Troncoso, author of short stories, essays and novels. In this conversation they will speak of Troncoso´s latest book Nobody´s Pilgrim.
In this episode, listen to a new series ”The Third Story” created by host Tim Z. Hernandez, featuring Dominic Prado, who, after serving time in prison, headed out into his community to organize cultural events in Central California, attended the University of Santa Cruz to serve as the city council for his community, and opened his own business Tacos El Ultimo baile.
In this episode, host Daniel Chacon talks to author Jahan Khamsehzadeh about his book The Psilocybin Connection.
Jahan Khamsehzadeh, Ph.D. completed his dissertation on psychedelics in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco. His book, The Psilocybin Connection: Psychedelics, the Transformation of Consciousness, and Evolution of the Planet—An Integral Approach, is being published by North Atlantic Books and distributed Spring 2022 by Penguin Random House
In this episode, listen to the conversation between author and MFA student Ana Llurba and the members of Bilingual projects.
Sara Cordón is a Spanish writer currently living in New York City. She is the author of the novel Para español, pulse 2 (Press Two for Spanish, Caballo de Troya/ Penguin Random House, 2018), and is earning her PhD at the Graduate Center, CUNY. She holds an MFA in creative writing from NYU, and a master's in humanities from Carlos III University of Madrid. She was awarded the Cosecha Eñe Short Stories Award in 2017. She is co-founder of the nonprofit bilingual publishing house Chatos Inhumanos.
Guillermo Severiche is an Argentinian writer and scholar. He holds an M.A. in Hispanic Studies and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA). In 2016, he moved to New York to complete an M.F.A. in Creative Writing in Spanish at NYU. He has been granted several fellowships to complete research for his work as a writer and scholar and to participate in artistic and academic events in Turkey, Cuba and Bolivia, among others. In 2019, he was one of the recipients of the 2019 New Works Grant provided by the Queens Council on the Arts, from which he founded EN CONSTRUCCIÓN. Reading series. Currently, he teaches in the Department of Modern Languages at Fordham University (Lincoln Center) and he works as Literary Manager at IATI Theater.
Pedro Medina León is an award winning author, speaker and editor. He is the author of the acclaimed novel Varsovia (Florida Book Award 2017), Mañana no te veré en Miami, Marginal and Tour: una vuelta por la cultura popular de Miami, and editor of the anthologies Viaje One Way and Miami (Un)Plugged. Medina León is a speaker member of the Florida Humanities Council for the 2018 –2019 program, and co-creator of the Escribe Aquí Festival, for the Betsy Hotel, which was awarded with a grant from the Knight Foundation and frequently gives talks around the country on writing, reading, and multiculturalism. In 2008 he created the cultural portal Suburbano Ediciones today suburbano.net is the leading Spanish-Language cultural network in the United States. He also is a contributing columnist for El Nuevo Herald and studied Literature at Florida International University.
Host Daniel Chacón talks to author Mariana Enriquez about her short stories collection The Dangers of Smoking in Bed.
Mariana Enríquez (Buenos Aires, 1973) is an Argentine journalist, novelist, and short story writer.
She works as a journalist and is the deputy editor of the arts and culture section of the newspaper Pagina/12 and she dictates literature workshops. Enriquez has published the novels: Bajar es lo peor (Espasa Calpe, 1995), Cómo desaparecer completamente (Emecé, 2004) and Nuestra parte de noche (Anagrama, 2019)(Herralde Prize 2019). She has also written the short story books: Los peligros de fumar en la cama (Emecé, 2009), Las cosas que perdimos en el fuego (Editorial Anagrama, 2016) (Premi Ciutat de Barcelona 2017) and the novelette Chicos que vuelven (Eduvim, 2010). Her stories have appeared in anthologies of Spain, Mexico, Chile, Bolivia and Germany.
In this episode listen to the conversation between host Daniel Chacon and author Ana Llurba.
Llurba (Córdoba, Argentina) has published Este es el momento exacto en que el tiempo empieza a correr (Antonio Colinas Young Poetry Prize), La puerta del cielo and Hemoderivadas (novel), Constelaciones familiares (short stories, Celsius Prize Semana Negra de Gijó, Spain) and Érase otra vez. Cuentos de hadas contemporáneos (essays). Currently she is enrolled as a Teaching Assistant at the Bilingual Creative Writing Program at University of Texas at El Paso, USA. Some of her work has been translated into Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Lithuanian, German and English. You can find out more information about her work at www.anallurba.net
In this episode host Tim Z. Hernandez interviews UTEP Associate English professor, Jonna Perillo on her new book Educating the Enemy.
Perillo's new book Educating the Enemy charts the story of how two groups of immigrant students both considered enemies of a sort—children of Nazi scientists and Mexican American children—fared in El Paso schools and what their experiences reveal about postwar American schooling and political culture.
In this episode listen to host Daniel Chacón talks to author Maria M. Maloney about her book Cracked Spaces (Pandora Lobo, 2021).
Maloney is a Latina poet, editor, and bilingual publisher. She was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in a small farm community of mostly immigrant families. Maria is the founder of Mouthfeel Press a bilingual press that has published dozens of books of poetry in English and Spanish, she is also the author of The Lost Letters of Mileva (Pandora Lobo Productions Press, 2014) and The City I Love (Ranchos Press, 2011).
In this episode listen to conversation between mothers and writers featuring special guests: Andrea Cote Botero, Rosa Alcala and Jazmina Barrera.
This is a bilingial episode in English and Spanish.
In this episode listen to the conversation between author Arturo Mantecon and host Daniel Chacon on Mantecon’s book El día más delicioso de mi vida.
His poetry has appeared in La Ventana Abierta, Poetry Now and various anthologies. His short stories have been published in The Americas Review, Café Bellas Artes, Bliss, and The Dunes Review. A collection of his short stories, Memories, Cuentos Verídicos, y Otras Outright Lies, was published by En Casa in 2014.
In this episode listen to the conversation between host Daniel Chacon and author Melanie Márquez Adams.
Adams is an Ecuadorian American writer and translator who has made her home in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds an MFA in Spanish Creative Writing from the University of Iowa where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow. Her most recent fiction and nonfiction can be found in journals such as The Southern Review, Puerto del Sol, Laurel Review, Spanglish Voces, and Huellas Magazine. While she does write and publish in English, she chooses to write principally in Spanish as an act of resistance. She is the author of a collection of short stories and two essay collections, as well as the editor of the anthology Del sur al norte: Narrativa y poesía de autores andinos, winner of a 2018 International Latino Book Award. A tireless advocate of Spanish-language writers in the US, Melanie serves as Spanish content editor for Latino Book Review, and producer and translator for Tres Cuentos Literary Podcast.
In this episode listen to the conversation between host, Daniel Chacón, and writer and artist Octavio Quintanilla, author of the poetry collection, If I Go Missing (Slough Press, 2014) as well as Wasted Time (Alabrava Press, 2019).
Quintanilla´s poetry, fiction, translations, and photography have appeared, or are forthcoming, in journals such as Salamander, RHINO, Alaska Quarterly Review, Green Mountains Review, and The Texas Observer. His Frontextos (visual poems) have been published in journals such as Poetry Northwest, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, About Place Journal, and The Windward Review, and his visual work has been exhibited in many locations including the Southwest School of Art, Presa House Gallery, Equinox Gallery, and The University of Texas—Rio Grande Valley (Brownsville Campus).
