Words on a Wire

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). 

Host Daniel Chacón speaks with poet Brian Turner about his forthcoming three-part poetry series from Alice James Books: The Wild Delight of Wild Things, The Goodbye World Poem, and The Dead Peasant's Handbook. 

Host Daniel Chacón speaks with poet Virgil Suárez about his new book, AMERIKAN CHERNOBYL. They also discuss various topics, including urban exploration, gutted motels, and bypassing artistic gatekeepers through self-publishing.

In this episode host, Tim Z. Hernandez talks to journalist Eraldo Chiecchi about the release of his new book Josue. 

Eraldo “Dino” Chiecchi is a multimedia professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. Chiecchi earned his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2021 and earned his journalism degree from UTEP in 1986. Prior to becoming a journalism professor, Chiecchi worked as a reporter and editor for 33 years. Chiecchi is the editor of "True Border: 100 Questions & Answers about the U.S.-Mexico Frontera."
He is the 2023 recipient of the Jack Douglas Award, the Texas Managing Editors’ highest award, recognizing significant contributions to Texas journalism

Host Daniel Chacón speaks with writer and scholar Alicia Gaspar de Alba. They talk about Gaspar de Alba's new book, Crimes of the Tongue: Essays and Stories (Arte Público Press, 2023), growing up in El Paso, the border identity, and other topics.

In this episode of the 3rd story, host Tim Z. Hernandez, talks to Carlos Rodriguez,  a third generation musician and producer based in CA’s central valley. When he’s not teaching music, composing music, or performing on stage, he’s busy being a dad and family man. He lives in Visalia, California. 

We invite Words on a Wire co-host Tim Z. Hernandez into the Cove. We talk about Tim's new book, Some of the Light: New and Selected Poems from Beacon Press. Daniel and Tim, two good friends, also talk about the publishing industry, the writing process, and some great surprises we might see from Hernandez in the future.