LatinX Audio Lit Mag

Delve into the fascinating world behind this lush poem. In more selfish news, Rene gave Teresa back a piece of her childhood. She may be listening to R.Carlos Naki's Canyon Trilogy on repeat now.

Robert René Galván, born in San Antonio of Indigenous/Mexican heritage, resides in New York City where he works as a professional musician and poet. His collections of poems are Meteors, published by Lux Nova Press and Undesirable: Race and Remembrance, Somos en Escrito Foundation Press, Standing Stones, Finishing Line Press and The Shadow of Time, Adelaide Books. His poetry has been featured in such publications as The Acentos Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Azahares Literary Magazine, Gyroscope, Hawaii Review, Hispanic Culture Review, Latino Book Review, Newtown Review, Panoply, Prachya Review, Sequestrum, Shoreline of Infinity, Somos en Escrito,  Stillwater Review, West Texas Literary Review, andUU World. He is a Shortlist Winner Nominee in the 2018 Adelaide Literary Award for Best Poem. Recently, his poems are featured in Puro ChicanX Writers of the 21st Century (2nd Edition) and in Yellow Medicine Review: A Journal of Indigenous Literature, Art and Thought. His poems have been nominated for Best of Web and the Pushcart Prize. His poem, Awakening, was featured in the author’s voice on NPR as part of National Poetry Month in the Spring of 2021.

You can find Rene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

In this poem, enter a world that is at once fairytale and post-apocalyptic. And above all, don't drive through it like hell.

Robert René Galván, born in San Antonio of Indigenous/Mexican heritage, resides in New York City where he works as a professional musician and poet. His collections of poems are Meteors, published by Lux Nova Press and Undesirable: Race and Remembrance, Somos en Escrito Foundation Press, Standing Stones, Finishing Line Press and The Shadow of Time, Adelaide Books. His poetry has been featured in such publications as The Acentos Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Azahares Literary Magazine, Gyroscope, Hawaii Review, Hispanic Culture Review, Latino Book Review, Newtown Review, Panoply, Prachya Review, Sequestrum, Shoreline of Infinity, Somos en Escrito,  Stillwater Review, West Texas Literary Review, andUU World. He is a Shortlist Winner Nominee in the 2018 Adelaide Literary Award for Best Poem. Recently, his poems are featured in Puro ChicanX Writers of the 21st Century (2nd Edition) and in Yellow Medicine Review: A Journal of Indigenous Literature, Art and Thought. His poems have been nominated for Best of Web and the Pushcart Prize. His poem, Awakening, was featured in the author’s voice on NPR as part of National Poetry Month in the Spring of 2021.

Brunilda couldn't make it to the podcast, so in today's episode, Teresa and her daughter discuss the wonders of grilled cheese, and whether or not you can judge someone operating outside their comfort zone. You can listen to the song Godzilla mentioned on the episode by clicking here.

Brunilda Bonia, Esquire, is a Puerto Rican and a practicing attorney for the past 25 years. She specializes in family/matrimonial law. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, three daughters and tuxedo cat, Pepper. On January 27, 2022 her first children's book, BLUE, was published by Pegasus Publishing Ltd.

A woman walks into a cafe in Italy with her boyfriend--will she walk out with him or alone? In this episode, Brunilda Bonia deftly imagines a moment of decision in a busy cafe.

Brunilda Bonia, Esquire is Puerto Rican who has been a practicing attorney for the past 25 years. She specializes in family/matrimonial law. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, three daughters and tuxedo cat, Pepper. On January 27, 2022 her first children's book, BLUE, was published by Pegasus Publishing Ltd.

Can you really put childhood on a dinner plate? How can you fictionalize a true story and still remain true to its spirit? Tune in to get the answers to all these questions and more.

Natalia Figueroa Barroso is a Uruguayan-Australian writer who lives on Dharug Country. Natalia has appeared in Sweatshop Women: Volume One, Racism: Stories on Fear, Hate & Bigotry, SBS Voices, Story Casters, Any Saturday, 2021. Running Westward, Kindling and Sage, Between Two Worlds, The Big Issue, Puentes Review, Meanjin and Overland.