In this episode listen to the conversation between host Daniel Chacon and author Reyna Grande on her new book A Ballad of Love and Glory (2022)
Reyna Grande is the author of the memoirs The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home, and the novels Across a Hundred Mountains, Dancing With Butterflies, and A Ballad of Love and Glory. Her books have been adopted as the common read selection by schools, colleges, and cities across the country.
Reyna has received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlán Literary Award, and the International Latino Book Award. Follow her work at: https://reynagrande.com/
In this episode listen to the conversation between host, Tim Z. Hernandez and author Lupe Mendez.
He is the founder of Tintero Projects which works with emerging Latinx writers and other writers of color within the Texas Gulf Coast Region, with Houston as its hub. Lupe earned his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at El Paso. Mendez’s work can be seen in print and online formats including the Kenyon Review, Gulf Coast Journal, the Texas Review, the L.A. Review of Books, Split This Rock, Poetry Magazine and Poem-A-Day from the Academy of American Poets. Mendez is the 2022 Texas Poet Laureate. Follow Lupe on Twitter, at @thepoetmendez and on Instagram, at @ellupis.
In this episode listen to the conversation between host, Daniel Chacon, and memorist, Garret Hongo, about his new book The Perfect Sound: A Memoir in Stereo (Pantheon, 2022).
Hongo's poetry collections are Yellow Light (1982), The River of Heaven (1988), which received the Lamont Poetry Prize and was a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and Coral Road (2011). In non-fiction, he has published The Mirror Diary (2017) and Volcano: A Memoir of Hawaiʻi (1995). His work has been recognized with fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Hosts, Tim Z. Hernández and Daniel Chacón get together to talk to award-winning American poet, novelist and writer Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
His first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, won an American Book Award in 1992. His first novel, Carry Me Like Water was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention. His novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, a coming-of-age story about two Mexican-American boys growing up in El Paso, Texas, was a Printz Honor Book, the Stonewall Award winner, the Pura Belpré Award winner, the Lambda Literary Award winner, and a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World (2021) is the well-awaited sequel.
In this episode, listen to the conversation between host, Daniel Chacon, and author JJ Amaworo Wilson on his second novel "Nazaré".
Wilson is a German-born Anglo-American-Nigerian novelist and non-fiction writer. His novel "Damnificados" won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Debut Fiction, the Independent Publishers Book Award, the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award, and the Prix Révélation de Traduction (French edition), and was on Oprah’s Top 10 Books to Read Now list. The novel has been translated into several languages. His second novel is "Nazaré" (PM Press, 2021).
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host, Daniel Chacon interviews author Gris Muñoz.
Gris Muñoz is a frontera poet and storyteller. She is the author of the bilingual poetry and short-story collection, Coatlicue Girl (FlowerSong Books, 2020), most recently named a finalist for the John A. Robertson Award for Best First Book of Poetry by the Texas Institute of Letters.
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón interviews Estella González about her debut short story collection, Chola Salvation, published in 2021 by Arte Público Press.
González was born and raised in East Los Angeles which inspires her writing. Her writing has been recognized with a Pushcart Prize “Special Mention” and as a “Reading Notable” for The Best American Non-Required Reading.
n this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón interviews Denis O´Hearn about the 20th anniversary of his compelling book Nothing But an Unfinished Song: The Life and Times of Bobby Sands.
Denis O'Hearn is Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has written widely in the fields of political economy, mutual aid, isolated imprisonment and Ireland."
In this episode listen to the conversation between host Tim Z. Hernandez and Jackie Barragan.
Barragan made her first short film documentary JOSIE in 2020. Her film JOSIE has screened in a variety of film festivals around the country.
Barragan is also a part of the Femme Frontera collective. An organization of Latinx female-identifying filmmakers based out of the Border who’s purpose is to create more opportunities for Latinx, BIPOC, non-binary, and queer filmmakers to take back the narrative in underrepresented communities.
In this episode of Words on a Wire host, Daniel Chacon, interviews author Ana Castillo.
Castillo is considered one of the leading voices in Chicana experience and is known for her experimental style as a Latina novelist. She is recipient of PEN Oakland Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring BLACK DOVE: Mamá, Mi’jo, and Me. 2018; MALCS (Mujeres Activistas en Letras y Cambios Social Institute) Xicana Critical Thought Leader Award, among others. Some of her best seller novels include So Far From God, The Guardians and Peel My Love like an Onion, among other poetry: I Ask the Impossible.
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Tim Z. Hernandez, interviews poet Sonia Gutierrez.
Gutiérrez is a poet, professor, and translator. Her poems have appeared in Poetry of Resistance: Voices for Social Change, edited by Francisco X. Alarcón and Odilia Galván Rodríguez (Best Poetry Book for the 2016 Arizona-New Mexico Book Awards), La Jornada Semanal (México City), and Tres en Suma (Madrid).
In this episode Daniel Chacón talks with California-based author, artist, and educator, Maceo Montoya.
His first novel, The Scoundrel and the Optimist (Bilingual Review, 2010), was awarded the 2011 International Latino Book Award for “Best First Book” and Latino Stories named him one of its “Top Ten New Latino Writers to Watch”.
A poet, teacher, and community activist Sesshu Foster was born and raised in East Los Angeles. His books include, City Terrace Field Manual (1996), World Ball Notebook (2009), Atomik Aztex, and ELADATL, which we’ll be speaking with him about today. He’s the recipient of several awards, including the American Book Award, the Believer Book Award, and the Asian American Literary Award.
In this episode, host Daniel Chacon interviews author Kathleen Alcala.
Alcala is the Winner of the Washington State Governor's Writers Award and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award when it was originally published in 1997, Spirits of the Ordinary was one of the rst books to address the topic of the hidden Jews of Mexico.
In this episode of WOW, host, Tim Z. Hernandez, interviews author and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz.
Dunbar-Ortiz is the winner of the 2017 Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize, and is the author or editor of many books, including An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, a recipient of the 2015 American Book Award
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
In today's episode, our hosts talk about the Halloween and Dia de Muertos celebration! As part of the celebration, join to listen to some of our students of the MFA Creative Writing program tell urban myths in honor of the spooky celebration !
In this episode of Words on a Wire host, Tim Z. Hernandez interviews poet David Romero.
Romero is a Mexican-American spoken word artist from Diamond Bar, CA. Romero is the author of My Name Is Romero (FlowerSong Press), a book reviewed by Gustavo Arellano (¡Ask a Mexican!), Curtis Marez (University Babylon), and founding member of Ozomatli, Ulises Bella. Romero has appeared at over seventy-five colleges and universities in thirty different states in the USA.
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacon interviews Philip Goff.
Goff is an Associate Professor of Psychology and the author of Galileo's Error, and co-host of Mind Chat.
In this episode of words on a wire host, Tim Z. Hernandez interviews co-founder of The Taco Shop Poets, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez.
Guzman'Lopez co-founded the poetry-performance group The Taco Shop Poets. He continues to wander the sidewalks, streets and freeways of Southern California searching for the right words for the sounds he hears.
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacon sits down to talk to author and poet Rosa Alcalá.
Alcalá is a translator and author of the poetry collections MyOTHER TONGUE, The Lust of Unsentimental Waters, and Undocumentaries.
Host Tim Z. Hernandez welcomes Carribean Fragoza, writer, journalist and artist from South El Monte,CA. Her arts/culture reviews and essays have been published in online national and international magazines such as the Aperture, Los Angeles Review of Books
Host Daniel Chacon welcomes Monique Quintana back to the studio for an in depth interview to discuss her new noel, Cenote City. Her book reviews, interviews, and personal essays appear at Luna Luna Magazine, where she is a contributing editor. Her short works have been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Microfiction, and the Pushcart Prize.
