Podcast appearances and mentions of Sandra Cisneros

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón sits down with acclaimed poet, translator, and world traveler Liliana Valenzuela for a rich and reflective conversation recorded just after her return from a silent meditation retreat. Liliana discusses her journey as a “reverse Chicana”—a Mexican-born writer shaped by both Mexican and Chicano cultural traditions—and the ancestral and creative forces that shape her work. From her fascination with Aztec codices to solo travels through West Africa, Liliana shares the stories and experiences that inform her poetry collections Codex of Love and Codex of Journeys. The conversation also explores her influential career as a translator of major Chicana authors, including Sandra Cisneros and Ana Castillo, and her lifelong commitment to amplifying women's voices in literature.

Sandra Cisneros is a Latina American short-story writer and poet regarded as a key figure in Chicano literature. She is best known for her first novel, "The House on Mango Street," and her subsequent short story collection, "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories." Her work experiments with literary forms that investigate emerging subject positions, which Cisneros herself attributes to growing up in a context of cultural hybridity and economic inequality that endowed her with unique stories to tell. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, the USA Literary Award, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer's Symposium by the Sea, Cisneros joins host Dean Nelson for this passionate conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40218]

Sandra Cisneros is a Latina American short-story writer and poet regarded as a key figure in Chicano literature. She is best known for her first novel, "The House on Mango Street," and her subsequent short story collection, "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories." Her work experiments with literary forms that investigate emerging subject positions, which Cisneros herself attributes to growing up in a context of cultural hybridity and economic inequality that endowed her with unique stories to tell. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, the USA Literary Award, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer's Symposium by the Sea, Cisneros joins host Dean Nelson for this passionate conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40218]

Sandra Cisneros is a Latina American short-story writer and poet regarded as a key figure in Chicano literature. She is best known for her first novel, "The House on Mango Street," and her subsequent short story collection, "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories." Her work experiments with literary forms that investigate emerging subject positions, which Cisneros herself attributes to growing up in a context of cultural hybridity and economic inequality that endowed her with unique stories to tell. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, the USA Literary Award, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer's Symposium by the Sea, Cisneros joins host Dean Nelson for this passionate conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40218]

Sandra Cisneros is a Latina American short-story writer and poet regarded as a key figure in Chicano literature. She is best known for her first novel, "The House on Mango Street," and her subsequent short story collection, "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories." Her work experiments with literary forms that investigate emerging subject positions, which Cisneros herself attributes to growing up in a context of cultural hybridity and economic inequality that endowed her with unique stories to tell. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, the USA Literary Award, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer's Symposium by the Sea, Cisneros joins host Dean Nelson for this passionate conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40218]

Sandra Cisneros is a Latina American short-story writer and poet regarded as a key figure in Chicano literature. She is best known for her first novel, "The House on Mango Street," and her subsequent short story collection, "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories." Her work experiments with literary forms that investigate emerging subject positions, which Cisneros herself attributes to growing up in a context of cultural hybridity and economic inequality that endowed her with unique stories to tell. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, the USA Literary Award, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer's Symposium by the Sea, Cisneros joins host Dean Nelson for this passionate conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40218]

Sandra Cisneros is a Latina American short-story writer and poet regarded as a key figure in Chicano literature. She is best known for her first novel, "The House on Mango Street," and her subsequent short story collection, "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories." Her work experiments with literary forms that investigate emerging subject positions, which Cisneros herself attributes to growing up in a context of cultural hybridity and economic inequality that endowed her with unique stories to tell. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, the USA Literary Award, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, As part of the 30th anniversary of the Writer's Symposium by the Sea, Cisneros joins host Dean Nelson for this passionate conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40218]

Daily QuoteThe soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases. (William Hazlitt)Poem of the Day别顾城Beauty of WordsThe Monkey GardenSandra Cisneros

The Drunk Guys walk down the street and say “hey man, go get me a beer!” this week when they read The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Their man goes to get them: Share House by Torch and Crown, Main Squeeze by Talea, and Cool Cousin IPA by

Cisneros will appear at the 30th annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea. Also, we get a behind-the-scenes look at two musicals currently onstage in San Diego — "Wicked" and a new La Jolla Playhouse production, "3 Summers of Lincoln."

Notes and Links to Maggie Sheffer's Work           Marguerite (Maggie) Sheffer is a writer who lives in New Orleans. She is a Professor of Practice at Tulane University, where she teaches courses in design thinking and speculative fiction as tools for social change. Formerly, she taught English at the East Oakland School of the Arts, Castlemont High School, Life Academy, and GW Carver High School.    Her debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees, was selected by judge Jamil Jan Kochai for the Iowa Short Fiction Award, was published in Fall 2024.     Maggie is a founding member of Third Lantern Lit, a local writing collective, and the Nautilus and Wildcat Writing Groups. She received her MFA from Randolph College. She was a 2023 Veasna So Scholar in Fiction at The Adroit Journal, and was selected as a top-twenty-five finalist for Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers.  Her story “Tiger on My Roof” was a finalist for the 2024 Chautauqua Janus Prize, which awards emerging writers' short fiction with “daring formal and aesthetic innovations that upset and reorder readers' imaginations.”    Her position on semicolons (for) is noted in an Australian grammar textbook (pg. 16). Buy The Man in the Banana Trees     Maggie's Website   From LitHub: "Marguerite Sheffer on Crafting a Collection of Century-Spanning Speculative Fiction"   "Marguerite Sheffer: These Stories Are an Intimate Map of What Scares Me" from Writer's Digest At about 0:45, Maggie shares a fun story about being published with George Bernard Shaw At about 2:15, Maggie talks about her early reading life At about 3:20, The two reflect on the evolving reputation of Star Wars and Star Wars fans At about 4:45, Maggie shares how wine bottles led to writing an early and pivotal short story  At about 5:40, Maggie describes a gap in “actively writing” while teaching and interacting differently with writing At about 6:50, Maggie lists texts and writers that helped her “reorder [her] brain” At about 8:55, Pete and Maggie stan Tillie Olsen's “I Stand Here ironing”   At about 10:45, Pete recounts a story about how he happened upon the great story by Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” At about 11:30, Maggie responds to Pete asking about what drew and draws her to science and speculative fiction At about 12:30, Maggie highlights past guest Jamil Jan Kochai, Ken Liu, E. Lily Yu, Sofia Samatar, Clare Beams, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, the book The Safekeep, and others as contemporary writers who thrill and inspire At about 13:45, Pete asks Maggie how teaching has inspired her writing At about 15:25, Maggie cites Octavia Butler's and Sandra Cisneros' work and The Things They Carried and other texts that were favorites of her students  At about 16:50, The two discuss the epigraph and seeds for the short story collection  At about 18:30, The two discuss the collection's first story and connection to Tillie Olsen's idea of being “imprisoned in his own difference” and students being “othered” At about 22:40, Maggie reflects on an important truth of fiction At about 23:20, Maggie discusses famous unicorn tapestries that inspire a story of hers At about 24:40, Pete compliments Maggie's “delightfully weird” stories and “soft endings” and she responds to his questions about allegory/plot and “cool stories” At about 26:20, Maggie talks about realizing the throughlines in her collections At about 27:50, Maggie responds to Pete's questions about writing in Covid times At about 28:20, Pete cites examples of misogyny in the collection and asks about Joycleyn Bell and Maggie expands upon the story “The Observer's Cage”-its genesis and connections to Jocelyn Bell Burnell At about 31:00, Pete notes the use of animals as stand-ins for humanity and Maggie expands on deas of resistance as seen in the collection At about 32:00, The two discuss ideas of redress and reclaiming the past through stories in the collection, especially “The Observer's Cage” At about 34:40, the two discuss a story with ghosts and ideas of “unfinished business” and capturing past natural greatness At about 36:40, Maggie talks about sadly learning that an idea that she thought was original was not, as the two discuss a few stories about commercialism, dystopia, and climate change At about 40:20, the two discuss middens, and themes of reclaiming what has been lost  At about 42:30, Pete notes an interesting story that deals with memory and AI, and Maggie talks about writing from a interesting-placed narrator  At about 44:20, Pete draws connections between a title character, Miriam Ackerman, and Truman Capote's wonderful “A Christmas Memory”, while Maggie discusses the relationship between the title character and the narrator  At about 47:10, The two discuss violence and parental lack of control, especially in “Tiger on the Roof” and its memorable ending and creative plot  At about 50:25, Pete highlights the poignant and resonant closing line for the above story and connects the ending to Alice Elliott Dark's classic, “In the Gloaming” At about 52:00, The two discuss the collection's title story and Maggie discuses inspiration from Carmen Maria Machado At about 53:00, The two discuss the way the above story is “gutting” in its portrayal of the “banality of loss” At about 56:10, Maggie reminds that the book is not just a “downer!” At about 56:50, Maggie reads from “En Plein Aire” At about 1:00:30, Maggie gives information on places to buy her book and social media and contact information At about 1:01:20, Maggie shares information on some exciting new projects         You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Jeff Pearlman, Matt Bell, F. Douglas Brown, Jorge Lacera, Jean Guererro, Rachel Yoder, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writers who have inspired their own work.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 265 with Carvell Wallace. He is a writer and podcaster who has contributed to GQ, New York Times Magazine, Pitchfork, MTV News, and Al Jazeera, among others. His debut memoir, Another Word For Love, is a 2024 Kirkus Finalist in Nonfiction, and one of Pete's all-time favorite memoirs.    The episode airs on December 10.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Sandra Cisneros is best known for her debut novel, The House on Mango Street, which follows a year in the life of a young Chincana girl. For the 40th anniversary of that book, Sandra joined Rachel for a conversation in front of a live audience at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Sandra shared a story about a teacher who changed her life and talked about why she's excited about death.To listen sponsor-free, access bonus episodes and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We revisit our conversation with writer Sandra Cisneros. Her book "Martita, I Remember You / Martita, te recuerdo" was included in one of our UPR Community Booklists.

