Words on a Wire

Ben & Daniel talk with poet Patrick Rosal, author of “Boneshepherds” and “My American Kundiman.” Rosal talks about how “Boneshepherds” is a mix of anger, rage, love, and tenderness. He also explains why his Uncle Charlie is as big as influence as figures such as Neruda and Philip Levine. Plus, Rosal reads a poem from “Boneshepherds” – “Bienvenido: Santo Tomas,” a poem written for his Uncle Charlie. www.patrickrosal.com. This week’s Poetic License comes from Daniel Chacon, who talks about walking through a nice neighborhood that maybe wasn’t so nice after all.

Daniel & Ben talk with writer Roberto Perezdiaz, author of "Mas Sabe el Diablo," a collection of short stories that take on themes of innocence and maturity. He talks about the years he spent as a court translator, and how his work as a Spanish-to-English translator helped develop his use of language in writing and translating works in both languages. The Poem of the Week is Sherman Alexie's "Grief Calls us to the Things of This World," read by Benjamin Saenz.

Daniel & Ben talk with writer Craig Santos Perez, author of "from unincorporated territory [saina]." Perez is an indigenous writer from Guam who currently teaches at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. He talks about his journey in writing [saina] and how it reflects his sense of his peoples' loss of tradition. He also discusses why words inspire his activism, and how his extensive travel schedule feeds his poetry.

The Poem of the Week is actually a number of poems by Andres Montoya. Daniel reads selections from a forthcoming posthumous collection of "Leukemia Poems" by Montoya, written when the late writer was in the hospital dying of leukemia.

Dan Chaon - Daniel & Ben talk with bestselling author, Dan Chaon, whose recent book “Stay Awake” is earning rave reviews. He talks about his early interest in writing, and how writers such as Stephen King, Peter Straub, and Ray Bradbury led him to his current path. He also talks about the “alone-ness” of being a writer, and why it’s so hard for young people today to set aside time to be alone and write. http://danchaon.com. The Poem of the Week is by newly-appointed U.S. Poet Laureate, Natasha Trethewey. Daniel reads “Theories of Time and Space.” www.creativewriting.emory.edu/faculty/trethewey.html. And this week’s Poetic License is by writer Anthony Bonds, whose latest work, “The Moonflower King” was published with Calypso Editions, a cooperative press. Bonds discusses the difference between a cooperative press and a traditional publisher. www.anthonybonds.com.

Daniel & Ben talk with writer Javier O. Huerta, whose latest book, "American Copia," captures the American immigrant experience through stories about the everyday grocery shopping grind. Huerta also talks about how the book grew out of a sentence that was assigned to him during his naturalization process. Huerta, Daniel, and Ben also engage in a discussion about whether "bad poetry" can still be good poetry. This week's Poem of the Week is "The Emperor of Ice-Cream," read by Daniel Chacon. This week's Poetic License features a contribution by Irene Lara Silva, who reflects on "The Necessity of Nakedness.www.irenelarasilva.webs.com

Daniel & Ben talk with writer & poet, Lawrence Welsh, author of "Begging for Vultures," a collection of new and selected poems. This L.A. native talks about the hitchhiking trip across the Southwest that led to his applying to UTEP for their MFA program. Welsh also describes the "organic" way he approaches poetry, and why meditation is so vital to his creative process.

Welsh also reads 2 poems from "Begging for Vultures" - "New Irish Whiskey" and "Begging for Vultures."

Daniel & Ben also talk to writers & educators Macarena Hernandez and Carol Brochin Ceballos. They talk about their efforts in securing a grant to help inspire El Paso teachers to teach Mexican-American literature in their classes.

Daniel & Ben talk with Fred Arroyo, author of “The Region of Lost Names” (2008) and “Western Avenue and Other Fictions” (2012). Arroyo explains why “Western Avenue” is more of a novel told in a cycle of short stories, and why it’s a companion to “Region of Lost Names.” He also explains why he refers to the central figures in his work as “people,” not “characters.” Arroyo also describes how he approaches endings.

In this week’s Poem of the Week, Ben reads “The Word ‘Class’ Should Not Appear in The Poem,” from Karen Fiser’s collection, “Words Like Fate and Pain.”

Daniel & Ben talk with writer Sherwin Bitsui, author of “Flood Song,” winner of the American Book Award. Bitsui talks about the intuitive process by which he conceives of his poems, and why he has to hear his poems sung or read.

Bitsui also reads a poem from his collection “Flood Song.”

Ben & Daniel talk with writer & poet, Pat Mora. Mora talks about her experience in writing in different genres, including her struggles in getting her children's books bought and published. She also discusses the arms-length relationship she and other children's book authors have with their illustrators.

For the Poem of the Week, Mora reads "Ode to Our Lady of Guadalupe" from her book "Adobe Odes."

Ben & Daniel talk with Lucrecia Guerrero, author of "Tree of Sighs," a book which won Guerrero the 2012 Premio Aztlan, a national literary prize awarded to emerging Chicana & Chicano authors. Guerrero talks about what inspires her characters as well as the mostly-male Chicano writers who have influenced her. Guerrero also shares her reading wish list.

The Poem of the Week comes from another prize winner, Laurie Ann Guerrero. Guerrero is the most recent recipient of the Andres Montoya Poetry Prize. Daniel reads the poem "Preparing the Tongue" from Guerrero's collection "A Tongue in the Mouth of Dying."