Words On A Wire

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Will Rose sits down with author Lauren D. Woods to discuss her debut short story collection, The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe—a book that moves fluidly between realism and the surreal, blending sharp emotional insight with inventive, often unexpected forms.Woods talks about the long and winding path to publishing her first collection, including stories that span decades of her life as a writer—from early work written in college to more recent pieces shaped through years of revision. She reflects on learning to trust her instincts, the discipline of writing in small windows of time, and how balancing a demanding career outside of writing has influenced both her process and her voice.The conversation also explores the unique possibilities of short fiction—why it can be such a powerful form for capturing intense, fleeting moments—and how Woods approaches everything from flash pieces to longer, more layered stories. Along the way, she discusses the role of imaginati

Join hosts Jack Bishop, a father and veteran from the Appalachian Mountains, and Luis Marquez, a Mexican American writer based in the borderlands, as they navigate the vibrant and challenging landscape of creative writing. This first episode of the Writer's Pick is a deep dive into the minds of emerging writers.Jack and Luis explore the creative writing community at the University of Texas at El Paso, emphasizing the importance of fostering a supportive network for undergraduates in discovering their artistic identities. Their conversation touches on the essence of being a writer, how inspiration strikes, and the significance of discipline in honing one's craft. Delve into intriguing discussions about how politics, culture, and even mundane daily occurrences fuel the creative process.

This special episode of Words on a Wire brings together host Daniel Chacón and historian David Dorado Romo to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Romo’s groundbreaking book Ringside Seat to a Revolution. Before an audience of students, faculty, and community members, the conversation revisits a work that reshaped how El Paso—and the U.S.-Mexico border more broadly—is understood, blending rigorous archival research with a deeply human, story-driven approach to history.Romo reflects on his use of “microhistory,” a method that uncovers meaning through overlooked details, marginal spaces, and everyday lives. Rather than focusing on dominant figures or official narratives, he traces the hidden poetry of the borderlands—stories of healers, laborers, and resistors whose experiences reveal the deeper textures of revolution, migration, and power.The episode highlights powerful historical figures such as Teresita Urrea, a young Indigenous healer whose spiritual practice became a form of resistance, and Carmelita Torres,

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Will Rose speaks with Caleb Lara, whose work on social media and through community projects has brought renewed attention to the rich and often overlooked history of the borderland.Lara shares how a childhood fascination with downtown architecture grew into a lifelong passion for documenting the stories hidden in El Paso’s buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes. Known for his engaging historical videos, he discusses how he researches local history—combining archival materials, oral histories, and conversations with descendants of key figures to uncover the personal stories behind the city’s past.The conversation ranges from surprising details about historic buildings and rumored underground tunnels to the ways El Paso has quietly influenced national and even global events. Lara also talks about his nonprofit initiative Builders of the Desert, which aims to preserve regional history, restore historic sites such as gravestones at Concordia Cemetery, and help residents

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón sits down with poet, educator, and community organizer Richie Marrufo for a wide-ranging conversation about art, identity, and what it means to stay human in a digital world.They explore how AI is changing the way students write—and what may be lost when language becomes too polished. Marrufo reflects on teaching bilingual writers, balancing six classes a semester, and building one of El Paso’s most vibrant literary spaces through the Barbed Wire Open Mic Series. For him, poetry isn’t just something you publish—it’s something you perform, share, and build community around.The conversation turns deeply personal when Marrufo reads a new poem written after the passing of his father. He speaks about grief as “love that doesn’t know where to go,” and about the moon as witness to every version of ourselves.This episode is about authenticity in an age of algorithms, the power of live performance, creative burnout, aging, and the quiet work of sustaining a litera

In this episode, host Will Rose sits down with journalist and author Jessica Goudeau to discuss her ambitious and deeply personal new book, We Were Illegal. After writing about refugee families rebuilding their lives in Texas, Goudeau began asking a question she had never considered about herself: how did her own family get here?What followed was a years-long investigation into her ancestry — and into the foundations of Texas history itself. Through archival research, family records, and hard conversations, Goudeau uncovered stories of land speculation, slavery, vigilante violence, erased Indigenous communities, and long-buried family secrets. Her book challenges the triumphalist myths many Texans learn in school and offers a fuller, more complicated picture of how the state was built.In this conversation, Goudeau discusses the writing process behind such an ambitious work of narrative nonfiction, the emotional weight of discovering uncomfortable truths about your own ancestors, the politics of history and te