Jan Beatty's eighth book, Dragstripping, was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press, September, 2024. Her memoir, American Bastard, won the Red Hen Nonfiction Award. Recent books include The Body Wars and a chapbook, Skydog (Lefty Blondie Press, 2022). Other work includes Jackknife: New and Selected Poems (University of Pittsburgh, 2018 Paterson Prize) named by Sandra Cisneros on LitHub as her favorite book of 2019. Beatty worked as a waitress, abortion counselor, and in maximum security prisons. She is Professor Emerita at Carlow University, where she directed creative writing, the Madwomen in the Attic workshops, and the MFA program.   

Liliana Valenzuela trae a Hablemos, escritoras una valiosa entrevista desde el Macondo Writers Workshop, fundado por Sandra Cisneros, con la maravillosa Cherríe Moraga. Moraga es una poeta, ensayista y dramaturga reconocida internacionalmente, cuya carrera profesional comenzó en 1981 con su coedición del texto feminista fundamental This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color escrito con Gloria Anzaldúa. Es autora de varias colecciones de escritos, incluyendo A Xicana Codex of Changing Consciousness: Writings 2000-2010 y, más recientemente, Loving in the War Years & Other Writings 1978-1999, publicado en 2023. También es autora de dos memorias: Waiting in the Wings—Portrait of a Queer Motherhood y Native Country of the Heart, publicado en 2019 por Farrar, Straus & Giroux con gran reconocimiento. La revista es en inglés. Liliana Valenzuela brings to Hablemos, escritoras a precious interview from Macondo Writers Workshop founded by Sandra Cisneros, with the wonderful Cherríe Moraga. Moraga is an internationally recognized poet, essayist and playwright whose professional life began in 1981 with her co-editorship of the seminal feminist text, This Bridge Called My Back:  Writings by Radical Women of Color wrote with Gloria Anzaldúa.  She is the author of several collections of writings, including A Xicana Codex of Changing Consciousness- Writings  2000-2010 and most recently Loving in the War Years & Other Writings 1978-1999. published in 2023. She is the author of two memoirs:  Waiting in the Wings—Portrait of a Queer Motherhood  and Native Country of the Heart, published in 2019 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux to great acclaim. The interview is in English and Spanish.

Mentioned in this episode:SBCC American Ethnic Studies - https://www.sbcc.edu/americanethnicstudies/Chicano Power Movement - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicano_MovementBlack Power Movement - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_power_movementEl Paso Del Norte - https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/el-paso-del-norteChicano Secret Service - https://www.facebook.com/ChicanoSecretService/El Teatro Campesino - https://elteatrocampesino.com/Cedric Robinson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedric_RobinsonGeorge Lipsitz - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_LipsitzChela Sandoval - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chela_SandovalClyde Woods - https://cbsr.ucsb.edu/news/remembering-clyde-woodsAnything But Mexican: Chicanos in Contemporary Los Angeles by Rodolfo F. Acuña - https://www.versobooks.com/products/1533-anything-but-mexicanRacial Formation in the United States by Michael Omi - https://www.routledge.com/Racial-Formation-in-the-United-States/Omi-Winant/p/book/9780415520317Ramón Favela - https://www.arthistory.ucsb.edu/people/ram%C3%B3n-favelaLiberation Theology - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theologyHoliday in Cambodia by the Dead Kennedys - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_in_CambodiaDomestic Policy of the Ronald Raegan Administration - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_policy_of_the_Ronald_Reagan_administrationAngela Davis - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_DavisSBCC's Courageous Conversations for Outrageous Times for the Chicana/o Culture Conference - https://www.facebook.com/events/784586975229427/Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly - https://www.hiddenfigures.com/Xicana/o/x Time and Space Exhibit at the Atkinson Gallery - https://sbcc.edu/newsandevents/pressreleases/2023-9-5-Atkinson-Gallery-Exhibition-Xicano-a-x-Time-Space.phpDel Pueblo Cafe - https://dpcsb.com/EOPS - https://www.sbcc.edu/eopscare/Rasquachismo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RasquachismoSB Farmer's Market - https://www.sbfarmersmarket.org/Quesadilla - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QuesadillaMole - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(sauce)Like Water for Chocolate - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_Water_for_Chocolate_(film)Chile Relleno - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile_rellenoShort Rib - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_ribsRibeye - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rib_eye_steakEl Taco de Mexico Oxnard - https://www.yelp.com/biz/jesses-el-taco-de-mexico-oxnardRudy's - https://www.rudys-mexican.com/Meun Fan Thai Cafe - https://meunfanthaicafe.com/ Carne Adovada (New Mexico) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdobadaCarnitas El Brother - https://www.carnitaselbrother.com/Yolanda's Mexican Cafe - https://www.yolandasmexicancafe.com/Andria's Seafood Restaurant - https://www.andriasseafood.com/Bristol Farms - https://www.bristolfarms.com/stores/la-cumbreBangkok Avenue - https://www.bangkokavenuetoaks.com/Finish the Fight Virtual Play - https://timesevents.nytimes.com/finishthefightLone Star - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Star_(1996_film)Human Flow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_FlowThe Pearl Button - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pearl_ButtonWashington Bullets by the Clash - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slOz1XFCUXEThe Black Power Mixtape - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Power_Mixtape_1967%E2%80%931975Race: The Power of an Illusion - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race:_The_Power_of_an_IllusionThe Wind That Swept Mexico by Anita Brenner - https://utpress.utexas.edu/9780292790247/Occupied America: A History of Chicanos by Rodolfo F. Acuna - https://www.pearson.com/en-us/subject-catalog/p/occupied-america-a-history-of-chicanos/P200000002694/9780137525508The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/27844/the-house-on-mango-street-by-sandra-cisneros/Federico Fellini - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_FelliniThe Brother from Another Planet - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brother_from_Another_PlanetEight Men Out - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Men_Out

Mentioned in this episode:SBCC Raíces - https://www.sbcc.edu/raices/SBCC English - https://www.sbcc.edu/english/SBCC Multi-literacy English Transfer - https://www.sbcc.edu/english/met.phpPuente Project - https://www.thepuenteproject.org/SBCC Institutional Grants - https://www.sbcc.edu/institutionalresearch/institutionalgrants.phpIGETC - https://catalog.sbcc.edu/transfer-curricula/#igetctextMelinda Palacio - https://www.sbac.ca.gov/poet-laureateLotería - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loter%C3%ADa Aspiring Radical Leaders Institute - https://www.thecoalitioncc.org/radical-leadersFresno, CA - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresno,_CaliforniaCoachella - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoachellaClaremont Graduate University - https://www.cgu.edu/Critical Race Theory - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_race_theoryMarxism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MarxismCapitalism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CapitalismLa Malinche - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_MalincheCambodia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CambodiaHmong - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_peopleVietnam War - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_WarKhmer Rouge - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_RougeKruder and Dorfmeister - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruder_%26_DorfmeisterUnderworld - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underworld_(band)Groove Armada - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groove_ArmadaFatboy Slim - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatboy_SlimOrbital - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_(band)St. Germain - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Germain_(musician)Sopa de Fideo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopa_de_fideoChili Verde - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smkq7SACBZwChile Relleno - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile_rellenoTamales - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TamaleLa Mixteca Oxnard - https://mexicanrestaurantoxnard.com/Oaxacan Tamales - https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/261685/tamales-oaxaquenos-oaxacan-style-tamales/ Pan Dulce Empanadas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdeQeSNufVUPoke - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(dish)Sushi - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SushiBánh tét - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1nh_t%C3%A9tVinyl Records - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph_recordWarbler Records and Goods - https://www.instagram.com/warblerrecordsandgoods/?hl=enDisney Picture Discs - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Records_discographyIKEA Kallax Shelf - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/kallax-shelf-unit-white-80275887/This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color Edited by Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherríe Moraga  - https://sunypress.edu/Books/T/This-Bridge-Called-My-Back-Fortieth-Anniversary-Edition2Living up the Street by Gary Soto - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Up_the_StreetHouse on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_on_Mango_StreetTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Guadalupe_HidalgoMexican-American War - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War