For today's episode, host, Tim Z. Hernandez, interviews California-based poet Devoya Mayo.
Mayo is a poet, artist, organizer, DJ, and host of her own podcast "Sucka Free Sundays." Her personal mission is to combine history, culture, and art to create opportunities that are educational, promote wellness, and foster meaningful inclusion of marginalized communities.
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacon interviews David Campos and Maceo Montoya on American Quasar, a collaboration that mixes poetry and image
In this episode host, Daniel Chacon interviews Will Rose, CMO for an Artificial Intelligence company based in NYC.
In this episode, Daniel and Vissiting Assistan Professor, Kadiri J. Vaquer Fernandez discuss different topics such as her latest book 'Ritos de Pasaje,' Immigration, exploring the imagination, and the longing to return home, to a place and time when we felt more secure.
Hello everyone, just a reminder to tune in to KTEP 88.5 FM at 12 p.m. MST to listen to the conversation between host Tim Z. Hernandez and the San Francisco-based band, Los Delicados.
Hello everyone! Just a reminder to tune in to KTEP 88.5 FM at 12 p.m. MST for a special episode of Words on a Wire where host Daniel Chacon, interviews US Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo.
Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She is serving her second term as the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States.
She is the author of nine books of poetry, including the highly acclaimed An American Sunrise, several plays and children's books, and two memoirs, Crazy Brave and Poet Warrior: A Call for Love and Justice, her many honors include the Ruth Lily Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award, two NEA fellowships, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
In this episode of Words on a Wire Tim Z. Hernandez interviews activist and software developer Joshua Rubin.
Rubin, is a software developer from Brooklyn, New York,
and the founder of Witness at the Border. He was a witness at the Tornillo, Texas influx detention facility for migrant children, and at a similar shelter in Homestead, Florida. These facilities held over 3,000 children at their peak; both no longer do. Rubin led the Witness project on the ground in Brownsville/Matamoros in early 2020, and leads the Biden-era child detention Witness project.
In this episode of Words on a Wire host Daniel Chacon interviews first year MFA students Iliana Pichardo and Claudia Flores on the release of the new book "Toda esta distancia | All this distance."
The book is a collection of stories about the pandemic, an archive of intimate experiences, by students of the master's degree in creative writing at the University of Texas at El Paso.
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Tim Z. Hernandez interviews emerging writer Martin Velasco Ramos.
Velasco Ramos is a Journalist and photographer for the Valley Voice and most recently he launched his Youtube channel The Brave Things, a channel that provides guidance in emerging adulthood.
In this episode, host Daniel Chacon interviews author Sergio Troncoso.
Troncoso is an American author of short stories, essays and novels. He often writes about the United States-Mexico border, immigration, philosophy in literature, families and fatherhood, and crossing cultural, religious, and psychological borders.
In this episode of Words on a Wire host Tim Z. Hernandez interviews author Valentin Sandoval.
Sandoval is the author of Power At The Pass: The Don Shapiro Story. He is also a filmmaker and received the 1st Award ever at UTEP for Independent Filmmaking in 1996. He won 1st Place for Documentary at UTEP’s International Film Festival 2006 and The Rasquache Film Festival, where he received an award for Best Documentary for the film “Clamor”. The awards allowed Valentin to work on industry films that came into El Paso through 1996-2002 (films include working with Miramax, TriStar, Paramount Pictures, Wavemount Productions).
In this episode host, Daniel Chacon interviews author Ted O'Conell. O'Conell is the Winner of the Tobias Wolff Award in Fiction. He is a writer and musician whose creative products have been featured in literary magazines and music halls throughout the country. He plays mandolin with the Prozac Mountain Boys and guitar with The Scarlet Locomotive, and has twice served as a visiting professor in China
In this episode of Words on a Wire host, Tim Z. Hernandez and Veronica Carbajal, former El Paso Mayor candidate, on the release of her children’ book Toma, Toma, Toma. A bilingual book for a cause.
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacon interviews author and UTEP professor, Paula Cucurella on her poetry book "Demasiada luz para hacer poesía". Cucurella is also the author of the book "Los últimos inanes días", released in 2020.
In this episode host, Daniel Chacon interviews authors Felicia Zamora and Marisol Baca.
Baca is Fresno’s Poet Laureate, is the author of Tremor, a full length collection of poems from Three Mile Harbor Press. Marisol’s work has been published in SPFLit Magazine, Narrative Northeast, Riverlit, Shadowed: An Anthology of Women Writers.
Zamora is a poet, educator, and editor currently living in OH. She is the author of six books of poetry including I Always Carry My Bones, winner of the 2020 Iowa Poetry Prize forthcoming from the University of Iowa Press in 2021.
host Tim Z. Hernandez interviews Jon Hinojosa, Artistic Director of SAY Sí, a national award-winning, creative youth development program for urban students.
Hinojosa, is active in professional: local, regional and national creative youth development initiatives and has presented and facilitated learning at numerous conferences and symposia on the value, tangible evidence, and the transformative power the arts have on urban youth. He also serves as a board member of Texans for the Arts.
In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacon interviews author Alessandra Narvaez Varela about the release of her new book ´Thirty Talks Weird Love´.
Narvaez Varela earned a BS in Biology and an MFA from the Creative Writing program at the University of Texas at El Paso. Narvaez Varela also works as an instructor for the program.
In today's episode listen to the conversation between host, Tim Z. Hernandez and author Viva Padilla.
Padilla is the founding editor of Dryland, an independent print literary journal founded in South Central Los Angeles and of Hombre Lobo. She is a first-generation Chicana, a daughter of immigrants who crossed the border from Colima, Mexico. She is currently working on a bilingual poetry collection
In today´s episode, host Daniel Chacon interviews Anthony Cody, author of Borderland Apocrypha (Omnidawn, 2020). Cody was winner of the 2018 Omnidawn Open Book Contest, and finalist for the 2020 National Book Award in Poetry. He is a CantoMundo fellow from Fresno, California.
In today's episode of Words on a Wire, host, Tim Z. Hernandez interviews Mayela Padilla.
Padilla is the Executive Director of Casa Werma a Buddhist meditation center, Chief Environmental Optimist (CEO) of The Manasjan Consultancy, and podcast host of "Tiny Climate Challenge." She is passionate about poetry, photography, spending time with her family and friends, practicing meditation, engaging in science, running long distances, eating delicious food and traveling the world.
In today’s episode of Words on a Wire host, Daniel Chacon interviews author Fred Arroyo.
Fred Arroyo is the author of Western Avenue and Other Fictions and The Region of Lost Names: A Novel. A recipient of an Individual Artist Program Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission, Arroyo’s fiction is a part of the Library of Congress series Spotlight on U.S. Hispanic Writers. Arroyo’s writing is also included in Camino del Sol: Fifteen Years of Latina and Latino Writing and The Colors of Nature: Essays on Culture, Identity and the Natural World.
In today´s episode of Words on a Wire, host, Tim Z. Hernandez interviews poet Aideed Medina.
Medina, is a poet from Salinas CA, based on Fresno CA. She attended Fresno State and has published two pieces with the University journal, including her piece ´Flies, Cockroaches and Poets´
Medina is also a member of the Loud Mouth Poetry Slam Team to The 25th Annual National Poetry Slam in Oakland California since 2014.