On this episode of Words on a Wire, host Sylvia Aguilar Zéleny guides us through an inspiring conversation with acclaimed poet, journalist, and educator Maria Esquinca. Maria, the 2024 Andres Montoya Poetry Prize winner for her collection "Where Heaven Sings," reveals how her multifaceted identities influence her artistry and world view.Maria Esquinca opens up about her journey from journalism to poetry, detailing how the rigid structures of news reporting sparked her desire to embrace the freedom of verse. In her poetry, she blends personal narratives with collective experiences, confronting socio-political issues like immigration and border life with a sense of urgency and emotional depth. She emphasizes the freedom poetry offers—a stark contrast to her journalistic past—allowing her to creatively explore language and form.This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of art and identity. Engage with Esquinca’s insight into the creative process, her commitment to highlighting margi

In this episode, host Will Rose speaks with author Stephanie Austin about her debut novel, Burn, which will be released on February 3, 2026, from Cowboy Jamboree Press.Stephanie reflects on the novel’s remarkable twenty-year journey to publication, tracing how the story evolved across drafts, forms, and decades before finally finding its true shape. She discusses why returning the book's setting to the 1990s was essential -- not as nostalgia, but as a narrative necessity -- and how themes of longing, miscommunication, and self-discovery depend on a world without constant digital access. The conversation also explores Stephanie’s relationship with her protagonist, the sense of grief that comes with finishing a long-gestating book, and the challenges of letting a beloved character go.You can learn more about Stephanie Austin and her books at https://www.stephanieaustin.net/.

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Will Rose speaks with historian Jeff Roche, author of The Conservative Frontier: Texas and the Origins of the New Right (University of Texas Press), about how West Texas became one of the most conservative regions in American political life. Roche traces the roots of modern conservatism back to the late nineteenth century, beginning with the rise of ranching culture after the displacement of Indigenous peoples and the collapse of the bison economy. He explains how the entrepreneurial, anti-state ethos of early ranchers—embodied by figures like Charles Goodnight—combined with the mythology of the cowboy to form a durable regional identity centered on self-reliance, individualism, and suspicion of government authority.The conversation also explores the defining role of geography and environment in shaping West Texas culture, from its flat, arid plains to its chronic vulnerability to drought. Roche highlights the Dust Bowl as a turning point that shattered faith in agricu

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Will Rose speaks with El Paso–based photographer and videographer Christian Iglesias, widely known on social media as @ChristianChurches. Iglesias has built a devoted following by documenting the landscapes, people, and everyday moments of the borderlands.The conversation traces Iglesias’s journey from shooting high school football games at Eastwood High School to becoming one of the most recognizable visual storytellers in the El Paso region. With roots in journalism, Iglesias explains how the discipline of photojournalism—speed, relevance, and presence—continues to shape his approach.Iglesias also shares insights into the craft itself, discussing camera gear, lenses, and the enduring belief that great photography is driven by the artist’s eye rather than expensive equipment. He reflects on the rise of social media as a platform for documentary storytelling and how the pandemic pushed him to fully commit to sharing his work online.At the heart of the conversation is a

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón speaks with writer, editor, and cultural critic Scótt Russell Dúncan about identity, futurity, and the politics of who gets to imagine the future. Dúncan discusses Chicanx futurism as an act of reclamation—of land, history, and possibility—pushing back against dominant narratives that exclude brown and Indigenous communities from visions of tomorrow. Through examples drawn from science fiction, publishing, and popular culture, he reflects on how mainstream media reinforces colonial power while marginalizing Chicanx voices.The conversation also explores Dúncan’s work as an editor and publisher, including his commitment to community-centered storytelling through Mais Poppin Press and the Puertas del Pueblo writing workshops. He speaks candidly about gatekeeping in the publishing industry, the pressure for Chicanx writers to filter their work for white audiences, and the importance of writing to one’s community rather than explaining it to outsiders. Grounde

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón sits down with Dr. Roberto Avant-Mier, Chair of the Communication Department at the University of Texas at El Paso and a leading scholar of Chicano film. Their wide-ranging conversation uses Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days as a point of entry into deeper reflections on cinema, music, memory, and meaning. Avant-Mier discusses how music functions as an emotional and narrative force in film, shaping human connection and inner life in ways that often go unnoticed, while Chacón reflects on his own experience of watching the film and the demands it places on attention and interpretation.From there, the discussion expands into broader cultural terrain: punk rock, horror films, Latino representation on screen, and the fundamental role music plays in human identity and community. The episode closes on a deeply personal note as Avant-Mier recounts his roots in Smeltertown, the now-vanished industrial community along the U.S.–Mexico border in El Paso, and his ongoing

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Will Rose speaks with historian Max Perry Mueller about his groundbreaking new book, Wakara’s America: The Life and Legacy of a Native Founder of the American West. Mueller uncovers the complicated, often misunderstood history of Chief Wakara, the influential Ute leader whose life intersected with Mormon settlers, the expanding American state, and the violent transformations of the 19th-century West.Through a conversation that blends archival detective work with storytelling, Mueller explains how Wakara shaped trade networks, diplomacy, intertribal relations, and the contested borderlands of the Great Basin. The discussion explores Wakara not as a mythic figure or a villain—as he has often been depicted—but as a strategist navigating colonial pressures while protecting his people’s interests.