Notes and Links to Katya Apekina's Work      For Episode 248, Pete welcomes Katya Apekina, and the two discuss, among other topics, her language abilities and her extensive cross-cultural readings; motherhood, the loss of loved ones, and other catalysts for Mother Doll, and salient themes and issues in her collection like intergenerational traumas, women's agency, fatalism, guilt, and redemption.      Katya Apekina is a novelist, screenwriter and translator. Her novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, was named a Best Book of 2018 by Kirkus, Buzzfeed, LitHub and others, was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and has been translated into Spanish, Catalan, French, German and Italian. She has published stories in various literary magazines and translated poetry and prose for Night Wraps the Sky: Writings by and about Mayakovsky (FSG, 2008), short-listed for the Best Translated Book Award. She co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film New Orleans, Mon Amour, which premiered at SXSW in 2008. She is the recipient of an Elizabeth George grant, an Olin Fellowship, the Alena Wilson prize and a 3rd Year Fiction Fellowship from Washington University in St. Louis where she did her MFA. She has done residencies at VCCA, Playa, Ucross, Art Omi: Writing and Fondation Jan Michalski in Switzerland. Born in Moscow, she grew up in Boston, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter and dog. Buy Mother Doll   “Katya Apekina's ‘Mother Doll' isn't your ordinary ghost story” in The Los Angeles Times   Katya's Website   At about 2:40, Katya talks about her early experiences in being bilingual and how her early language learning has affected her reading and writing and ways of seeing the world  At about 6:05, Katya talks about ways in which Russian writing manifests itself At about 8:00, Katya catalogs formative and informative writers and writing upon which she draws inspiration  At about 9:45, Katya details a Holden Caulfield-esque action she took in high school At about 10:45, The two discuss cool craft techniques of Chekhov At about 11:25, Katya outlines the beginnings of her formal writing life after pivoting from photography, including the power of Charles Simic and Roberto Bolaño  At about 14:45, Katya highlights contemporary writers who inspire and thrill her, including Sasha Vasilyuk and Ruth Madievsky, and Alexandra Tanner At about 17:35, Pete shares the wonderful reviews for the book, including Lauren Groff's At about 18:20, Katya shares seeds for the book, especially with regards to intergenerational traumas  At about 21:45, Katya recounts some plot summary and real-life inspirations and parallels  At about 22:50, Pete quotes the book's first line-a “banger”-and Katya gives background on the book's sequencing  At about 25:25, Pete sets some of the book's exposition and asks Katya about the “chorus” and her visual idea of this chorus At about 27:20, Irina is introduced and the two discuss her wanting to relieve her burdens, and Katya describes what Zhenia might see in Anton/Ben At about 30:10, Katya responds to Pete's questions about why Zhenia decides to help translate for Paul, the medium, regarding her great-grandmother At about 33:00, Katya expands upon Paul's reasons for getting into the medium space, as well as how some people are many “permeable” to messaging from beyond At about 35:10, Pete traces some early flashbacks from Irina and her early leanings towards revolution At about 36:15, Katya responds to Pete's asking about Hanna and other characters and their motivations and possible naivete At about 39:00, Pete and Katya discuss the changing and convoluted factions and connections that characterized the Russian Revolution, and the differing visions of change At about 41:50, Katya talks about how Zhenia thinks of her grandmother's death and funeral At about 43:30, Pete asks about parallels in the book, both on the micro and macro levels; Katya speaks about “iterations” of history At about 46:30, Pete alludes to “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros in asking Katya to speak to the significance of the book's title At about 48:40, The two discuss fatalism as a common theme in Russian diasporic literature in general, and this book in particular At about 51:00, Katya talks about exciting upcoming projects At about 52:00, Katya gives contact info and social media information      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 249 with Jesse Katz, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, Details, Texas Monthly, Food & Wine, Men's Health, and many other publications. His work has been anthologized in Best American Magazine Writing and Best American Crime Writing; his latest book is the critically-acclaimed The Rent Collectors, about the reverberations of a tragic murder in LA's MacArthur Park area.    The episode airs later today, August 20.    Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Marcela Fuentes' Work      For Episode 240, Pete welcomes Marcela Fuentes, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood in borderland Texas, her experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, the greatness and timelessness of Selena, seeds for Malas in fairy tales and the title's multilayered meanings, working in flashback and flashforward to illuminate racism and Texas/borderland histories, and salient themes in her collection like toxic masculinity, the burdens and triumphs of motherhood, grief, trauma, addiction, and ideas of fractured and reworked families.      Marcela Fuentes is a Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer and essayist. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and was the 2016-2017 James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Indiana Review, The Rumpus, Texas Highways Magazine, Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and other journals. Her work has been anthologized in New Stories from the Southwest, Best of the Web, and Flash Fiction International. Her story, “The Observable World” appeared in the Pushcart Prizes XLVII : Best of the Small Presses 2023 Edition. She was born and raised in Del Rio, Texas.    Her debut novel MALAS is the Good Morning America Book Club pick for June 2024. Coming soon, the story collection MY HEART HAS MORE ROOMS THAN A WHOREHOUSE, from Viking Books. Buy Malas    Marcela's Website   Marcela's Appearance on Good Morning America   At about 2:00, Marcela describes her “surreal” experience being on Good Morning America At about 4:10, Marcela discusses her early relationship with the written word and Spanish and English-speaking  At about 10:10, Sandra Cisneros, Yo Soy Joaquin, and Helena Maria Viramontes, are cited as formative and transformative writing and writers At about 12:00, Pete recounts a surreal interaction with the wonderful Helena Maria Viramontes At about 13:00, Marcla shouts out Vanessa Chan and Rufi Thorpe as contemporaries who thrill and inspire At about 14:05, Marcela responds to Pete's questions about seeds for the book-shout out Edward Carey! At about 18:05, The two reflect on the book's opening and a resonant first line At about 20:55, Marcela gives background on Caimanes and the barrio where Pilar and José Alfredo, the first main characters, live, and why they like and hate it At about 23:00, Uh, oh-the curse is discussed, as well as Pilar's feelings at eight months pregnant   At about 24:35, Marcela talks about what she envisioned for Pilar, especially her backstory At about 28:20, Ideas of suspicions and insecurities involving José Alfredo on Pilar's part are discussed At about 30:10, Pete and Marcela discuss Anglo/Mexican-American relations and the ways in which racism affected the hospital visit where Pilar is to give birth At about 31:25, Marcela describes what it was like to write such a wrenching scene as the one in the hospital At about 33:45, Pilar's “dull anger” and the ways in which José Alfredo doesn't show up for her  At about 34:40, Lulu Munoz is characterized, as she is introduced in a flashforward scene, and Marcela expands upon her character and her relationship with her “boss man” father  At about 38:10, Pete points out page 60's use of “mala,” and Marcela expands on the word's attendant meanings, especially with regard to the book At about 40:00, Julio (Lulu's father) and his bad behavior is discussed At about 40:40, The two discuss some friends in Lulu's friend group and the “messiness” of the night where Lulu's beloved grandma dies and the chaos of the funeral At about 41:55, Pete wonders about Pilar's mindset and the ways in which Marcela envisioned her emotional state, as the book returned to 1951 At about 46:45, While discussing Lulu's band and music likes, Marcela fangirls about Selena and talks about her personal connections to the great one  At about 49:40, The chaotic quinceañera set for Lulu and its attendant drama is discussed  At about 50:50, Pete compliments the 1970s scenes and the ways in which Marcela writes about this “adjacent history” of civil rights fights in Texas; Marcela gives background on real-life parallels and histories At about 54:40, Marcela talks about exciting future projects, including her story collection  At about 56:50, Marcela highlights places to buy her book and gives out contact information and tour information     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I'm looking forward to the partnership!     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 241 with Antonio Lopez, who is a poetician working at the intersections of poetry and politics to fight for social change. His 2021 collection, Gentefication, was named one of the "Ten Notable Latino Books of 2021” by NBC. Antonio is a former Marshall Scholar and current Mayor of East Palo Alto. CA.    The episode will go live on July 2.     Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

On this special episode of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón invites writers from the Macondo community, a writing workshop founded by Sandra Cisneros. Guests include writers Carla Trujillo, Miguel Angel Ramirez, and Erasmo Guerra.