In this episode of Words on a Wire host, Daniel Chacon, interviews fiction writer Lorraine M. Lopez on her new book “Postcards from the Gerund State.” Lopez is an associate professor of English teaching in the M.F.A. program in Creative Writing at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of six books of fiction and editor or co-editor of two essay collections. Her short story collection, Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories won the inaugural Miguel Marmól prize for fiction. Her second book, Call Me Henri was awarded the Paterson Prize for Young Adult Literature in 2007, and her novels, The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters and The Realm of Hungry Spirits (Grand Central Press, 2011) were a Borders/Las Comadres Selections.
In this episode of Words On a Wire, host, Tim Z. Hernandez interviews poet Jessica Helen Lopez. Lopez is City of Albuquerque Poet Laureate, Emeritus and the host of arts-based PBS, ¡COLORES! She has also been a featured writer for 30 Poets in their 30’s by MUZZLE and named one of the “10 Up and Coming Lantinx Poets You Need to Know” by international digital publisher and agency, Remezcla. Lopez is a nationally recognized award-winning slam poet, and holds the title of 2012 and 2014 Women of the World City of ABQ Champion.
In today’s episode of Words on a Wire, host, Daniel Chacon interviews Dr. Melissa Castillo Planas on her book A Mexican State of Mind: New York City and the New Borderlands of Culture, where she examines the creative worlds and cultural productions of Mexican migrants in New York City within the context of a system of racial capitalism that marginalizes Mexican migrants via an exploitative labor market, criminalizing immigration policy, and racialized systems of surveillance.
Dr. Castillo Planas’ work has been published in numerous collections such as Centering Borders: Explorations in South Asia and Latin America , Afro-Latinos in Movement: Critical Approaches to Blackness and Transnationalism in the Americas and diverse scholarly and media publications including Border – Lines, Lengua y Literature, Acentos Review, Hispanic Culture Review, El Diario/La Prensa, CNN.com The Bilingual Review, Women's Studies, and Words. Beats
In today’s episode, host, Tim Z. Hernandez interviews poet Matt Sedillo on his most recent poetry collection “Mowing leaves of grass.” Sedillo has been described as the "best political poet in America" as well as "the poet laureate of the struggle" by academics, poets, and journalists alike. He has spoken at Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba, at numerous conferences and forums such as the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education, and at over a hundred universities and colleges, including the University of Cambridge and Stanford University, among many others.
In today's episode of WOW host, Daniel Chacon, interviews Carlos Fidel Espinoza about his new book ‘How to Lie to a Customs Agent.’ His book is a collection of poetry that explores the experiences, triumphs, and pains of life on the border. Fidel Espinosa holds a Bilingual Master of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at El Paso. He teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Texas at El Paso, and El Paso Community College
In today’s episode of Words on a Wire, host Tim Z. Hernandez interviews Guatemalan poet, memoirist, and photographer Claudia D. Hernandez. So, don't forget to tune at KTEP 88.5 at 12 pm MST to listen to the conversation!
Hernandez holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles, she is a translator and bilingual educator residing in Los Angeles. She is the author of KNITTING THE FOG and a finalist for the 2020 Firecracker Award in Creative Nonfiction.
In today’s episode of Words on a Wire you will listen to the conversation between host Tim Z. Hernandez and singer/songwriter Ana Saldaña.
Saldaña is a Los Angeles native. She is a singer/songwriter, producer, sound mixer and activist. Her music is conscience with a social justice advocacy that is relevant today. Saldaña’s sound career spans 15 years and she has traveled all over the world capturing sound for all major networks and streaming platforms!
In today's episode listen to host Daniel Chacon talk to author Ashley E. Lucas.
Lucas is Associate Professor of Theatre & Drama and Director of the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) at the University of Michigan. Her research and teaching interests include U.S. Latina/o theatre, prison-related theatre, theatre for social change, and related topics in acting, playwriting, and comparative ethnic studies. Lucas is also the author of an ethnographic play about the families of prisoners entitled Doin’ Time: Through the Visiting Glass, which she has performed as a one-woman show throughout the U.S. and in Ireland and Canada
In today's episode listen to host Tim Z. Hernandez talk to poet Seema Reza. She is the CEO of Community Building Art Works, a unique arts organization that encourages the use of the arts as a tool for narration, self-care, and socialization among a military population struggling with emotional and physical injuries. Reza’s work with veterans is featured in the 2018 HBO documentary We Are Not Done Yet. She was awarded the Col John Gioia Patriot Award by the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore for her work with service members.
In today's episode, host Daniel Chacon talks with poet and novelist, Virgil Suarez. Suarez is a professor, MFA, at Louisiana State University and specializes in creative writing (fiction and poetry) and Latino/a (especially Cuban-American) literature. Poet, essayist, novelist, and short story writer, Professor Suarez is the author or co-author of over fifteen books of poetry and prose. His work has appeared in The Kenyon Review, The Southern Review, The New England Review, Poetry London, Poetry Wales, Poetry New Zealand, Imago (Australia), The Toronto Review (Canada) among other international publications.
In today's episode listen to the conversation between host Daniel Chacon and poet Francisco Aragon about his most recent work ‘About Rubén.’
Aragon’s poems and translations have appeared in various print and online journals, as well as numerous anthologies. His work as a translator includes four books by Francisco X. Alarcón, as well as work by Spanish poets Federico García Lorca and Gerardo Diego.
In today's episode, host Daniel Chacon talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate, Tracy K Smith. In this interview, Smith talks about her book ‘Wade in the Water,’ her early years discovering the craft of poetry, and her role as a professor at Princeton University with the new generation of writers.
Daniel talks with Dylan Landis, author of the novel "Rainey Royal," a book about a 14-year-old girl (described by Daniel as a "Mean Girl") growing up in Greenwich Village in a very unconventional household. The book follows her along a 10-year span in which she makes & breaks friendships and relationships. Dylan explains how Rainey was a character introduced briefly in an earlier short story, and after a failed attempt at a Typhoid Mary project, Dylan decided to dedicated an entire book to Rainey. http://www.dylanlandis.com/
Today's Poem of the Week is Gwendolyn Brooks' "A Song in the Front Yard," read by local poet Nancy Lechuga.
And today's Poetic License is a reflection on remembrance read by Carolynne Muehsam-Ayoub. The piece is entitled "Garden Tomatoes."
Plus, Daniel shares a few of his NEW favorite words...and we are pretty sure you've NEVER heard these words before!
Daniel talks with poet & critic, Edward Hirsch, about his latest book, A Poet's Glossary, which is not so much a book of definitions as it is an exploration of the history of the terms and how those terms interrelate to each other. Hirsch explains why it took 15 years to compile the information for this book, and why he believes it can still be more expansive (it's already over 700 pages long). We'll learn about the terms "Duende," "Flarf," and "Spam Poetry."
This week's Poem of the Week is read by our guest, Edward Hirsch. He reads "To Poetry."
For this week's Poetic License, Fresno poet Marisol Baca returns to share a couple of poems that reflect upon the world she lived in as a childhood dreamer. We'll hear "Horno" and "The Discovery."
Daniel talks with famed Chicana writer Ana Castillo, whose latest book is "Give it to Me." She talks about the influence Charles Bukowski had on the book's main character, Palma Piedras. Palma is a woman who has contempt for most everything and has built a shell to protect herself from the world. Ana also explains why she likes to share her publishing rejection stories with other writers so they don't get discouraged. http://www.anacastillo.com/
This week's Poem of the Week is "For the Foxes" by Charles Bukowski, read by Daniel Chacon.
And California Chicana poet and activist Nancy Aidé Gonzalez reads "Needlework," a Poetic License inspired by a memoir and spirituality workshop held by Ana Castillo. In this reflection, Nancy revisits her past and her often-painful memories of her father.
