Shows
Rio Grande Guardian's PodcastRioPlex Executive Director Mario Reyna gives presentationMCALLEN, Texas - RioPlex plans to hold meetings every month across the region to explain to communities what the group is doing to bring in more investment and better paying jobs. Mario Reyna, RioPlex’s executive director, spoke about the group’s vision, mission statement, core values, and strategic direction at a leadership gathering, held recently at McAllen Country Club.“We're going to have engagements every month throughout the region to tell people what it is that we're trying to do,” Reyna said. “People have to understand, the community has to understand, what it is that we're...
2025-12-2907 min
Latino LeadersVoices for Change with Reyna SoteloJoin host Pablo Muñoz for a thought-provoking conversation with his featured guest — Reyna Sotelo.Reyna is a dedicated education leader with over 20 years of experience in public education, including roles as a campus leader, executive leader, and nonprofit executive. She is passionate about advancing opportunities for underserved students and families. Reyna specializes in building systems and strategies that drive equity and excellence in education.1:03 - Introduction1:57 - My Leadership Story28:37 - TNTP33:01 - Educational Leadership 40:42 - Principal46:03 - Teacher Shortage50:51 - Voices for Change55:01 - Stude...
2025-02-101h 02
Mad Valid PodcastReach Out ft. Brisa Areli MuñozIn this episode of Mad Valid Podcast (MVP), host Reyna Erika sits down with Brisa Areli Muñoz—a director, facilitator, and community builder whose work centers connection, healing, and transformation. 🎙️✨Brisa opens up about the power of reaching out when you’re feeling low and how maintaining community is essential to wellness. From vulnerability to resilience, this episode explores what it means to lean on your people and show up for yourself.
About Brisa Areli Muñoz:Brisa Areli Muñoz is a multidisciplinary artist and cultural organizer whose work focuses on equity, collaboration...
2025-01-0435 min
Rio Grande Guardian's PodcastReyna promotes RioPlex at American Chamber Mexico receptionBROWNSVILLE, Texas - RioPlex, the new regional marketing campaign set up to promote the Rio Grande Valley and Northern Tamaulipas, is going to be housed within the Council for South Texas Economic Progress. The announcement was made by Mario Reyna at a reception held by the American Chamber Mexico (AmCham) and held Wednesday evening at IBC Bank in Brownsville. Reyna is a co-founder of the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force, which has since expanded to include the entire Valley. One of the 15 committees set up by the task force is the CE...
2024-08-1507 min
Literally LiteraryMexican Gothic: Part 4 (Author Interview)We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you an interview with Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Mexican Gothic, in anticipation of her visit to El Paso on Thursday, May 2nd 2024!
2024-04-2929 min
Literally LiteraryPromises of Gold: Part 1This episode, we begin our platica on the first half of Promises of Gold by José Olivarez. Reading at EPCC Valle Verde: https://youtu.be/9pxCvy7RS5U?si=jcASLrpWUX8VzvKQ
2024-03-2545 minLiterally LiteraryWoman of Light: Part 2This episode, we finish our platica on Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine.
2024-01-2653 minLiterally LiteraryWoman of Light: Part 1After a hiatus, we are back! Here, we discuss the first half of Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine.
2024-01-2151 min
Rio Grande Guardian's PodcastReyna: RGV’s vulnerable communities will benefit from new Unite Us technology platformMCALLEN, Texas – The Rio Grande Valley is going to hear a lot more about a new technology platform designed to help nonprofits and governmental agencies collaborate to help vulnerable members of society.This is the prediction of Mario Reyna, one of the leaders of the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force. The task force was set up by Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez to help reduce poverty.Reyna said the new technology platform is called Unite Us. He said it was designed to help navigate health and social services options.“So we have 14 subgroups with...
2023-11-2205 min
Rio Grande Guardian's PodcastReyna: Here's why the Rio Grande Valley is a hotbed for soccer talentEDINBURG, Texas - Diego Reyna, assistant principal of operations at IDEA Toros, has given his explanation for why the Rio Grande Valley is nationally recognized as a hotbed for soccer. “This (region) has been known as a hotbed for soccer since the 90s. It is something that national writers have written about. They've said this is a hotbed for talent. And one of the reasons is, it's a playground sport here,” Reyna said.“When you think of why the United States has the best basketball players, it’s because it's a playground sport. Kids are playing a...
2023-07-0915 minLiterally LiteraryBrother Sleep: Part 3 (Author Interview)For this episode, we interview the author of Brother Sleep, Aldo Amparán. On Spotify, you can enjoy this episode in video form!