“I tell people you don't have to say, ‘I'm just a drop in the bucket.' Well, take care of your drop. Your drop affects so many other people and whenever you speak or are in contact with people, you're shaping and changing every day.”Sandra is a prolific poet, author, and artist, perhaps best known for her book The House on Mango Street, originally published in 1984, which has gone on to sell over six million copies and is required reading in schools across the world. Recently, Sandra published her first book of poetry in 28 years called Woman Without Shame, a brilliant collection of songs, elegies, and declarations. She has received a number of awards and honors including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships in poetry and prose. Sandra has also founded the Macondo Foundation, an association of socially engaged writers, and the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation, a grant-giving institution that served Texas writers for fifteen years.Join us for a conversation about the ways in which we all have a gift to give, how invested teachers can really change a life, taking darkness and transforming it into a path out, and being courageous enough to taking the next step.In this conversation you'll find:* Being the only girl with six brothers* Her struggles in school to stay engaged and reign in her imagination* Growing up sensitive, and later realizing it was a gift* Writing in secret out of shame* The power dynamics and damage of an affair with a married professor* A 20 year “overnight” journey to success* Learning more from disasters than accolades* Having exactly what we need to make change* Not wasting our time in life This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe

40 years ago, Sandra Cisneros published what would become a contemporary classic: The House on Mango Street. To mark the occasion, Everyman's Library has released a new edition. The introduction to that edition was written by Professor John Philip Santos, a fellow writer and long-time friend of Cisneros. He joins me on this episode to talk about the origin, meaning, and legacy of this modern masterpiece. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: The House on Mango Street (Everyman's Library) by Sandra Cisneros, introduction by John Philip Santos Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation by John Philip Santos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the 99th Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick, the podcast about making stuff (mostly writing), finding success as we each define it for ourselves, and staying healthy and sane in the process. Settle in for an in-depth and evergreen conversation with historical and literary fiction author Maureen Morrissey! Maureen Morrissey is a writer for online publications and a published novelist; retired educator; and wife/mother/grandmother/dog mommy. She is an amateur photographer; traveler who loves to wander and wonder; and most recently, half-marathon runner. In her spare time, she attends live theater events and rock concerts, and investigates the integrity of roof top bars in her hometown NYC. Maureen has been a writer for as long as she remembers. She began writing her first novel, Woven: Six Stories, One Epic Journey in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, the day after retiring from teaching fourth grade. It was published in November of 2020. She published a second novel, Sonder: Janie's Story in March 2022, and her third, Seeing is Believing in June 2023. She published a short story, “Win, Lose or Draw,” at the beginning of January 2024, and her most recent release is the children’s picture book Country Dog, City Dog. Find Maureen Morrissey at maureenmorrissey.com. The interview portion of this episode was recorded on January 18, 2024. The other bits were recorded on April 10, 2024. This episode took about eight hours fifteen minutes to record, produce, and delivery to you. Links and Topics Mentioned in This Episode My day job? I’m a creative services provider helping authors, podcasters and other creators. How can I help you? The book that drove Maureen to pursue independent publishing was Walter the Farting Dog by the multi-genre, multiple-award-winning author William Kotzwinkle. You know you want to click those links… I mentioned Norman MacLean, author of A River Runs Through It, as an author who wrote a masterwork late in life. Novels told through a linked collection of short stories or novellas are sometimes called composite novels. Examples include The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. There are many, many others! Maureen tags the Goosebumps books as an example of a “beach book” for kids. More on Louise Rosenblatt’s transactional theory of reading, which I contrast / supplement with my own position that the reader / author relationship is collaborative. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig is a collection of various concepts for which there are only words in languages other than English. The flat earther who believes every person has their own personal sun came up in the conversation as an example of a wonderful and compelling unintentional metaphor. Maureen’s “Judge Not” article. The Cult of Done Manifesto from Bre Pettis and Kio Stark. By the time you’re listening to this episode or reading these show notes, my new novelette “Reggie versus Kaiju Storm Dragon Squidbat” will be available wherever you buy e-books and, of course, directly from my site! Big thanks to my Multiversalists patron community, including J. C. Hutchins, Zoë Kohen Ley, Jim Lewinson, Amelia Bowen, and Ted Leonhardt! I’m incredibly grateful for the support of my patrons. If Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick brings you joy, become a patron! Every month net earnings from my Multiversalist patron memberships is at least $100, I will donate 10% to 826 National in support of literacy and creative writing advocacy for children. Let’s go! This episode has extra content only available for patron members of the Multiversalists community! If you're a patron member at the Bronze level or above, please log in! Click here to learn more about the benefits of membership. This content is by Matthew Wayne Selznick and came from his website.

This week, I'm talking with author Sloane Crosley. Best known for her humorous and existentially probing essays, Sloane's latest book is a departure of sorts. Grief Is For People, a memoir, covers the year in her life following the death of Russell Perreault, a veteran of book publishing who'd been her boss before becoming her closest friend. A month before Russell's death, Sloane's apartment was burglarized by a jewel thief, turning her into an amateur detective as she attempted to retrieve family heirlooms while reckoning with loss across several dimensions. Sloane worked as a book publicist for many years before being an author herself, and in this conversation, she talks about how office culture has changed over the last decade, especially in the wake of #MeToo, and what it was like to work with famous authors like Joan Didion and Sandra Cisneros in the final glory days of publishing. Meghan and Sloane also explore the phenomenon of collective grief over animals that become symbols of something much larger: for instance, the response to the death a few months ago of Flaco, the Eurasian owl that got out of a zoo enclosure and flew around upper Manhattan for more than a year, captivating not just the New Yorkers who saw him in real life but people all over the world following his whereabouts on social media. GUEST BIO Sloane Crosley is the author of two novels and three essay collections, including the bestsellers I Was Told They're Be Cake and How Did You Get This Number? Her new book is the memoir Grief Is For People. She lives in New York City. You can buy her new book here. Want to hear the whole conversation? Upgrade your subscription here. HOUSEKEEPING ✈️ Unspeakeasy Retreats: See where we're going to be in 2024!

Mel B is LIVE in Studio 1A to talk about her new book “Brutally Honest” and the speculation surrounding a Spice Girls reunion. Plus, Amber Kemp-Gerstel shares some easy Easter entertaining ideas. Also, NYU Professor Suzy Welch gives Hoda and Jenna a crash course in crafting the authentic life you want and need. And, Jenna's bookshop: “The Great Divide” and “The House on Mango Street” 

Notes and Links to Andrés Ordorica's Work        For Episode 225, Pete welcomes Andrés Ordorica, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early relationship to the written word, formative and transformative writers and writing, wonderful trips to Borders Books, moments and people that shaped his sensibilities, Shakespeare comparisons, and seeds for and salient themes related to How We Named the Stars, including love and loss, the intensity of young love and first love and college, longing and grief.        Andrés N. Ordorica is a queer Latinx writer based in Edinburgh. Drawing on his family's immigrant history and third culture upbringing, his writing maps the journey of diaspora and unpacks what it means to be from ni de aquí, ni de allá (neither here, nor there). He is the author of the poetry collection At Least This I Know and novel How We Named the Stars. He has been shortlisted for the Morley Lit Prize, the Mo Siewcharran Prize and the Saltire Society's Poetry Book of The Year. In 2024, he was selected as one of The Observer's 10 Best Debut Novelists.   Buy How We Named the Stars   Andres' Website   New York Times Review of How We Named the Stars from Maxwell Gilmer   At about 2:15, Andrés talks about the “surreal” experiences he's had since the book has been out in the world At about 3:20, Andrés shouts out Douglas Stuart and advice on dealing with multiple projects At about 5:40, Andrés calls his new project “part of a similar world” as that of How We Named the Stars At about 8:15, Andrés fill Pete in on his childhood relationship with libraries and the written word, including how his mother's storytelling influenced and inspired him At about 11:00, Andrés shouts out NorCal reading spots and how he “fell in love with the idea of books” At about 13:05, Andrés discusses writers and writing that catapulted him into writing and reading even more seriously-Cristina Garcia, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Susan Lori Parks, Sandra Cisneros, and Marquez  At about 19:30, Andrés shouts out Jackie Kay and Griffin Hansbury and other contemporaries he's reading in 2024 At about 22:45, Andrés discusses the stellar work of Jackie Kay's time as Maker of Scotland At about 24:10, GoodReads discourse! At about 25:20, Andrés discusses seeds for the book and its epigraph At about 28:55, Andrés reflects on love and loss as important themes in general and in his book in particular At about 30:00, Andrés shouts out places to buy his book, and mentions that his book is a Barnes and Noble Pick of the Month At about 32:20, Andrés breaks down his “pragmatic” and “poetic” decisions to write the book in the epistolary form and let the trader know very quickly about a shattering death At about 34:35, Pete and Andrés discuss the Prologue and the cosmos and axolotls being referenced  At about 39:40, Andrés gives history on how Elizabeth DeMeo helped him choose his dynamic title At about 41:00, Pete references ideas of light and darkness and tells a story about a mistaken symbol in Reyna Grande's Across a Hundred Mountains At about 43:55, Andrés talks about how even a novelist “doesn't have all of the answers” regarding the letter/book that constitutes the book At about 45:30, Pete makes a controversial comparison, re: Shakespeare  At about 47:15, Andrés gives background on a deleted scene from the book alluding to As You Like It At about 48:45, Pete references Karim new book on Shakespeare by Farah Karim-Cooper At about 51:30, The two discuss the intensity of college and “the transitory” experience that characterizes the beginning of college At about 54:50, Pete asks Andrés about the first interactions between Sam and Daniel in the book and about an early scene as a balancing act At about 1:00:20, Pete lays out early scenes from the book that deal with ignorant and racist comments and the “generous” Sam-Andrés expands upon the former scene's significance At about 1:06:00, The two discuss Andrés' homesickness and family connections and “family” at college At about 1:07:00, Themes of masculinity and genuine selfhood are discussed, and Andrés talks about how he shaped parts of the book as an “homage” to figures in his life  At about 1:09:50, Pete highlights Andrés incredible touch in rendering the immediate aftermath of a crushing death on the page     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom and this episode, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I'm looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 226 with Priscila Gilman, author of the memoir, The Anti-Romantic Child, and former professor of English literature at Yale University and Vassar College; Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, and elsewhere. Her memoir, A Critic's Daughter, was released to critical acclaim in Feb 2023    The episode will air on March 5.       