Daniel talks with James E. Cherry, an online MFA student in the UTEP Department of Creative Writing. Cherry lives in Tennessee and is working on his MFA online. Cherry's newest poetry collection "Loose Change" is not his first book, having already published fiction and poetry prior to entering the MFA program, but he feels the program has made him a better writer, and many of the poems in "Loose Change" grew out of the MFA workshops.
For this week's Poem of the Week, James E. Cherry reads "Suspect" from his collection "Loose Change."
In this week's Poetic License, fellow UTEP online MFA student Guadalupe Mendez (who lives in San Antonio) reflects on the legacy of books, and why he feels Latino writers and poets need to be heard by wider audiences.
Daniel & Ben talk with Cyrus Cassells, author of the new poetry collection, "Crossed-Out Swastika," which features poems told from the perspective of Holocaust survivors and witnesses. Cyrus explains how a trip to Auschwitz and a chance meeting with a Holocaust survivor inspired the poems. The poems are written in couplets to reflect the silence he felt was needed in the poems.
Cyrus Cassells will read this week's Poem of the Week, a new work entitled "Jasmine."
Performance poet Viva Flores delivers a Poetic License unlike any heard before on this program!
...and Ben & Daniel reflect on the pros & cons of Facebook.
Daniel & Ben talk with Raphael Dagold, author of the poetry collection "Bastard Heart." Some of the poems in the collection date back two decades. He talks about the patience he endured in all the years it took to publish this book, and he never once thought of giving up.
For today's Poem of the Week, Raphael Dagold reads "New Elements" from his collection "Bastard Heart."
In today's Poetic License, Antonina Parris-Yarbrough reads "Prus, The Doll, and the Internet," which reflects on the impatience we often feel when confronted with a long, difficult book that we know is going to take a long time to read.
Daniel talks with playwright, actor, and filmmaker, Richard Montoya. Richard's newest project is his directorial debut - Water and Power. Montoya comes from what some may call "Chicano royalty." His father was the acclaimed Chicano poet & artist Jose Montoya, his uncle is poster artist Malaquias Montoya, and his cousin was poet Andrés Montoya, for whom the Andres Montoya Poetry Prize is named. Richard talks about growing up surrounded by Chicano activism, and how his family's social activism paralleled those of Cesar Chavez. He also talks about the satirical theatre troupe Culture Clash and its politically-charged evolution over the years. Richard's new film, "Water and Power," is an adaptation of one of his plays, and will open in L.A. on May 2.
For this week's Poem of the Week, Daniel Chacon reads the unpublished poem "Tree" by Andrés Montoya. The poem will be featured in a forthcoming posthumous collection called "Colón-ization," which is being edited by Daniel.
Ben & Daniel talk with Scott Weems, author of "Ha! The Science of When we Laugh and Why." Scott is a neuroscientist who has been researching the science of humor. He explains that humor is a way for our brains to make sense of the chaos in our minds. Scott also tells us why computers are only good for creating good puns, but can't generate the nuance or complexity of a well-told joke. And..Scott tells us the funniest joke in the world...according to science.
Today's Poem of the Week is Mark Strand's "Eating Poetry," read by Daniel Chacon.
And in today's Poetic License, poet Nancy Lechuga reflects on daydreaming.
Plus...Daniel & Ben talk about their experiences at the recent AWP Writer's Conference in Seattle.
Ben & Daniel talk with Maria Maloney, founder of Mouthfeel Press. Maria talks about what drove her to create the press and why she came up with the name "Mouthfeel." Maria also talks about the friendships she creates with the authors whose works she publishes, and about the future projects we can expect from Mouthfeel Press.
For this week's Poem of the Week, Maria Maloney reads from collection "Pulp" by Celina Villagarcia, which is published by Mouthfeel Press. The poem is "A Mother's Effect on the World."
In this week's Poetic License, Los Angeles writer Conrad Romo talks about connecting with his dad over a Lenten meal of nopalitos.
Ben & Daniel talk with Maria Maloney, founder of Mouthfeel Press. Maria talks about what drove her to create the press and why she came up with the name "Mouthfeel." Maria also talks about the friendships she creates with the authors whose works she publishes, and about the future projects we can expect from Mouthfeel Press.
For this week's Poem of the Week, Maria Maloney reads from collection "Pulp" by Celina Villagarcia, which is published by Mouthfeel Press. The poem is "A Mother's Effect on the World."
In this week's Poetic License, Los Angeles writer Conrad Romo talks about connecting with his dad over a Lenten meal of nopalitos.
Ben & Daniel talk with W.S. Di Piero, author of the poetry collection "Tombo." Di Piero talks about the patterns of sound that stir his poetry. He also discusses the opening poem of "Tombo," and why he chose to open the collection with it. Unlike many other poets, Di Piero doesn't concern himself over the order of the poems in a collection, unless they are following a theme.
For this week's Poem of the Week, W.S. Di Piero reads "Hub Cap: An Essay on Poetry" from his collection "Tombo."
In this week's Poetic License, Benjamin Alire Saenz reflects on forgiveness, humility, and human rights.
And, Ben & Daniel talk about their favorite and not-so-favorite words.
Daniel & Ben dedicate this show to some of their favorite poems & poets. Featured works are Frank O'Hara's "Homosexuality," Gabriela Mistral's "God Wills It," Denise Levertov's "Caedmon," Anne Sexton's "The Truth the Dead Know," Karen Fiser's "Across the Border," and Federico Garcia Lorca's "Despedida."
Daniel talks with Xánath Caraza, author of the new work of fiction, "Lo que trae la marea/ What the Tide Brings," a bilingual collection of stories. Xánath talks about the women in her stories and how they connect to nature. She also talks about the process of translating her Spanish-language works into English with the help of 2 translators. And in a running theme throughout the show, Xánath explains how food inspires her work.
Xánath Caraza reads today's Poem of the Week: Arbol de Vida (Tree of Life).
The food theme continues with Daniel's Poetic License about his poor childhood diet and his endeavor to eat healthier.
Daniel & Ben talk with Liz Scheid, author of the collection of essays, "The Shape of Blue: Notes on Loss, Language, Motherhood & Fear." Liz is also a poet, and she explains how poetry informs her writing. She also talks about the notes that are found at the end of each essay in her collection “The Shape of Blue.” Those notes, far from being purely academic, are almost essays themselves.
Liz Scheid will read the poem "Magic" for this week's Poem of the Week.
In this week's Poetic License, native El Pasoan Paul Pedroza reads "The Rain Parade."
And...Ben & Daniel talk about elegies and epitaphs.
Ben & Daniel talk with Veronica Reyes, author of the poetry collection "Chopper! Chopper! Poetry from Bordered Lives." Veronica is an East L.A. poet who studied at UTEP, and she talks about how her work reflects her activism and reaches out to Mexican-American and queer communities. Veronica talks about the difficulties in finding a publisher, even a Latino press, because she is a Chicana lesbian and her works don't shy away from the subject.
Veronica Reyes reads the Poem of the Week: "Desert Rain" from "Chopper! Chopper! Poetry from Bordered Lives."
In this week's Poetic License, former UTEP student, Arizona resident, and marketing specialist William Alfred Rose shares his memories of childhood piano lessons in the reflection "Electricity."
Daniel & Ben talk with Ire'ne Lara Silva, author of "Flesh to Bone." Ire'ne talks about making the leap from being a poet to a fiction writer, and shares a memory of a nightmare from her childhood that inspired her to write. Ire'ene also explains why her works tend to lean "dark." She also gives us a preview of her upcoming poetry project about diabetes & healing.
