In this engaging episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón sits down with acclaimed poet and author Gume Laurel III to discuss his journey into poetry, the power of storytelling through verse novels, and the inspiration behind his works. From his early resistance to poetry to discovering its rhythm and depth through spoken word, Gume shares how he found his literary voice and carved a space in the young adult fiction landscape.

The conversation explores Samson and Domingo, a modern, queer retelling of the Samson story, and his upcoming novel Solar Punks, a thought-provoking dive into the emerging genre of solar punk. Gume discusses the importance of accessibility in literature, crafting high-interest, low-readability (hi-lo) books for young readers, and the cinematic quality of his narratives—hinting at a future on the big screen.