“I describe this as a love story steeped in loss.”  How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica is a heartbreaking yet hopeful debut novel of first love, first loss and how we become ourselves. Ordorica joined us live at B&N Upper West Side to talk about growing into your identity, writing community legacy, his literary influences and more with guest host, Jenna Seery.   This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang.                    New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.          Featured Books (Episode):   How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica  Diaries of a Terrorist by Christopher Soto  Small Bodies of Water by Nina Mingya Powles  Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett  The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros 

Sandra Cisneros doesn't need an introduction. Her coming-of-age novel, "The House on Mango Street," has sold over six million copies and has turned the Chicago native into a household name. Earlier this year, the Mexican-American author joined Maria Hinojosa for a live conversation at the Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. The conversation was part of WBEZ's Podcast Passport series, in partnership with Vocalo Radio. In this live and intimate conversation, Sandra Cisneros reflects on her past, present and the legacy she hopes to leave behind. This episode originally aired in June of 2019.

Even in the most uneventful of human lives, uncertainty and doubts will inevitably intrude. When faced with those, what can you do to steady yourself? One suggestion: Turn to the poem “When in Doubt” by Sandra Cisneros, where she generously shares some of the wisdom that she's gleaned over the years. Sandra Cisneros is a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, performer, and artist. Cisneros's most recent collection is Woman Without Shame (Knopf Publishing Group 2022). Her numerous awards include NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, a MacArthur Fellowship, national and international book awards, including the PEN America Literary Award, and the National Medal of Arts. More recently, she received the Ford Foundation's Art of Change Fellowship, was recognized with the Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature, and won the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature. In 2022, she was awarded the Poetry Foundation's Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. In addition to her writing, Cisneros has fostered the careers of many aspiring and emerging writers through two nonprofits she founded: the Macondo Foundation and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org. We're pleased to offer Sandra Cisneros's poem, and invite you to read Pádraig's weekly Poetry Unbound Substack, read the Poetry Unbound book, or listen back to all our episodes.

FYI - Audio quality in this episode is inconsistent. We are exploring options for improving, which results in some growing pains. Thanks for bearing with us! Jeopardy! recaps from the week of January 15th, 2024. We discuss The Office (surprising nobody), get a few callbacks to our J! appearances, and Emily helps everyone out by teaching us about Sandra Cisneros and The House on Mango Street. www.communityjusticeexchange.org https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate www.rescue.org  www.therebelsproject.org www.abortionfunds.org  https://wck.org/ 

In October of 2003, Sandra Cisneros joined us for an evening 20 years after the publication of her luminous work The House on Mango Street. Now, we have the chance to listen again with reverence, 40 years after that seminal book first came into our lives, and we are reminded more than ever of the importance of spending time with work that not only gratifies us but changes our lives.

After you have deconstructed, Christmas becomes an interesting season doesn't it? Our view of God has expanded, our faith has expanded.In this beautiful, very special holiday episode, we share three stories - one from Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple; one from Sandra Cisneros; and a unique retelling of the Biblical story for us outliers, the rest of us. I hope these unwrap the way we see and celebrate this Christmas and holiday season.  It is about reconstructing Christmas in the midst of a deconstructing faith. Celebrating for the rest of us. Support the show

In this episode of Stories of -Esses, Gaby and Dani delve into the haunting legend of La Llorona, a mythical figure deeply rooted in Mexican and Chicana/o culture. La Llorona, also known as "The Weeping Woman," is portrayed as a neglected mother, a victim of marital betrayal, and a symbol of defiance against societal expectations.The narrative revolves around Maria, christened La Llorona, whose captivating beauty attracts the attention of both rich and poor men in her village. Conflicting accounts of her motherhood emerge, with some versions suggesting neglect leading to her sons' drowning, while others depict her as a victim of a deteriorating marriage.The podcast explores the complex roles imposed on women within Chicana/o culture, challenging oppressive ideologies and empowering women through the reimagining of figures like La Llorona. It also examines how popular media reinforces traditional gender roles by drawing connections between La Llorona's story and modern contexts.Sandra Cisneros' "Woman Hollering Creek" provides a lens through which the podcast emphasizes the importance of adapting and reclaiming myths to reshape cultural norms and expectations.Interviews with researchers shed light on gender-based interpretations of La Llorona, highlighting how the myth reflects patriarchal views within the Catholic Church and Mexican society. Men tend to vilify La Llorona for defying expected roles, while women sympathize with her as a victim of abandonment and infidelity.Whether seen as a cautionary tale, a defender against abuse, or a symbol of feminist resistance, La Llorona continues to resonate, embodying universal themes of love and pain.If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a 5-Star Review and be sure to follow Stories of -Esses on Instagram @storiesofesses.To request a story, please message us via Instagram or email us at storiesofesses@gmail.com.

We've been taught to feel uncomfortable about aging. Think about it: anti-aging is a $34B industry. But writer and artist Sandra Cisneros argues that aging is awesome. Nely talked to Sandra about why we should embrace aging on the most perfect occasion, her birthday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Los mejores cuentos de terror en la Literatura'. Nuevo especial de Patricia del Río en Letras en el tiempo sobre el miedo, el espanto y el horror presentes en las obras literarias y en diversos géneros de todos los tiempos. Entre las lecturas recomendadas están ‘Tres noches de corbata', del escritor peruano Fernando Iwasaki; ‘Cholito, el chullachaqui y los lavadores de oro', del entrañable Óscar Colchado Lucio. Un clásico de la literatura peruana es ‘Mitos, leyendas y cuentos peruanos', editados y seleccionados por José María Arguedas y Francisco Izquierdo Ríos. El personaje de ‘La llorona', ícono terrorífico de la cultura mexicana, como el Chullachaqui en Perú, también está presente en las leyendas y tradiciones de otros países latinoamericanos. Tenemos a Sandra Cisneros, poeta y cuentista mexicana, con ‘El arroyo de la llorona'; y al especialista en terror, Juan Trigos, con el libro ‘La llorona'. ‘Libros de sangre', de Clive Barker, y las obras ‘Carrie', Salems lot', ‘La danza de la muerte', ‘Cujo', del maestro del terror Stephen King; y ‘Antología de la literatura fantástica (1940)', de los argentinos Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares y Silvina Ocampo. Finalmente, ‘Tradiciones de terror', una antología de José Donayre de los textos más inquietantes de las ‘Tradiciones peruanas' de Ricardo Palma. En la entrevista de la semana, Ángela Delgado, directora de Desarrollo del Hay Festival Arequipa 2023, da un adelanto de las actividades que se realizarán en la Ciudad del Misti del 9 al 12 de noviembre. Será un encuentro de autores nacionales y extranjeros que abordarán diversas temáticas relacionadas con la literatura, arte, historia, cultura, medioambiente y tecnologías digitales, entre otros. Canciones utilizadas: ‘This is Halloween', Vitamin String Quartet ‘This is Halloween', The citizens of Halloween ‘Danse macabre, Op. 40, R.171', Camille Saint-Saenz ‘La llorona' Acústico instrumental ‘La llorona', Natalia lafourcade feat Los macorinos ‘Bloody Mary', Lady Gaga ‘Unholy', Sam Smith feat. Kim Petras ‘Cumbia del monstruo', Canticuenticos