This week's Poem of the Week is by Benjamin Alire Saenz, read by the author: "Poem for Sunday."
And in this week's Poetic License, writer Conrad Romo reads "Four Jackasses," which explores what Conrad's ideal funeral would be like.
Ben & Daniel talk with Joseph D. Haske, whose recently-released debut novel is "North Texas Highway." The book grew out of a couple of stories, and the timeline flashes back & forth between the 1990s and 1980s. Joe explains why the fragmented nature of the book relates to the fragmented nature of the actual North Dixie Highway. Joe also talks about balancing his life as a writer and as the Chair of the English Department at South Texas College in the border town of McAllen, Texas.
For today's Poem of the Week, Ben reads "Friend" by Jean Valentine, written in memory of her friend Adrienne Rich.
In this week's Poetic License, Daniel shares a story from his childhood which demonstrates his mother's unusual (and dark) sense of humor.
Daniel and guest co-host Nancy Lechuga talk with poet Nicky Schildkraut. Her latest book, "Magnetic Refrain," is described by Daniel as "fierce." She talks about how her experience as a Korean adoptee influenced her writing, and about her collaboration with avant-garde artists & composers. Nicky reads the poem "Family History" from her collection, "Magnetic Refrain."
Daniel and Ben talk with poet Sheryl Luna, El Paso native and author of "Seven." She talks about why "Seven" took 7 years to write, and why she decided to split it into 7 parts to reflect the 7 Deadly Sins. Sheryl also talks about painting and how it relates to her writing. Sheryl reads the poem "Seven" from the book of the same name.
For this week's Poetic License, Ben wraps up his reflections on Memory, Language, and Memory. Ben believes memory is necessary for words and language to exist, and that human violence can lead to the extinction of certain words.
Daniel and guest co-host Nancy Lechuga talk with poet Shin Yu Pai, author of the collection "Aux Arcs." She talks about why she chose to pronounce the title of her collection "Ozarks." Shin Yu is also a visual artist, and she talks about how her photographs complement or contrast the poems in her book.
For this week's Poem of the Week, Shin Yu Pai reads "Inner Space" from her collection "Aux Arcs."
Daniel Chacon contributes this week's Poetic License with a remembrance from his high school days. It's entitled "Two Stupid Boys."
Ben & Daniel celebrate the Christmas season with reflections on their favorite memories. Ben remembers making tamales with his mom when he was young, a tradition he continues to this day. Daniel remembers proudly writing a Christmas poem about Santa driving a Cadillac...only to find out that his teacher doubted his authorship. And Ben & Daniel also talk about their favorite Christmas songs and the memories they conjure. Ben's favorite is "I'll be Home for Christmas," which he says idealizes the often-unattainable concept of "home." Daniel tears up every time he hears "The Little Drummer Boy." Ben will also read T.S. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi."
Tim Z. Hernandez returns to the show to talk about his new book, "Mañana Means Heaven," which is a portrait of Bea Franco, the "Mexican Girl" in Jack Kerouac's writings. Tim tells Daniel and guest co-host Nancy Lechuga about what led him to write about Bea, and about the long search to find her. Tim also talks about the beat influence on Chicano writers. We'll also hear about the research Tim undertook to identify the Mexican deportees killed in a plane crash in 1948 in Los Gatos Caynon in California. The deportees were buried in a mass gravesite with no identification. Thanks to Tim's efforts, a new headstone with all their names was recently erected.
For this week's Poem of the Week, Nancy Lechuga reads "Bowery Blues" by Jack Kerouac.
And in this week's Poetic License, Benjamin Alire Saenz contributes part 3 in his "Words, Language, and Memory" series with a reflection on how words decipher the world, and about the movement between English and Spanish in his writing.
Daniel and guest co-host Marcia Hatfield Daudistel talk with screenwriter Anne Heffron, an old college buddy of Daniel's. Anne co-wrote the screenplay for "Phantom Halo" with Antonia Bogdanovich (daughter of director Peter Bogdanovich), and it's based on a short film written & directed by Antonia, "My Left Hand Man." Anne talks about casting actors for the film, her collaborative experience with Antonia, and why her next project may be writing a book about her experience growing up as an adoptee. "Phantom Halo" is currently in production.
For today's Poem of the Week, Marcia keeps it Hollywood by reading "Brad Pitt" by Aaron Smith.
And for today's Poetic License, Benjamin Alire Saenz reads part 2 of his reflections on Words, Language, and Memory. Ben reflects on why we need words as tools of remembrance, and why the process of naming things is so important to poets.
Daniel and guest co-host Marcia Hatfield Daudistel talk with Patricia Engel about her new novel, "It's Not Love, It's Just Paris." Patricia explains why the book is a result of wanting to write a "Paris" novel as well as a love story without being a stereotypical "French romance" book. She also explains why she was lucky to avoid the "chick lit" label on her previous books. http://patriciaengel.com/
In this week's Poetic License, Benjamin Alire Saenz begins a series in which he reflects on Words, Knowledge, and Memory. In this entry, Ben explains how he approaches all three in his life and his work.
And in this week's Poem of the Week, Daniel reads "Be Drunk" by Charles Baudelaire.
Daniel welcomes guest co-host Nancy Lechuga, a local poet, for a conversation with Juan Ochoa, author of the novel "Mariguano," a book set on the South Texas/Mexico border during the Reagan-era War on Drugs. Juan talks about the similarities between his characters and his own experiences observing corruption and the drug trade on the border. Juan also explains why he believes the Reagan-era policies led to the large drug organizations of today.
For today's Poem of the Week, guest co-host Nancy Lechuga reads 3 short poems by the Russian poet, Vera Pavlova: "Am I Lovely? Of Course!", "He Marked the Page with a Match," and "I am in Love, Hence Free to Live." http://verapavlova.us/
For this week's Poetic License, Los Angeles poet and literary event coordinator Jessica Ceballos has a conversation with writer Chiwan Choi about his recent book, "It was Always the Weight of Everything," which is a social experiment in publishing. Chiwan began writing it on Facebook, has published it digitally, and is making it available for free to everyone. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/theweightofeverything.
Daniel talks with writer Manuel Ramos, whose latest work of crime fiction is "Desperado: A Mile High Noir." Manuel talks about why the gentrification of the north part Denver plays such a strong role in the book and how it affects lead character, Gus Corral. Manuel also tells us whether he's one of those writers who knows how their books are going to end before he ever writes one word. Manuel will also talk about his day job as an attorney working for Colorado Legal Services.
Today's Poem of the Week is by Cesar Abraham Vallejo. Daniel reads "Dregs."
And in today's Poetic License, Patrick Michael Finn talks about his years-long struggle with rejection when it came to publishing his first collection of stories.
Daniel talks with Marcia Hatfield Daudistel, co-author with Bill Wright of "Authentic Texas: People of the Big Bend." Marcia talks about how the idea arose for the book, which profiles just a few of the unique characters who decided to make the Big Bend region of Texas their home. Marcia shares some interesting tidbits about some of the people featured in the book, and how their personalities were captured in Bill Wright's photographs. Marcia & Bill will present a lecture on the book on Friday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m., at the UTEP Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 116. They will hold a book signing on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 1-5 p.m., at the Westside Barnes & Noble (705 Sunland Park Dr.).
For this week's Poem of the Week, Marcia Hatfield Daudistel reads a poem by her sister Frances Hatfield, from her collection "Rudiments of Flight." The poem is "Nude Descending a Staircase."