"Mamá orders me to clean Abuela’s room as she tames her curly blonde hair into a tight bun and rolls up the sleeves on her black and blue flannel shirt. Mamá stands in front of me with her pale blue eyes and hands me an orange duster. She is ready to clean and pack Abuela’s belongings away. I stand at the door with my arms crossed. Mamá hits the top of my head with the duster, ‘¡Dale vos encargate del cuarto de la Abuela! Don’t make me tell you again.’"

Natalia Figueroa Barroso is a Uruguayan-Australian writer who lives on Dharug Country. Natalia has appeared in Sweatshop Women: Volume One, Racism: Stories on Fear, Hate & Bigotry, SBS Voices, Story Casters, Any Saturday, 2021. Running Westward, Kindling and Sage, Between Two Worlds, The Big Issue, Puentes Review, Meanjin and Overland.

How do you distill an immigration story into a tight, accessible piece? Tune in to this episode where Selene lets us in on her secrets. This is Selene's second piece on the audio mag. You can check out her first piece Amalgam here.

Selene Lacayo is a writer and translator living in the Greater Philadelphia Area. She was the 2018 Judge's Choice Runner-Up for the Write Michigan Short Story Contest. Her essays have been published by InCulture Magazine, Americans Resisting Overseas, and the COVID-19 Community Stories of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Most recently, her short story Amalgam formed part of The Best Short Stories of Philadelphia published in 2021 and her interview with Silvia Moreno-Garcia on her novel Velvet Was the Night was featured in Electric Literature. She is currently working on a memoir centered around the themes of belonging, identity and motherhood. You can follow her work at SeleneLacayo.com.

"Alien: *unfamiliar and disturbing or distasteful. Similar: foreign, strange, bizarre, exotic, incompatible with, antagonistic to, unacceptable to 2 …

(Footnote 2) I hated that label –alien— stuck to my forehead upon my landing in the U.S. “Your looks are so exotic.” “Your accent is unusual for a Hispanic,” people would say. I felt belittled."

This piece first appeared in Alebrijes Review and was nominated for a Pushcart award.

Selene Lacayo is a writer and translator living in the Greater Philadelphia Area. She was the 2018 Judge's Choice Runner-Up for the Write Michigan Short Story Contest. Her essays have been published by InCulture Magazine, Americans Resisting Overseas, and the COVID-19 Community Stories of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Most recently, her short story Amalgam formed part of The Best Short Stories of Philadelphia published in 2021 and her interview with Silvia Moreno-Garcia on her novel Velvet Was the Night was featured in Electric Literature. She is currently working on a memoir centered around the themes of belonging, identity and motherhood. You can follow her on Twitter at @LacayoSelene and on her website at SeleneLacayo.com

What do briefs (not that kind) and boxing have to do with writing great short stories? Tune in as Michael reveals all.

Michael was born in Mexico and raised in the United States. After receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps, he enjoyed a successful career as a personal injury attorney. He is now retired and writes fiction full-time. Michael has been published in legal periodicals, but his true love is writing fiction. He’s been published in over thirty literary journals and magazines in the US, Canada, South America, and the UK. In his free time, he plays rhythm/lead guitar in a rock band, featuring 60’s and 70’s rock and roll.

In addition to his published novel, The Guadalupe Saints, Michael has completed several other manuscripts. One of those, The Pied Beauty of San Ignacio, is under active consideration for publication by Kensington Books (New York). In the meantime, he is polishing an additional manuscript, presently titled Titus of Galilee, to be sent out to potential publishers. You can find his latest anthology, Of Angels, Demons, and Chopped Chorizo, on Amazon.com.

Special Agent Varela thought he had the drug runner case in the bag. But out in the desert, where even the Yaqui didn't tread, anything can happen.

Michael was born in Mexico and raised in the United States. After receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps, he enjoyed a successful career as a personal injury attorney. He is now retired and writes fiction full-time. Michael has been published in legal periodicals, but his true love is writing fiction. He’s been published in over thirty literary journals and magazines in the US, Canada, South America, and the UK. In his free time, he plays rhythm/lead guitar in a rock band, featuring 60’s and 70’s rock and roll.

In addition to his published novel, The Guadalupe Saints, Michael has completed several other manuscripts. One of those, The Pied Beauty of San Ignacio, is under active consideration for publication by Kensington Books (New York). In the meantime, he is polishing an additional manuscript, presently titled Titus of Galilee, to be sent out to potential publishers. You can find his latest anthology, Of Angels, Demons, and Chopped Chorizo, on Amazon.com.