‘Los mejores cuentos de terror en la Literatura'. Nuevo especial de Patricia del Río en Letras en el tiempo sobre el miedo, el espanto y el horror presentes en las obras literarias y en diversos géneros de todos los tiempos. Entre las lecturas recomendadas están ‘Tres noches de corbata', del escritor peruano Fernando Iwasaki; ‘Cholito, el chullachaqui y los lavadores de oro', del entrañable Óscar Colchado Lucio. Un clásico de la literatura peruana es ‘Mitos, leyendas y cuentos peruanos', editados y seleccionados por José María Arguedas y Francisco Izquierdo Ríos. El personaje de ‘La llorona', ícono terrorífico de la cultura mexicana, como el Chullachaqui en Perú, también está presente en las leyendas y tradiciones de otros países latinoamericanos. Tenemos a Sandra Cisneros, poeta y cuentista mexicana, con ‘El arroyo de la llorona'; y al especialista en terror, Juan Trigos, con el libro ‘La llorona'. ‘Libros de sangre', de Clive Barker, y las obras ‘Carrie', Salems lot', ‘La danza de la muerte', ‘Cujo', del maestro del terror Stephen King; y ‘Antología de la literatura fantástica (1940)', de los argentinos Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares y Silvina Ocampo. Finalmente, ‘Tradiciones de terror', una antología de José Donayre de los textos más inquietantes de las ‘Tradiciones peruanas' de Ricardo Palma. En la entrevista de la semana, Ángela Delgado, directora de Desarrollo del Hay Festival Arequipa 2023, da un adelanto de las actividades que se realizarán en la Ciudad del Misti del 9 al 12 de noviembre. Será un encuentro de autores nacionales y extranjeros que abordarán diversas temáticas relacionadas con la literatura, arte, historia, cultura, medioambiente y tecnologías digitales, entre otros. Canciones utilizadas: ‘This is Halloween', Vitamin String Quartet ‘This is Halloween', The citizens of Halloween ‘Danse macabre, Op. 40, R.171', Camille Saint-Saenz ‘La llorona' Acústico instrumental ‘La llorona', Natalia lafourcade feat Los macorinos ‘Bloody Mary', Lady Gaga ‘Unholy', Sam Smith feat. Kim Petras ‘Cumbia del monstruo', Canticuenticos

This episode Adam is joined by John Freeman to bid farewell to his game-changing literary journal Freeman's. They discuss the pleasures and challenges faced in setting up and running a magazine John's editorial philosophy, some of his favourite events, and why the final issue's theme of “Conclusions” offers up more surprising avenues than readers might expect. The episode also features readings from Sandra Cisneros, Aleksandar Hemon, Rebecca Makkai, and Mieko Kawakami read by translator Hitomi YoshioBuy Freeman's Conclusions: https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/books/freemans-conclusionsFeaturing new work from Rebecca Makkai, Aleksandar Hemon, Louise Erdrich, Mieko Kawakami and more, the tenth and final instalment of the boundary-pushing literary journal Freeman's explores all the ways of coming to an end.John Freeman was the editor of Granta until 2013. His books include Dictionary of the Undoing, How to Read a Novelist, Tales of Two Americas, and Tales of Two Planets. His poetry includes the collections Maps, The Park, and Wind, Trees. In 2021, he edited the anthologies There's a Revolution Outside, My Love with Tracy K. Smith, and The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Story. An executive editor at Knopf, he also hosts the California Book Club, a monthly online discussion of a new classic in Golden State literature for Alta magazine. His work has appeared in the New Yorker and the Paris Review and has been translated into twenty-two languages.Adam Biles is Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company. His latest novel, Beasts of England, a sequel of sorts to Animal Farm, is available now. Buy a signed copy here: https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/books/beasts-of-englandListen to Alex Freiman's latest EP, In The Beginning: https://open.spotify.com/album/5iZYPMCUnG7xiCtsFCBlVa?si=h5x3FK1URq6SwH9Kb_SO3w Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante & Literary Curator for the Latino Bookstore at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio Texas, welcomes award winning author John Olivares Espinoza to the show to discuss his book THE DATE FRUIT ELEGIES (Bilingual Review Press, 2008) ahead of his Texas Author Series appearance on October 13th 2023 at the Guadalupe. John shares with us his work, reads some of his poems (including unreleased portions of his upcoming book), the inspiration behind his work, as well as his current as editor / poetry coach to several well known literary figures, including Chicana icon Sandra Cisneros. John Olivares Espinoza is a recipient of a 2023 City of San Antonio Project Grants for Individual Artists. Born and raised in Indio, California, and the son of immigrants from Mexico, he received degrees in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside and Arizona State University. He is the author of the poetry collection, The Date Fruit Elegies (Bilingual Review Press, 2008), as well as two chapbooks, Aluminum Times (Swan Scythe Press, 2002) and Gardeners of Eden (Chicano Chapbook Series, 2000). His poetry has appeared in journals and anthologies domestically and internationally such as Alta Journal, American Poetry Review, Berkeley Poetry Review, New Letters, Poetry International, Quarterly West, Rattle, ZYZZYVA and In Xóchitl in Cuícatl: Floricanto: Cien años de poesía chicanx/latinx (1920-2020) (Editorial Polibea: Madrid, 2021). His honors include a writing grant from The Elizabeth George Foundation, a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, and a residency at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Espinoza has been a member of the Macondo Writers Workshop since 2004 and lives in San Antonio with his family. John attempts to create a family mythology around their experiences and identities as immigrants, laborers, and New Americans. Meanwhile, other speakers in his poems grapple with their identities as first generation Americans. Poet Christopher Buckley introduces Espinoza's poetry by saying, “…[I]t was the lives of his family, of the people who did not stay at resorts [and the homes of the rich], that became [John's] theme, and his poems risked clarity at every turn to do them justice. John's poems are witness to this life, and with poignancy and inventiveness they reveal the essential dignity and compassion of the people he knows.” Tony Diaz Writer and activist Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante, is a Cultural Accelerator. He was the first Chicano to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. In 1998, he founded Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say (NP), Houston's first reading series for Latino authors. The group galvanized Houston's Community Cultural Capital to become a movement for civil rights, education, and representation. When Arizona officials banned Mexican American Studies, Diaz and four veteran members of NP organized the 2012 Librotraficante Caravan to smuggle books from the banned curriculum back into Arizona. He is the author of The Aztec Love God. His book, The Tip of the Pyramid: Cultivating Community Cultural Capital, is the first in his series on Community Organizing. Tony hosts Latino Politics and News and the Nuestra Palabra Radio Show on 90.1 FM, KPFT, Houston's Community Station. He is also a political analyst on “What's Your Point?” on Fox 26 Houston. * This is part of a Nuestra Palabra Multiplatform broadcast. * Video airs on www.Fox26Houston.com. * Audio airs on 90.1 FM Houston, KPFT, Houston's Community Station, where our show began. Thanks to Roxana Guzman, Multiplatform Producer Rodrigo Bravo, Jr., Audio Producer www.Librotraficante.com www.NuestraPalabra.org www.TonyDiaz.net Nuestra Palabra is funded in part by the BIPOC Arts Network Fund. Instrumental Music produced / courtesy of Bayden Records baydenrecords.beatstars.com

Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante & Literary Curator for the Latino Bookstore at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center welcomes award winning author and distinguished professor Dr. Norma Cantu to the show to discuss her latest book CHICANA PORTRAITS: CRITICAL BIOGRAPHIES OF TWELVE CHICANA WRITERS (University of Arizona Press 2023) ahead of her Texas Author Series appearance on October 13th 2023 at the Guadalupe. Join us for a lively discussion over this amazing anthology that spotlights 12 literary figures from 12 authors who themselves are making a name for themselves. Norma describes the process and reads from the book and shares some of her thoughts on the current state of book bans and censorship culture. Dr. Norma E. Cantú is a scholar-activist who currently serves as the Norine R. and T. Frank Murchison Professor of the Humanities at Trinity University. She is founder and director of the Society for the Study of Gloria Anzaldúa. She has published fiction, poetry, and personal essays in a number of venues. Her latest book CHICANA PORTRAITS is an innovative collection that pairs portraits with critical biographies of twelve key Chicana writers, offering an engaging look at their work, contributions to the field, and major achievements. Artist Raquel Valle-Sentíes's portraits bring visual dimension, while essays delve deeply into the authors' lives for details that inform their literary, artistic, feminist, and political trajectories and sensibilities. The collection brilliantly intersects artistic visual and literary cultural productions, allowing complex themes to emerge, such as the fragility of life, sexism and misogyny, Chicana agency and forging one's own path, the struggles of becoming a writer and battling self-doubt, economic instability, and political engagement and activism. Biographies included in this work include Raquel Valle-Sentíes, Angela de Hoyos, Montserrat Fontes, Gloria E. Anzaldúa, Norma E. Cantú, Denise Elia Chávez, Carmen Tafolla, Cherríe Moraga, Ana Castillo, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Sandra Cisneros, and Demetria Martínez. Tony Diaz Writer and activist Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante, is a Cultural Accelerator. He was the first Chicano to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. In 1998, he founded Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say (NP), Houston's first reading series for Latino authors. His book, The Tip of the Pyramid: Cultivating Community Cultural Capital, is the first in his series on Community Organizing. Tony hosts Latino Politics and News and the Nuestra Palabra Radio Show on 90.1 FM, KPFT, Houston's Community Station. He is also a political analyst on “What's Your Point?” on Fox 26 Houston. www.Librotraficante.com www.NuestraPalabra.org www.TonyDiaz.net Nuestra Palabra is funded in part by the BIPOC Arts Network Fund. Instrumental Music produced / courtesy of Bayden Records baydenrecords.beatstars.com