Ben & Daniel talk with novelist Steve Yarbrough, whose latest book is "The Real of Last Chances." Yarbrough talks about why his book isn't set in the South or features Southern characters like in his past novel. He also talks about his early start as a writer and when he first discovered Southern writers such as Faulkner. Despite the Southern influence in his writing, many would be surprised at Yarbrough's fondness for Eastern European, Irish, and Latin American authors.
Ben & Daniel talk with journalist and author, Alfredo Corchado. Corchado's newest book is "Midnight in Mexico," and he talks about his often difficult journey back home to Mexico in researching the book. Alfredo talks about his cautious optimism about Mexico, and why Mexico's resilient population hold out hope for the future.
In our Poem of the Week, Daniel reads "Walking Around" by Pablo Neruda.
And in our Poetic License, poet Paisley Rekdal reflects on literary obscurity.
Daniel talks with poet Eduardo C. Corral, author of the collection "Slow Lightning." Corral talks about the notebooks he uses to stitch together his poems - "Slow Lightning" came together from 7 or 8 boxes of notebooks. He also explains why he employs code switching - switching between English & Spanish - in his poems, and why he refuses to italicize the Spanish words. Corral also talks about being accidentally placed in a writing workshop and eventually falling in love with poetry and the works of Jose Montoya.
For our Poem of the Week, Corral reads "Ditat Deus" from his collection "Slow Lightning."
In this week's Poetic License, artist Pat Ochefski-Winston reads a chapter from her new book "The Curious Childhood of Patty O." which explains how she learned to fight back.
Ben & Daniel talk with Sergio Troncoso, author of "From This Wicked Patch of Dust" and "Crossing Borders: Personal Essays." Troncoso is the co-editor (with Sarah Cortez) of "Our Lost Border: Essays on Life amid the Narco-Violence." The collection features essays from writers on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border who share their experiences living amid the escalating violence spawned by the 2008 drug war. Troncoso also talks about why he is choosing to re-write his earlier book "The Nature of Things," and about his return home to El Paso to receive the Literary Legacy Award on November 9, 2013. http://www.sergiotroncoso.com/
For today's Poem of the Week, Daniel Chacon reads Sheryl Luna's "Seven" from the collection of the same name.
And in today's Poetic License, El Pasoan Paul Pedroza reads an excerpt from the essay he contributed to "Our Lost Border." The essay is entitled "The Bridge to an Alien Nation."
Plus...Daniel & Ben talk about the Polish translation of Ben's hit YA novel, "Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe." And...more talk about broccoli.
Ben & Daniel talk with Megan Bohigian, author of the collection "Sightlines." Megan talks about the theatrical term "sightlines" and how she's adapted it to take on a literary meaning in revisiting memories from different perspectives. Bohigian teaches Creative Writing at Fresno City College, and she talks with Daniel (a Fresno native) about why so many writers come out of Fresno.
For this week's Poem of the Week, Megan Bohigian reads "Learning to Dive, Chapman Compound Pool, 1962," from her collection "Sightlines."
In today's Poetic License, JL Powers, author of "This Thing Called the Future," talks about paralyzing fear...from the strange noises at night as a child, or as an adult of being raped or murdered in South Africa.
Plus, Daniel & Ben talk about their love/hate relationship with broccoli (Daniel loves it, Ben hates it).
Ben & Daniel talk with Laura Cesarco Eglin, author of "Tailor Shop: Threads" and "Sastreria." Lau (as she likes to be called) talks about finishing her first book while studying at UTEP, and what events inspired her book "Sastreria." Lau describes herself as a tailor of words, following in the footsteps of her maternal grandfather, who himself was a tailor of clothes. She also talks about negotiating her time for writing and pursing a PhD.
For today's Poem of the Week, Lau reads her poem, "Kaddish and Rachamim." http://laucesarco.blogspot.com/
This week's Poetic License features Melinda Palacio, author of "How Fire is a Story Waiting." Melinda talks about...poetic license.
Plus, Daniel & Ben talk about their upcoming reading in McAllen, Texas
Ben & Daniel welcome poet Juan Felipe Herrera back to the show for his 3rd appearance. Juan Felipe is the California Poet Laureate, and he talks about speaking at the grand opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on September 2. His upcoming projects include a Latino heroes collection which is challenging him to think outside the poetic box, and a wordless poem which only consists of numbers and drawings of drone sightings. (Juan Felipe recorded this interview while waiting for his car to be fixed at a VW dealership in California!)
For today's Poem of the Week, Benjamin Alire Saenz reads "Canada in English" by Juan Felipe Herrera.
And for today's Poetic License, Nancy Lechuga talks about growing up with El Cucuy, the boogeyman of the Mexican culture, and about the different forms it has taken throughout her life.
Plus...since today's guest, Juan Felipe Herrera, was being interviewed in a car dealership, the conversation between Ben & Daniel turns to cars. Ben talks about his trusty Toyota, and Daniel talks about his "ghetto" car.
Ben & Daniel talk with J.L. (Jessica) Powers, author of the novel "This Thing Called the Future." Jessica talks about what led her from UTEP's MFA program to become an Africanist. Her interest in Africa led her to extensively study Zulu and live with a host family in South Africa, which is where "This Thing Called the Future" is set. Jessica talks about the stigma often associated with being a white writer talking about the black experience. Plus, she explains why she goes by the professional name "J.L." as opposed to her first name, Jessica.
For today's Poem of the Week, Benjamin Alire Saenz reads "Arabic" by Naomi Shihab Nye.
And on this week's Poetic License, writer Lisa Garibay shares her memories of going off to college for the first time.
Ben & Daniel talk with Joy Castro, author of the novel "Hell or High Water" and the essay collection "The Island of Bones." Joy talks about her background as a Jehovah's Witness, a Cuban-American, and an adoptee...and why her Latino heritage isn't often acknowledged in many Latino literary anthologies. She also explains why that separation and alienation she experienced in life often finds its way into her books' characters. Joy also talks about discovering her characters in the process of writing them. http://joycastro.com/
For today's Poem of the Week, Daniel Chacon reads Yusef Komunyakaa's "My Father's Love Letters."
Plus...Ben & Daniel talk about breaking free of the stereotypes of the "Latino" or "Chicano" writer, and why Chicano writers shouldn't be pressured to always write about abuelitas making tortillas.
Jessica Soffer debut novel is "Tomorrow There Will be Apricots." She talks about the origin of the book's title, and about the two very different women at the center of the novel who are drawn together in an Iraqi-Jewish cooking class in New York City. She also discusses the influence of Roberto Bolaño and Flannery O'Connor on her writing. http://jessicasoffer.com/
For this week's Poem of the Week, Benjamin Alire Saenz reads one of his own poems - "The Fifth Dream: Bullets and Deserts and Borders" from the collection "Dreaming the End of War."
Daniel and Ben also talk about their summer reading plans and offer reflections on William Faulkner.
Daniel & Ben talk with Laurie Ann Guerrero, author of "A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying," winner of the 2012 Andres Montoya Poetry Prize. Guerrero talks about the overwhelming feeling of winning the prize for a book that took over 10 years to write. Guerrero, who is also a CantoMundo Fellow, talks about why she felt like an outsider when getting her MFA, but instantly felt a sense of familia, support, and freedom when she attended a CantoMundo workshop. Many of Guerrero's poems focus on food and the violence that often accompanies the preparation of food, and she explains why her background has everything to do with the inspiration behind her poems.
For this week's Poem of the Week, Laurie Ann Guerrero reads "When I Made Eggs This Morning" from her collection "A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying."