2023-05-2240 minLiterally LiteraryBrother Sleep: Part 2For part 2 of our talk on Brother Sleep by Aldo Amparán, we cover the second half of the debut poetry collection.
2023-05-1341 minLiterally LiteraryBrother Sleep: Part 1This episode, we begin our discussion on the poetry collection Brother Sleep by Aldo Amparán, covering the first half of the winner of the 2020 Alice James award.
2023-05-0855 minLiterally Literary¡Ándale, Prieta!: Part 3 (Author Interview)Yasmin Ramírez joins us in the studio to talk about her first book, ¡Ándale, Prieta!: a Love Letter to My Family.
2023-01-131h 05Literally Literary¡Ándale, Prieta!: Part 2For part 2 of ¡Ándale, Prieta! by Yasmin Ramírez, we cover Part 2 of her memoir: Finding Yasmin. Stay tuned for part 3, our interview with Yasmin!
2023-01-0640 minLiterally Literary¡Ándale, Prieta!: Part 1We round out 2022 with our first platica on the debut book and memoir by our friend and colleague, Yasmin Ramírez, ‘¡Ándale, Prieta!’, out of Lee and Low Books (formerly Cinco Puntos Press). Yasmin is an English Professor at El Paso Community College, a 2021 Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Author Fellow and a 2020 recipient of the Woody and Gayle Hunt-Aspen Institute Fellowship Award.
Stay tuned for Part 2, and let us know if you've read her book below!
2022-12-2946 minLiterally LiteraryHow to Lie to a Customs Agent: Part 2This episode, we wrap up our discussion on Carlos Fidel Espinoza's How to Lie to a Customs Agent, focusing on the second half of the poetry collection.
2022-11-1145 minLiterally LiteraryHow to Lie to a Customs Agent: Part 1It has been a minute! We are back with our first look at the 2021 winner of the Southwest Book Award, How to Lie to a Customs Agent, the poetry collection by Carlos Fidel Espinoza.
2022-11-0547 min
Literally LiteraryA Ballad of Love and Glory: Part 2This episode, we wrap up our discussion of A Ballad of Love and Glory, Reyna Grande's 2022 novel, going over parts 2-4.
2022-05-2343 minLiterally LiteraryA Ballad of Love and Glory: Part 1This episode, we begin Reyna Grande's A Ballad of Love and Glory, giving an overview of Reyna's most recent novel and discussing part 1. Stay tuned for part 2!
2022-05-1843 minLiterally LiteraryThe Ones Who Don't Say They Love You: Part 3 (Author Interview)We are honored to interview Maurice C. Ruffin, the author of The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You, in this episode.*
*We apologize for the delay in releasing this interview, but hope you all enjoy and stay tuned for upcoming recordings on our next books!
2022-04-1523 minLiterally LiteraryThe Ones Who Don't Say They Love You: Part 2This episode, we conclude our talk on The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, focusing on the second half of the short story collection.
2022-03-101h 10Literally LiteraryThe Ones Who Don't Say They Love You: Part 1Join us for our introductory episode on The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You, going over the first five stories in the debut short story collection by Maurice Carlos Ruffin shortlisted for the Ernest J. Gaines award.
2022-02-2757 min
PÓDCAST | Líderes que forman Líderes by Liderazgo Exponencial#05 LADRONES DEL TIEMPO | Iris Reyna | LÍDERES QUE FORMAN LÍDERES PODCAST¡Únete a nuestro nuevo Podcast Líderes que forman Líderes! Conducido por el Dr. Marcelo Muñoz Rojas en este Podcast aprenderás de forma entretenida y lúdica; como mejorar tus habilidades de management, comunicación, negocios y Liderazgo.
Cada semana traemos un tema de valor para tu desarrollo y un invitad@ para que nos cuente de primera mano su experiencia. En esta ocasión trataremos el tema "Ladrones del Tiempo" junto a Iris Reyna ¡No te pierdas este maravilloso Podcast Hispanomérica tiene mucho que decir!
¡Síguenos en nuestras redes sociales!
Sitio web...
2022-02-1051 minLiterally LiteraryThirty Talks Weird Love: Part 3 (Author Interview)This episode, Alessandra Narváez Varela joins us in the studio to talk about her debut novel, Thirty Talks Weird Love. Stay tuned for exclusive video of this special occasion!
2022-02-0744 minLiterally LiteraryThirty Talks Weird Love: Part 2In our second look at Alessandra Narváez Varela's Thirty Talks Weird Love, we highlight our favorite pieces from the verse novel, and discuss ways of teaching it in the classroom.
