Words and Shit

This week Chibbi and Eddie V are joined by renowned theopoet Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros as they talk about theopoetics, Liberation Theology, religion, nature, the publishing world and so much more! Listen in to get to know the person behind the poetry!

Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros is a Tejana, Chicana, Mujerista writer from San Antonio, TX. She is a columnist for Sojourners Magazine and a contributor to Faith and Leadership. She is the poetry co-editor for The Journal of Latina Critical Feminism. She has a chapbook titled, Becoming Coztototl published by FlowerSong Books. Her work has appeared in OnBeing, The Rumpus, The Acentos Review, Christianity Today, and more. She is the 2019 Rubem Alves Award in Theopoetics, serves on the Board for Arts, Religion, and Culture; and is on the leadership team for the AWP Latinx Writers Caucus. She is in pursuit of her Master of Arts in English with emphases in literature, creative writing, and social justice at Our Lady of the Lake University.

On this week's edition of Words and Sh*t, all the way from the Pacific Northwest, poet extraordinaire Roxy Allen is joining Chibbi & Eddie V to talk about makeup, acceptance, body positivity, sex work, and so much more! Brought to you by The Blah Poetry Spot and Write Art Out.

Roxy Jane Allen is a queer nonbinary poet, comedian, body positive activist, model, make up artist, burlesque dancer, sex worker, stylist, barber, nail tech, esthetician, and recovering alcoholic. A seven time Eugene Poetry Slam team member and five time champion, Roxy uses comedy and wit to disarm their listeners and their sincerity and vulnerability drive their truths deep. They have been performing spoken word for the past 18 years and helping facilitate the Eugene Poetry Slam for the past 12. For the past three years, they've been developing and facilitating writing workshops specifically designed to help assault survivors process their trauma while regaining agency in telling their story. Their work has been used in collaborations with area ballet and contemporary choreographers. They've most recently developed curriculum and implemented programming with local hospitals to teach poetry as a form of grief processing to teens. Their work explores how extraordinary and fragile a thing it is to be human. Their work centers heavily around intimate partner violence, mental illness, grief, recovery, and their own queer, fat body.

This week bring you a performance and conversation with San Antonio legend Anel Flores!! Chibbi, Eddie V and Anel talk about sexuality, religion, activism, labels, San Antonio, becoming and being a writer, and so much more! Tune in to get to know the person behind the poetry!

Anel I. Flores was awarded Women’s Advocate of the Year from University of Texas San Antonio and the Nebrija Creadores Award from the Universidad de Alcala de Henares in Madrid, Spain. Flores was named Best Of San Antonio Local Author, the Chingona in Literature Award, the Ancinas Award at Squaw Valley, the NALAC Fund for the Arts Award, the Accion Women Inspiring Women Award, the Yellow Rose of Texas Educator Award, and the Mentorship Leadership Award from the National Performance Network. She is co-editor of forthcoming Jota Anthology with Korima Press and author of Lambda literary award nominated book Empanada: A Lesbiana Story en Probaditas. Flores holds her MFA in Creative Writing, is a member of the Macondo Writers Workshop, the Society for the Study of Gloria Anzaldua and the National Association of Latina/os in Arts and Culture. Among various anthologies and magazines, Flores’ work can be found in Entre Guadalupe y Malinche: Tejanas in Literature and Art with UT Press, The Jota Anthology, Queer Spiritualities, Rooted: A Queer Women of Color Anthology, El Mundo Zurdo Anthology, The Brillantina Project, Sinister Wisdom This City Is A Poem, Raspa Magazine, OutInSA Magazine, iungo Arts Magazine, the Lodestar Quarterly, The Pitkin Literary Review and La Voz de Esperanza. Her play Empanada toured for ten years throughout the University and Theater circuit and continues to be produced today. She is currently in the process of completing her forthcoming book, Cortinas de Lluvia, a series of Children’s books and a graphic memoir titled, Pintada de Rojo. Her teaching career includes eleven years in public schools and at University, four years in Education and Arts Administration, and various community literary workshops. In addition to her writing, Flores’ is a professional author, oil painter, with 25+ years of experience, documenting the imagery and themes vibrant among the LGBTQ+ experience and creates a handcrafted line of ethically sourced sterling silver jewelry at Anel I. Flores Studio, located in San Antonio, Texas. While not working in the arts, Flores her boutique real estate company A&N Realty and contributes to her community as the founder of Queer Voices, an advisory board member at Macondo Writers Workshop, a member of the Mayor’s Advisory Board with Ron NIrenburg, and is a loyal advocate for the Transgender and LGBTQ+ Community. Previously, she served as a board member at Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, The Pride Center San Antonio, San Antonio Youth Literacy and was Co-Founder and Grant Coordinator at LezRideSA. She does all this with the overflowing love of her queer familia and the patience and support from her magical wife, Erika and their two brilliant daughters, Jessica and Klarissa.