Daniel & Ben talk with Xánath Caraza about her poetry collection "Conjuro" and the chapbook "Corazon Pintado: Ekphrastic Poems." Caraza talks about how her career path took her from Veracruz to the east coast of the U.S. to the American Midwest, and how these geographical changes affected her writing. She also talks about how her father, a teacher, inspired her early interest in poetry. Caraza explains why she is so touched and inspired by the 15th century female poet Macuilxochitzin, whose only surviving work is a song of war.
For this week's Poem of the Week, Xánath Caraza reads her poem "Conjuro" in both English in Spanish.
And, in anticipation of the first day of summer, we'll hear a Poetic License which originally aired August 26, 2012. Benjamin Alire Saenz offers his reflections of summers past and present.
Ben talks to his co-host Daniel Chacon about Daniel's brand new book, "Hotel Juarez: Stories, Rooms and Loops." Now that Daniel has taken the plunge into short fiction, will he ever write novels again? Daniel also talks about why his way of writing can often be described as sparse or minimalist, and why the Stanislavski method of acting inspires his writing process. He also discusses a couple of the stories in the book, "Mujeres Muertas" and "Mais, Je Suis Chicano."
Daniel talks with writer Dan Vera, whose newest collection of poems, "Speaking Wiri Wiri," is the recipient of the 2012 Letras Latinas/Red Hen Poetry Prize. Dan explains the meaning of "wiri wiri." He also explains how living in Washington D.C. has left him conflicted about the often-troubled history that literally surrounds him. Hear about his experience growing up as a Cuban-American in south Texas, and why poets Eduardo Corral and Richard Blanco are to be praised for elevating the visibility of Latino literature & poetry. Dan also reads the poems "Tower of Babel" and "Playing Scrabble with Cousin Fela." http://danvera.com
Nicole Georges talks to Daniel and Ben about her graphic memoir, "Calling Dr. Laura." This beautiful novel narrates George's family, social and sexual life and the work involved in creating and promoting her art. For more information on George's work visit: http://nicolegeorges.com.
Ben reads Stanley Kunitz's "The Layers" for this week's Poem of the Week.
And, in this week's Poetic License, Daniel takes a page from Nicole Georges and shares a selection from his memoir (which is still a work in progress).
Ben & Daniel present the 3rd and final presentation of their conversations with writers at the 2013 AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) Annual Conference & Bookfair.
Jose Gonzalez, editor of "Latino Boom: An Anthology of U.S. Latino Literature" (http://latinostories.com) talks about his upcoming book of poetry; Steven Church, author of "The Guinness Book of Me," talks about working on a new collection of essays and about the online Normal School Journal (http://thenormalschool.com), of which he is founding editor; Celeste Guzman Mendoza, a poet and CantoMundo Fellow, talks about her new book-length poem about family violence; Eddie Gonzalez, a fiction writer & poet, talks about receiving his MFA at the University of Houston, and how he works as a chaplain for a hospice program; Kristin Dykstra talks about her latest project with the University of Alabama Press, and about Alabama's writer exchange program with Cuba; Bojan Louis, a poet and fiction writer talks about being a member of the Navajo Nation, and about his work as an electrician and English instructor (http://bojanlouis.com/); and Sherwin Bitsui, also of the Navajo Nation, talks about his recent move to Albuquerque (http://www.bitsui.com/)
For this week's Poem of the Week, Daniel Chacon reads his own poem, "Father's Writing."
Alex Espinoza discusses "The Five Acts of Diego Leon," a novel which follows a Mexican-born actor who breaks into Hollywood at the dawn of the era of the "talkies" in the 1920s & `30s. Espinoza explains how the story grew out of an interview he read about actor Ricardo Montalban and the struggles he faced in being typecast in TV and film.
Ben reads e.e. cummings' "somewhere i have never traveled, gladly beyond."
On this week's Poetic License, Lauren Espinoza, MFA student at Arizona State University, talks about Latino identity in poetry.
Denise Duhamel and Daniel talk about drawing the "spirit, emotion" and energy out of loss. Denise's recent book of poems is titled, "Blowout." The writers discuss divorce in parallel to other losses and the importance of writing throughout the periods of grief. Denise Duhamel says, "write and let time go by...it frees the monster" and 'later, once the words are written, once the "monster" or the mood of the painful experience has been captured, it will always be there, even if the content and direction of the poem changes.'
Denise contributes this week's Poem of the Week: "My Strip Club" from "Blowout."
Daniel reads a Poetic License about the distances between what we can see and what we have access to enter.
Ben & Daniel talk to writers who attended the 2013 AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) Conference & Bookfair, which took place this past March in Boston, MA. In this 2nd of 3 AWP shows, Ben & Daniel talk to a number of writers:
Rich Villar talks about his latest projects; M. Evelina Galang talks about "Her Wild American Self, and Patrick Rosal talks about an ongoing project using excerpts from interviews to create poetry; Jose Skinner, author of "Flight and Other Stories," talks about his latest project; Xanath Caraza de Holland reads an excerpt from a poem from her collection "Conjuro," and Denise Low, former Kansas Poet Laureate stops in for a brief moment; Juan Luis Guzman and Liz Scheid talk about how to get into AWP on a budget; Mark Brunetti talks about his underground literary magazine, The Idiom Mag; Juan Ochoa talks about his book "Marijuano," Joe Haske talks about his latest book on the working class, and poet Rodney Gomez talks about a manuscript he is shopping around; Dan Vera, author of "Speaking Wiri Wiri" talks about winning the Letras Latinas/Red Hen Poetry Prize and his upbringing in South Texas; Fresno poet Andre Yang talks about being a founding member of the Hmong American Writers Circle; and Antonio Farias, an army veteran, talks about a program which introduces poetry to cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard.
Natalie Goldberg talks about her new book, "The True Secrets of Writing" and discursive writing vs. language driven writing. The authors weave Rio De Bajo El Rio, wild mind and the writing practice into the show and secrets of writing are actually shared.
Daniel reads Frank O'hara's Ave Maria and Jon Nehls shares an essay on bilingualism and cacography for this week's Poetic License.
Ben & Daniel talk with Bobby Byrd, poet, essayist, and owner & publisher with Cinco Puntos Press with his wife Lee (www.cincopuntos.com). Byrd talks about some of the poems in his latest collection, "White Panties, Dead Friends and Other Bits and Pieces of Love" and reads some selections from his upcoming release, "Talking to My Wife While She's Away at Church." He also talks about whether the recent drug wars in Mexico have affected his poetry, and why he decided to start a publishing house, Cinco Puntos Press.
For this week's Poetic License, Sylvia Aguilar Zéleny shares 3 stories about bilingualism and English and Spanish translation.
Ben & Daniel take the "Words on a Wire" microphones to the Associated Writing Programs (AWP) Conference in Boston MA. We'll hear them talk with Tino Villanueva, a Boston resident who has written 6 books of poetry. He was honored at AWP at the Con Tinta celebration by Letras Latinas.
Ben & Daniel also conduct rapid-fire interviews with a number of writers attending the Con Tinta celebration. Fred Arroyo talks about the future of American letters...Tim Z. Hernandez talks about an upcoming book about Kerouac's brief relationship with a Mexican girl...Sergio Troncoso talks about his essays on narco violence on the border...Melinda Palacio talks about promoting Tia Chucha Press at AWP...Aaron Michael Morales explains why he wants to revise his novel, "Eat Your Children"...Francisco Alarcon shares some personal stories with Ben and talks about breaking the news to Laurie Ann Guerrero that she had won the Andres Montoya Poetry Prize (Guerrero joins in the conversation)...and Francisco Aragon talks more about Letras Latinas and Con Tinta.
The first in a series of AWP-related programs.