2022-01-311h 01Literally LiteraryThirty Talks Weird Love: Part 1We kick off 2022 with our first look at Alessandra Narváez Varela’s debut novel-in-verse from Cinco Puntos Press, Thirty Talks Weird Love. Varela’s YA novel is the story of a young girl from Juárez, Mexico, who meets her older self at a time when the women of that border city become victims to violence. If your older self could talk to your 13-year-old self, what would they say?
2022-01-2445 minLiterally LiteraryPiñata Theory: Part 2We close out the year talking shop with the second half of Piñata Theory, Alan Chazaro's 2020 poetry collection out of Black Lawrence Press. We will return next year, and want to wish everyone a safe and happy 2022 filled with lots of books!
2021-12-3057 minLiterally LiteraryPiñata Theory: Part 1For our first look at Piñata Theory, the poetry collection by Alan Chazaro, we begin with our usual overview, but then dive into the first half of Chazaro's second poetry collection (from Black Lawrence Press).
2021-11-291h 19Literally LiteraryFuneral for Flaca: Part 4 (Author Interview)To close out our platica on Funeral for Flaca by Emily Prado, we were honored to interview Emily for this final episode on her memoir.
Please do pick up a copy of Emily's book at your local bookstore. You can find local bookstores through this website: https://bookshop.org/
Check out the Spotify playlist we assembled from songs contributed by listeners here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2raj1v2J77IPMzbjnBfPYK?si=MGwpGhlBQyOWM-aPCqe3AA
2021-11-1719 minLiterally LiteraryFuneral for Flaca: Part 3This episode, we discuss the second half of Emily Prado's essay collection, Funeral for Flaca, looking at our favorite chapters, or tracks. Which chapters / tracks were your favorite? Drop a voicemail and let us know!
2021-11-121h 12Literally LiteraryFuneral for Flaca: Part 2For our second look at Funeral for Flaca by Emily Prado, we talk about the first half of its collection of essays. If you have not had a chance to answer our music poll in part 1 on Spotify, please do so!
2021-10-221h 01Literally LiteraryFuneral for Flaca: Part 1Welcome to season 4! And welcome our new co-host, Reyna Muñoz, EPCC English Professor. For our first book this season, we open Funeral for Flaca, Emily Prado's 2021 memoir. For part 1, we discuss the author's bio, as well as the collection’s style, themes, and connections we made to other works. We also talk about her book tour and visit to El Paso, and preview the memoir's arrangement: song tracks for chapters. If you're tuning in on Spotify, you can answer our question on the app: what are 5 songs that encapsulate who you are? Link to official Funeral for Flaca mixtape: htt...
2021-10-1150 minLiterally LiteraryCitizen Illegal: Student VoicesOn our two-year anniversary, we present this bonus episode featuring El Paso Community College student perspectives on Citizen Illegal, the poetry collection by José Olivarez.
Stay tuned for our new season of books this fall of 2021!
2021-09-1907 minLiterally LiterarySubduction: Part 4 (Author Interview)We are fortunate to be joined by Kristen Millares Young, whose debut novel, Subduction, we just closed the book on. Among other things, we discuss the research she conducted for her book, some of the book's themes, Claudia's problematic anthropology, and how some of the Makah have received her work.
Please check out Kristen's website for links to her essays, and a list of her virtual events, here: https://kristenmyoung.com/
2021-07-0550 minLiterally LiterarySubduction: Part 3For our third episode on Subduction by Kristen Millares Young, we cover passages in the second half of the novel, not to mention how the novel ends for our main characters.
2021-06-301h 03Literally LiterarySubduction: Part 2Here, we discuss passages from the first half of Subduction, by Kristen Millares Young, tying in some of the themes of perception v. reality, and objectivity v. subjectivity.
2021-06-101h 23Literally LiterarySubduction: Part 1We return to the novel with Subduction, the 2020 debut from Kristen Millares Young, a story about an anthropologist (Claudia) who moves from Seattle to Neah Bay, Washington to interview Maggie, a member of the Makah in the Pacific Northwest, and Maggie's son (Peter) who returns home to his mother now suffering from dementia to learn more about what happened to the murder of his father. We go over these main characters, as well as some of the themes, and literary connections we made.
2021-06-0143 minLiterally LiteraryGuillotine: Part 3Our last episode on Guillotine from Eduardo C. Corral explores the complex imagery, symbolism, and themes evident in the second half of the collection.