The. Gully Princess is coming to San Antonio! Virtually anyway. Ebony Stewart drops by this week for another edition of Words and Shit! Join hosts Chibbi and Eddie V as we talk about boo-things, life in quarantine, longevity, being a touring poet, and so much more!

Ebony Stewart is an international touring poet and performance artist. Her work speaks to the black experience, with emphasis on gender, sexuality, womanhood, and race, with the hopes to be relatable, remove shame, heal minds, encourage dialogue, and inspire folks in marginalized communities.

As one of the most decorated poets in Texas, Ebony is a respected coach & mentor, one of the top touring poets in the country, and a Woman of the World Poetry Slam Champion.

The Sexual Health activist and former Sex Educator is also pursuing a license as a Sex Therapist.

As a playwright, Ebony’s one woman shows, Hunger and Ocean have received B. Iden Payne Awards & the David Mark Cohen New Play Award.

She is the author of Love Letters to Balled Fists and Home.Girl.Hood. Her work has been featured in For Harriet, AfroPunk, Teen Vogue, and The Texas Observer. The only poet to perform at the 2018 Seattle Pride Festival before 200,000 people, was Ebony Stewart.

She is, #thestoryoftheblackgirlwinning

!We're back with another edition of The Blah Poetry Spot presents Words and Shit, this time brining you South Texas writer David Bowles! Join Chibbi and Eddie V as we talk about growing up TexMex, language and translation, navigating the publishing world,  the importance of writing for young adults and so much more!

David Bowles is a Mexican-American poet, author and translator from south Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. He has written several titles, most notably the award-winning Flower, Song, Dance: Aztec and Maya Poetry; The Smoking Mirror; and They Call Me Güero. His work has also been published in multiple anthologies, plus venues such as School Library Journal, Bookbird, Knowledge Quest, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children’s Literature. In 2017, David was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.

This week on Words and Sh*t we're featuring a Texas titan of poetry, Faylita Hicks! Join hosts Chibbi and Rooster as we talk about the journey from youth slam poet to Editor-In-Cheif of Borderlands Texas Poetry Review, how to make it in this world as a writer, and so much more!

Faylita Hicks is the Editor-in-Chief of Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review and the author of HoodWitch (Acre Books, 2019), a finalist for the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Poetry and longlisted for the Julie Suk Award. They are a 2020 Tin House Resident and the recipient of fellowships from Lambda Literary, Jack Jones Literary Arts, and Right of Return USA, the first fellowship designed exclusively for previously incarcerated artists. An activist and member of the Statewide Leadership Council, established by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, they advocate for policy changes related to pretrial incarceration, immigrant detention, and the use of cash bail in rural Texas counties. Their poems, personal essays, and interviews have been featured in or are forthcoming in Adroit, American Poetry Review, Cincinnati Review, Huffpost, Kenyon Review, Longreads, Poetry Magazine, Poetry Daily, the Rumpus, Slate, Texas Monthly, the Texas Observer, and others. An interdisciplinary artist, they have an MFA in Creative Writing from Sierra Nevada University.

Wayne Henry is coming to Words and Shit! A beast of a poet from Dallas, we have a conversation with this slam champ and get to know the person behind the poetry!

Poet, teacher, father and P.O.C enthusiast. Passion with purpose pushes life to new heights.

Accolades include:

On this week's installment of Words & Sh*t we're bringing you Houston poet, educator, and organizer Lupe Mendez, as we talk about life, language, location, and so much more. Hosted by Chibbi and Eddie Vega, tune in to this intimate performance and conversation to get to know the person behind the poetry!

This week the Blah Poetry Spot is excited to bring you poet, actor, author, comedian and National Slam Champion Ed Mabrey!!! Join Chibbi and Eddie Vega as we have an intimate performance and conversation so you can get to know the person behind the poetry! We talk about form, writing, performance, bbq, childhood stories, Pumas, and so much more!