Notes and Links to Ursula Villarreal-Moura's Work        For Episode 207, Pete welcomes Ursula Villarreal-Moura, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early San Antonio Spurs' education, her omnivorous reading habits, particularly in her childhood, a formative writing contest and reading event, her transitioning from poetry to short stories and flash fiction, and salient themes addressed in her collection, including mental health issues, trauma, delusion, ideas of identity and self-perception, and imagination and story.         Ursula Villarreal-Moura is the author of Math for the Self-Crippling (2022), selected by Zinzi Clemmons as the Gold Line Press fiction contest winner, and Like Happiness (Celadon Books, 2024). A graduate of Middlebury College, she received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and was a VONA/Voices fellow. Her stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in numerous magazines including Tin House, Catapult, Prairie Schooner, Midnight Breakfast, Washington Square, Story, Bennington Review, Wigleaf Top 50, and Gulf Coast. She contributed to Forward: 21st Century Flash Fiction, a flash anthology by writers of color, and in 2012, she won the CutBank Big Fish Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry Contest. Her writing has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, a Pushcart Prize, and longlisted for Best American Short Stories 2015.     Ursula Villarreal-Moura's Website   Buy Math for the Self-Crippling   Interview in Tri-Quarterly     At about 2:20, Ursula shares her love of the Spurs and the ways in which the Spurs culture was infused in her schooling   At about 5:00, Ursula talks about the ways in which she became an omnivorous reader, and how a Judy Blume book really flipped the reading switch    At about 7:10, Ursula describes her first writing as “exotic,” including stories set in boarding schools   At about 10:00, Ursula describes being “receptive” and maybe not as “expressive” in Spanish, and ideas of representations, including as an “Ursula”    At about 13:30, Ursula talks about the “beautiful readings” she witnessed from Sandra Cisneros and the big impact    At about 15:30, Ursula talks about the beginnings of her writing and writing career, including a memorable writing contest that she placed well in at a young age    At about 20:55, Ursula responds to Pete's questions about genre and how Ursula sees her work in terms of flash fiction, short stories, poetry, etc.    At about 23:45, Ursula describes short stories, including from Denis Johnson, Roberto Bolaño, Jeffrey Eugenides, Sandra Cisneros, Donald Barthelme, Tobias Wolff, and Amy Bloom that inspired her   At about 26:00, Ursula   At about 27:00, Ursula speaks to the idea that her work, like that of many women, is more likely assumed to be autobiographical    At about 27:50, Ursula answers Pete's questions about the chronology of her book, and she describes how much of it was written in the library    At about 29:35, Pete cites the collection's first story in asking Ursula about ideas of truth in storytelling and imagination   At about 31:00, Ursula and Pete shout out past guest Oscar Hokeah's Calling for a Blanket Dance and an example of things being “true but unreal”   At about 32:35, Pete cites an example of a story having to do with self-discovery and personas, and Ursula expands upon these ideas   At about 33:55, The two reflect on the power of a story about mental health and Sophia Loren   At about 36:20, Ursula reflects on meanings for the book's title, and Pete cites a Cherry Valance example from The Outsiders in connection to ruminations on seemingly life-changing experiences   At about 39:30, Ursula reflects on the narrator's disappointment and despair after a nonchalant comment from a possible boyfriend    At about 41:50, Ursula describes the ways in which therapy is featured in the book and differing ways in which it can be delivered in the real world   At about 43:00, Ursula expands on items of “totems”   At about 45:00, Pete highlights an important quote about “the power of suggestion” and Ursula describes how real-life events and ideas of “delusion” inspired a story in her collection   At about 45:52-Ursula's cat makes an appearance!   At about 47:10, Ideas of trauma affecting adult experiences and relationships is discussed    At about 50:55, The two reflect on ideas of observers and how Ursula skillfully uses second and third-person   At about 52:25, Ursula shares exciting new projects   At about 54:50, Ursula gives out contact info and social media info and recommends Bookshop.org, Powell's, and McNally-Jackson as places to buy her book      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 208 with Sowmya Krishnamurthy, a music journalist and pop culture expert whose work can be found in publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, XXL, and Time.  Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion comes out on October 10, which is the date the book will be published! Also, look out for a late October/early November print conversation with me and Sowmya that will be in Chicago Review of Books.     Again, this episode will air on October 10.

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In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes! First up is The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. If you missed this episode the first time around, it's back with some bonus recommendations for readalikes. In this episode, we're spending time with Esperanza Cordero, her family, friends, and neighbors from 1984's groundbreaking novel, The House on Mango Street. This paragon of the Chicano/a literary canon challenges us to define it - is it a novel, a novella, an epic poem - and has itself been the subject of frequent challenges for its unflinching look at the lives and loves of its characters. We discuss scary nuns, high heels, uncles who just want to dance (or uncles who don't want Hawa to dance), and the hardships and joys of womanhood as we explore this classic work by Sandra Cisneros. We also chat with Professor Randy Ontiveros about the importance of the book to Chicano/a literature.These Books Made Me is a podcast about the literary heroines who shaped us and is a product of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System podcast network. Stay in touch with us via Twitter @PGCMLS with #TheseBooksMadeMe or by email at TheseBooksMadeMe@pgcmls.info. For recommended readalikes and deep dives into topics related to each episode, visit our blog at https://pgcmls.medium.com/. 

Writer Sandra Cisneros has been making sense of the world on the page since 1984's The House on Mango Street. In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, we wanted to replay our 2022 conversation with the beloved poet.  We discuss her first poetry collection in 28 years, Woman Without Shame (4:40), why she chooses to write ‘dangerous' pieces (6:18), and the significance of her poem, “My Mother and Sex” (8:38). Then, we walk through Sandra's coming of age between Mexico and Chicago (15:16), the sixth-grade teacher that guided her entry into art (19:39), her epiphanies on class in graduate school (23:49), the “Pilsen Barrio” that shaped her seminal novel, The House on Mango Street (29:05), and how Studs Terkel informed her lifelong approach to story (30:17). On the back-half, we discuss the loves and losses that inspired Sandra's early sensual poems (36:36), how she documented her power through “Neither Señorita nor Señora” (40:04), a painful period captured in “Year of my Death” (50:30), the day her mother visited her writer's office in San Antonio (57:56), and why she still has more to say (and write) at age 67 (59:59).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode contains discussions of physical and sexual abuse, violence, eating disorders, and other mature content. Parental guidance is strongly recommended.Jesse Leon is the author of his recently released memoir, I'm Not Broken. The bestselling author of The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros says "I'm Not Broken is a book for survivors and those who know someone they hope survives, bodhisattvas all." In this episode, Jesse talks about his memoir, his work as a Social Impact Consultant, and the many philanthropic ventures he works on connecting private and public institutions.Learn more about Jesse and his memoir I'm Not BrokenWatch Jesse's TEDx Talk: Sex Trafficking: The Lost BoysConnect with Dr. Sciarretta on Twitter.