Here is the YouTube video of Eduardo reading "Border Patrol Agent" via Ours Poetica: https://youtu.be/RGzu96FMeyg
2021-05-211h 08Literally LiteraryGuillotine: Part 2For our second look at Guillotine by Eduardo C. Corral, we discuss what is about the first half of the collection, in particular the ekphrastic poem that is "Testaments Scratched into a Water Station Barrel."
2021-05-1754 minLiterally LiteraryGuillotine: Part 1For National Poetry Month this April, we begin Guillotine, the poetry collection by Eduardo C. Corral, Longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Poetry, going over our first impressions, themes, structure, and connections we made to other works.
2021-05-0339 minLiterally LiteraryThrown in the Throat: Part 3Here we finish Thrown in the Throat, discussing our strong lines from the second half of Benjamin Garcia's award-winning collection of poems.
2021-04-2659 minLiterally LiteraryThrown in the Throat: Part 2As we dig into Thrown in the Throat, here we highlight our strong lines from the first half of Benjamin Garcia's debut poetry collection.
2021-04-1253 minLiterally LiteraryThrown in the Throat: Part 1In our first platica on Thrown in the Throat, the debut poetry collection by Benjamin Garcia, we talk about the author, connections to previous works we reviewed in our show, style, themes, and the publisher, Milkweed Editions, in this winning selection from the 2019 National Poetry Series.
2021-04-0531 min
Rio Grande Guardian's PodcastMeet the Candidate: Mario ReynaMCALLEN, Texas - During this election season, the Rio Grande Guardian is running a Meet the Candidate series.The series comprises audio interviews with candidates seeking elected office to city councils and commissions. Mario Reyna, a veteran and former dean of business at South Texas College, is running for McAllen City Commission, District 3.Here, attached, is the interview with Reyna.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.
2021-03-1620 minLiterally LiteraryConcrete Rose: Part 3The second half of the prequel to The Hate U Give, Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas, offers us an opportunity to talk about Maverick's struggles as a Black single father, his relationship with Lisa, and his epiphany that determines whether he will follow his father's and King's footsteps, or walk his own path.
2021-03-081h 00Literally LiteraryConcrete Rose: Part 2This episode, we focus on the first half of Angie Thomas' Concrete Rose, our favorite passages from the first 15 chapters of the prequel to The Hate U Give.
2021-03-021h 07Literally LiteraryConcrete Rose: Part 1As we first dig into Concrete Rose, the prequel to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, we talk about the novel's premise, style, theme, connections to other works, & teachable approaches.
2021-02-2258 minLiterally LiterarySome Are Always Hungry: Part 3For our last episode on Some Are Always Hungry, we share on thoughts on the second half of Jihyun Yun's award-winning poetry collection, and connect these latter poems to the first half, as well as other works of which we were reminded.
2021-02-141h 00Literally LiterarySome Are Always Hungry: Part 2For this episode, we focus on the first half of the debut poetry collection Some Are Always Hungry by Jihyun Yun. Stay tuned to our social media for our collaborative Spotify playlist inspired by this award-winning work!
2021-01-301h 14Literally LiterarySome Are Always Hungry: Part 1We open the new year with the debut poetry collection by Jihyun Yun, Some Are Always Hungry, discussing its themes, style, and textual connections we found in the 2019 winner of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry.
2021-01-2741 minLiterally LiteraryMexican Gothic: Part 3In our last episode on Mexican Gothic from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, we highlight our favorite passages from the second half of the novel, offering our closing thoughts on this groundbreaking novel.
2020-12-261h 24Literally LiteraryMexican Gothic: Part 2Passages in the first half of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's novel, Mexican Gothic, is what we cover in this episode.
2020-12-161h 26Literally LiteraryMexican Gothic: Part 1In our first look at Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, we go over the premise, the main characters, the themes, and the connections we made both to the Gothic tradition, and to other stories.
2020-12-101h 03Literally LiteraryCoatlicue Girl: Student VoicesThis bonus episode presents El Paso Community College student perspectives on Coatlicue Girl, the debut collection of poetry and short stories by Gris Muñoz (with art by Los Dos). Limited signed copes might be available at two El Paso local bookstores, Literarity Book Shop and Brave Books.
2020-10-2621 minLiterally LiteraryReal Life: Part 3In our last episode on Real Life, the debut novel by Brandon Taylor shortlisted for the Booker Prize, we go over the passages from the second half of the novel which impacted us the most.
2020-10-141h 03Literally LiteraryReal Life: Part 2In our first deep dive on Real Life by Brandon Taylor, we talk about which passages we found most intriguing from the first half of the novel.