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón speaks with writer and journalist Michelle Morgante about her journey from a small agricultural town in California’s San Joaquin Valley to a globe-spanning career in journalism, and ultimately, to fiction writing.Morgante begins by reflecting on her childhood in Lindsay, California, a tiny, heavily agricultural town she describes as a real-life “Mayberry.” She shares vivid memories of biking across town, a deeply segregated school environment, and how being a mixed-heritage kid positioned her literally and symbolically in the “in-between”—a role that crystalized when she became the school dance DJ mediating between racial groups through music. This early experience of living between worlds seeded her lifelong fascination with liminal spaces, a theme that now shapes much of her creative work.Chacón and Morgante explore how magical realism, borderland identity, and Gloria Anzaldúa’s concept of nepantla inform their artistic perspectives. Morgante describes

Listen to part 2 of Tim Z. Hernandez's conversation with Olga Talamante. Be sure to catch part 1 right here on the Words on a Wire podcast.

In this episode of The Storykeeper from Words on a Wire, host Tim Z. Hernandez sits down with activist and community leader Olga Talamante to explore the extraordinary journey behind her life’s work. Drawing from her migrant childhood in Gilroy, her early experiences as a student leader, and her awakening as a young Chicana organizer, Olga reflects on the forces that shaped her political consciousness. She recounts her time studying in Latin America, the path that led her to Argentina in the 1970s, and the harrowing period during which she was imprisoned as a political prisoner—an experience that would galvanize her lifelong commitment to human rights and social justice.This first part of a two-part conversation offers an intimate look at the roots of Olga’s activism and the resilience that has defined her career, including decades of leadership in the Chicana/Latina community. It is a powerful story of courage, identity, and the transformative impact of bearing witness.

In this candid and forward-looking conversation, host Will Rose sits down with longtime Words on a Wire co-host Daniel Chacón to examine how profoundly the writing life has changed—and what the new realities mean for anyone trying to build a writing career in 2025.Drawing from personal experience and decades inside the MFA world, Chacón reflects on the fading era when a single book and an MFA could reliably lead to a university teaching job and a stable writing life. That model, he explains, has all but dissolved. With thousands of new MFAs minted each year and only a handful of creative-writing jobs available, the old path is no longer the norm—it is the exception.The episode explores the daunting numbers behind today’s publishing landscape: millions of new books released annually, the vast majority selling fewer than 100 copies, and the rise of self-publishing as a legitimate entry point rather than a career dead-end. Will and Daniel also discuss how writers must navigate the “attention economy” by developi

In this episode, host Daniel Chacón sits down with Fredrick Luis Aldama—the award-winning author, theorist, and editor known as Professor Latinx—to explore how stories shape our minds, our culture, and even our bodies. Aldama discusses his astonishingly prolific career, from editing FlowerSong Press and launching the Brown Ink imprint to teaching courses on narrative, wellness, and smartphone storytelling.Their conversation moves from literature to neuroscience to video games, revealing how imagination and “flow” unite mind and body in the creative act. Aldama explains how storytelling—whether on the page, the screen, or through play—is a fundamental human drive that keeps evolving, urging us to see, feel, and think in new ways.

In this episode of The Storykeeper on Words on a Wire, host Tim Z. Hernandez sits down with poet, performer, and educator Darren J. de Leon to explore his new collection The Hoops and Crosses of Mt. Vernon (Hinchas Press, 2025). Blending poetry and fiction, de Leon’s debut offers vivid portraits of life in San Bernardino’s working-class neighborhoods and the formative tensions of growing up between danger and possibility.De Leon reads from his stories “Kmart” and “This Street Does Not Go Through,” weaving memories of skateboarding under the glow of a department-store sign with reflections on inheritance, family, and survival. He discusses how his years teaching youth “in risk” shaped his desire to write for young adults—those on the edge of choices that can determine their futures. For de Leon, language itself becomes liberation: “There are no laws in poetry, only the word.”The conversation traces his journey from the Mission District classroom to San Francisco’s electrifying 1990s spoken-word scene, where he

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Will Rose speaks with award-winning author and translator Anton Hur, celebrated for bringing contemporary Korean literature to English-speaking readers through works like Bora Chung’s Cursed Bunny.What began as a practical skill evolved into a creative calling that now connects readers to voices from Korea’s vibrant literary scene. He also explains how his interest in coding and AI influenced the philosophical ideas in his novel, Toward Eternity, a story exploring consciousness and identity in a technological age.The conversation also delves into Hur’s collaboration with Bora Chung, whose Cursed Bunny became an international sensation and Booker Prize finalist. Hur reflects on their trust-based process and on the growing recognition of Korean fiction worldwide. From Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win to the work of rising authors, Hur describes this moment as both exciting and transformative for global literature.