Episode 191 Notes and Links to Sarah's Work       On Episode 191 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Sarah Fawn Montgomery, and the two discuss, among other things, her early reading and writing, storytelling, growing up in Central California, the ways in which blue-collar Americans have been depicted-or not depicted in literature, and salient themes in her essay collection, like nostalgia, father-daughter relationships, cycles of poverty and violence and trauma, and evolving ideas of home.      Sarah Fawn Montgomery is the author of Halfway from Home (Split/Lip Press, 2022), Quite Mad: An American Pharma Memoir (The Ohio State University Press, 2018) and the poetry chapbooks Regenerate: Poems of Mad Women (Dancing Girl Press, 2017), Leaving Tracks: A Prairie Guide (Finishing Line Press, 2017), and The Astronaut Checks His Watch (Finishing Line Press, 2014). Her work has been listed as notable in Best American Essays many times, and her poetry and prose have appeared in Brevity, Crab Orchard Review, DIAGRAM, Electric Literature, LitHub, New England Review, The Normal School, Passages North, Poetry Foundation, The Rumpus, Southeast Review, Terrain, and numerous other journals and anthologies. She holds an MFA in creative writing from California State University-Fresno and a PhD in English in creative writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is an Associate Professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.      Buy Halfway from Home: Essays   Sarah's Website   Review of Halfway from Home: Essays from Kirkus Review   Split Rock Review-Review of Halfway from Home   At about 2:20, Sarah talks about her early relationships with reading and writing, and about how she wanted to write stories about often-overlooked working-class people   At about 4:20, Sarah cites some early favorite books and writers, and she analyzes the ways she reads a favorite, Joan Didion, now differently than she did then   At about 7:00, The two discuss class and how it is talked about in our society (or not) and represented in literature    At about 9:00, Sarah discusses how she got excited about writing-she shouts out to a high school teacher who gave a meaningful and transformative journal assignment and invited Sarah to keep writing   At about 13:00, Sarah references nonfiction writers who thrilled her in college-like Audre Lorde, Sandra Cisneros, and Jamaica Kincaid-and thrill her today, like Chen Chen, Ada Limón, Donika Kelly, Saeed Jones, Dorothy Chan, and torrin a. greathouse     At about 14:40, Sarah recounts the genesis of her Halfway From Home collection and answers Pete's questions about making the individual essays cohere   At about 17:40, Pete summarizes the book's first essay and its “dig sites” and focus on her father's whimsy and her love of dirt-it's called “Excavation”    At about 19:00, Sarah speaks to the significance of “excavation” in the first story and beyond   At about 21:00, Pete compliments the story's “imagined ending” and Sarah speaks about its significance and background    At about 23:25, Sarah discusses the power and symbolism of fire and light, cold and darkness, as featured in her book   At about 26:10, The two discuss ideas of homes, serenity, and respite from traumas and chaos   At about 31:30, The two discuss her essay on cartography   At about 35:40, Pete muses   At about 37:00, The history of Sarah's family in mines is discussed, along with the multiple meanings of “descendants”   At about 40:50, Sarah talks about “complicating humanity,” especially with regards to her grandfather and grandmother   At about 42:15, Pete asks about the end of an essay and how Sarah approached its second-person address   At about 44:20, The two discuss nostalgia and its connections to the essays, the intriguing concept of saudade, and nostalgia's history as something to be discouraged   At about 48:35, Pete recounts how nostalgia has informed the podcast's ethos   At about 50:45, Sarah confesses to being “anti-time” (!) and the two reference a classic Saved by the Bell scene   At about 54:45, Cycles of violence as depicted in the essay are examined   At about 56:45, Sarah reflects on how she sees and saw he father throughout her collection and in more recent times   At about 1:01:00, Pete notes the ways in which women in Sarah's family are portrayed in her collection    At about 1:02:30, Pete compliments a beautiful scene with father and daughter and Sarah talks about the nostalgia associated with parents and childhood-Pete    At about 1:04:45, Sarah shares an interesting new project involving combatting ableist writing as default    At about 1:05:50, The two fan boy/girl over Alice Wong's work   At about 1:06:15, Sarah shouts out her publisher Split Lip Press as a place to buy her book   At about 1:06:45, Sarah gives out social media/contact information    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 192 with Donovan X Ramsey. He is a journalist, author, and indispensable voice on issues of identity, justice, and patterns of power in América; When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era comes out on June 11, i.e. the day this episode with Sarah has been published.  The episode will air on July 18.

Sad news for all of us: producer Rachael Cusick— who brought us soul-stirring stories rethinking grief (https://zpr.io/GZ6xEvpzsbHU) and solitude (https://zpr.io/eT5tAX6JtYra), as well as colorful musings on airplane farts (https://zpr.io/CNpgUijZiuZ4) and belly flops (https://zpr.io/uZrEz27z63CB) and Blueberry Earths (https://zpr.io/EzxgtdTRGVzz)— is leaving the show. So we thought it perfect timing to sit down with her and revisit another brainchild of hers, The Cataclysm Sentence, a collection of advice for The End. To explain: one day in 1961, the famous physicist Richard Feynman stepped in front of a Caltech lecture hall and posed this question to a group of undergraduate students: “If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence was passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?” Now, Feynman had an answer to his own question—a good one. But his question got the entire team at Radiolab wondering, what did his sentence leave out? So we posed Feynman's cataclysm question to some of our favorite writers, artists, historians, futurists—all kinds of great thinkers. We asked them “What's the one sentence you would want to pass on to the next generation that would contain the most information in the fewest words?” What came back was an explosive collage of what it means to be alive right here and now, and what we want to say before we go. Featuring: Richard Feynman, physicist - The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (https://zpr.io/5KngTGibPVDw) Caitlin Doughty, mortician - Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs (https://zpr.io/Wn4bQgHzDRDB) Esperanza Spalding, musician - 12 Little Spells (https://zpr.io/KMjYrkwrz9dy)  Cord Jefferson, writer - Watchmen (https://zpr.io/ruqKDQGy5Rv8)  Merrill Garbus, musician - I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life (https://zpr.io/HmrqFX8RKuFq) Jenny Odell, writer - How to do Nothing (https://zpr.io/JrUHu8dviFqc) Maria Popova, writer - Brainpickings (https://zpr.io/vsHXphrqbHiN) Alison Gopnik, developmental psychologist - The Gardener and the Carpenter (https://zpr.io/ewtJpUYxpYqh) Rebecca Sugar, animator - Steven Universe (https://zpr.io/KTtSrdsBtXB7) Nicholson Baker, writer - Substitute (https://zpr.io/QAh2d7J9QJf2) James Gleick, writer - Time Travel (https://zpr.io/9CWX9q3KmZj8) Lady Pink, artist - too many amazing works to pick just one (https://zpr.io/FkJh6edDBgRL) Jenny Hollwell, writer - Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe (https://zpr.io/MjP5UJb3mMYP) Jaron Lanier, futurist - Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now (https://zpr.io/bxWiHLhPyuEK) Missy Mazzoli, composer - Proving Up (https://zpr.io/hTwGcHGk93Ty)   Special Thanks to: Ella Frances Sanders, and her book, "Eating the Sun" (https://zpr.io/KSX6DruwRaYL), for inspiring this whole episode. Caltech for letting us use original audio of The Feynman Lectures on Physics. The entirety of the lectures are available to read for free online at www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu.All the musicians who helped make the Primordial Chord, including: Siavash Kamkar (https://zpr.io/2ZT46XsMRdhg), from Iran  Koosha Pashangpour (https://zpr.io/etWDXuCctrzE), from Iran Curtis MacDonald (https://zpr.io/HQ8uskA44BUh), from Canada Meade Bernard (https://zpr.io/gbxDPPzHFvme), from US Barnaby Rea (https://zpr.io/9ULsQh5iGUPa), from UK Liav Kerbel (https://zpr.io/BA4DBwMhwZDU), from Belgium Sam Crittenden (https://zpr.io/EtQZmAk2XrCQ), from US Saskia Lankhoorn (https://zpr.io/YiH6QWJreR7p), from Netherlands Bryan Harris (https://zpr.io/HMiyy2TGcuwE), from US Amelia Watkins (https://zpr.io/6pWEw3y754me), from Canada Claire James (https://zpr.io/HFpHTUwkQ2ss), from US Ilario Morciano (https://zpr.io/zXvM7cvnLHW6), from Italy Matthias Kowalczyk, from Germany (https://zpr.io/ANkRQMp6NtHR) Solmaz Badri (https://zpr.io/MQ5VAaKieuyN), from IranAll the wonderful people we interviewed for sentences but weren't able to fit in this episode, including: Daniel Abrahm, Julia Alvarez, Aimee Bender, Sandra Cisneros, Stanley Chen, Lewis Dartnell, Ann Druyan, Rose Eveleth, Ty Frank, Julia Galef, Ross Gay, Gary Green, Cesar Harada, Dolores Huerta, Robin Hunicke, Brittany Kamai, Priya Krishna, Ken Liu, Carmen Maria Machado, James Martin, Judith Matloff, Ryan McMahon, Hasan Minhaj, Lorrie Moore, Priya Natarajan, Larry Owens, Sunni Patterson, Amy Pearl, Alison Roman, Domee Shi, Will Shortz, Sam Stein, Sohaib Sultan, Kara Swisher, Jill Tarter, Olive Watkins, Reggie Watts, Deborah Waxman, Alex Wellerstein, Caveh Zahedi.EPISODE CREDITS Reported by - Rachael Cusick (https://www.rachaelcusick.com/)Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org Leadership support for Radiolab's science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Esta es una de esas conversaciones que casi nunca ocurren, logramos juntar a la novelista latina más conocida de nuestros tiempos con el poeta más influyente. Sandra Cisneros es la autora del clásico “La Casa en Mango Street” y a Richard Blanco lo recordamos por ser el primer latino y el primer gay en declamar un poema en una toma de posesión presidencial.

[REBROADCAST FROM September 27, 2022] Woman Without Shame is celebrated author Sandra Cisneros's first poetry collection in 28 years. It includes poetry both in English and in Spanish, and is a chronicle of her life as an artist. Cisneros joins us to discuss.

Sandra Cisneros is one of America's most celebrated coming of age writers. Her book The House on Mango Street is a staple in American classrooms and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Her latest book is a collection of poetry called Woman Without Shame. Sandra brought that same shameless spirit to this conversation, including everything from finding birth control and a mode of sexual freedom that worked for her as a working-class Mexican American in the 1970s, to her questionable taste in romantic partners and her decision to move across the border in her late 50s to start a new life for herself and her dogs in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A powerful intuitive sense has guided all of these choices, Sandra told Anna. She says she's been sensitive to the world around her since she was a kid – it's something her mother saw as a weakness. But as Sandra puts it, “I just have a big radar disc.” Over the years, that radar disc has helped her translate natural beauty into poems and receive spiritual messages. It's been a little less helpful in pointing her away from disastrous relationships, but she's taken those in stride. “When I was young, it was more like, ‘Where is that other half? Where is he?'” Sandra says, “[But now] I feel a sense of joy and completeness that I didn't feel when I was younger.”