2020-10-0544 minLiterally LiteraryReal Life: Part 1In our first episode on Real Life by Brandon Taylor, we provide an overview of the characters, themes, style, and connections we made to our previously discussed works.
2020-10-0130 minLiterally LiteraryRunning: Part 3Our last episode on Running by Natalia Sylvester centers on the second half of this important political, coming-of-age novel.
2020-08-311h 02Literally LiteraryRunning: Part 2We cover our strong lines from the first half of Natalia Sylvester’s Running, the thrilling political novel, in this episode.
2020-08-201h 13
COMUNIDAD 360Episodio # 15 Alonso Reyna nos habla del DACA y ayuda para estudios¿Tienes DACA y te gustaría continuar con tus estudios universitarios? ¿Sabías que hay ayuda (becas) disponibles? Alonso Reyna, del Dream Center de la Universidad de Utah te puede ayudar!
2020-08-1430 minLiterally LiteraryRunning: Part 1For our first episode in season 3, we cover the characters, setting, themes, and connections we made with Running, the debut YA novel by Natalia Sylvester.
2020-08-0937 minLiterally LiteraryCoatlicue Girl: Part 4 (Author Interview)Gris Muñoz joins us this recording to talk about the origins of her collection, Coatlicue Girl, her journey as a poet, her mentors, and her philosophy on writing and art.
2020-07-061h 16Literally LiteraryCoatlicue Girl: Part 3For this recording, we dive into the second half of the poems, art, and stories in Coatlicue Girl by Gris Muñoz.
2020-07-021h 17Literally LiteraryCoatlicue Girl: Part 2This episode, we cover the first half, poems, art, and short stories, of Coatlicue Girl, the debut collection from Gris Muñoz.
2020-06-241h 18Literally LiteraryCoatlicue Girl: Part 1We take our first look at Coatlicue Girl, the powerful debut collection of frontera poetry and short stories by queer Chicana writer and performer Gris Muñoz, with art by the duo Los Dos, discussing the author's background, connections to previous literature, themes, and style.
2020-06-1447 minLiterally LiteraryWe Cast a Shadow: Part 5 (Author Interview)Maurice Carlos Ruffin joins us this episode for an interview about his debut novel, We Cast a Shadow, and his journey as a writer.
2020-06-0528 minLiterally LiteraryWe Cast a Shadow: Part 4In our last look at We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, we highlight scenes from parts 3 and 4 of the book.
2020-05-311h 00Literally LiteraryWe Cast a Shadow: Part 3For part 3 of our dialog on We Cast a Shadow, the debut novel from Maurice Carlos Ruffin, we center on passages from part 2 of the novel.
2020-05-271h 01Literally LiteraryWe Cast a Shadow: Part 2For part 2 of our talk on We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, we focus on scenes we were drawn to from part 1 of the novel.
2020-05-2149 minLiterally LiteraryWe Cast a Shadow: Part 1In our first look at the debut novel and PEN-Faulkner finalist from Maurice Carlos Ruffin, We Cast a Shadow, we give readers a taste of what to expect from the dystopian story in terms of main characters, setting, themes, conflict, and connections we made to existing literature.
2020-05-1845 minLiterally LiteraryThe Poet X: Student VoicesIn this bonus episode on Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X, listen to perspectives on and strong lines from her multi-award-winning book courtesy of El Paso Community College students in the Pasos classroom.
2020-05-0113 minLiterally LiteraryCitizen Illegal: Part 4In our last episode on Citizen Illegal, we discuss sections IV and V of the collection, & are joined by an El Paso Community College student reading the book in the classroom through the Pasos program.
2020-04-231h 06Literally LiteraryCitizen Illegal: Part 3In this episode, we focus on our favourite poems from section III of Citizen Illegal by José Olivarez.
2020-04-151h 09Literally LiteraryCitizen Illegal: Part 2For our second look at Citizen Illegal, we look at our favourite poems from sections I and II from José Olivarez's collection, and provide some background into the author, and the publisher, Haymarket Books.
2020-04-061h 14Literally LiteraryCitizen Illegal: Part 1 (Author Interview)We are fortunate to interview José Olivarez about his poetry collection, Citizen Illegal, which was a finalist for the PEN / Jean Stein award & winner of the 2018 Chicago Review of Books Poetry Prize, discussing cultural & familial themes; musical & religious allusions; literary influences, mentor poets, & teachers (academic & community-based), & the value of open mics. José closes with a special message for EPCC students!
2020-04-0230 minLiterally LiteraryI Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter: Part 3In our last episode on the National Book Award finalist I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sánchez, we talk about what we found most salient from the second half of the novel, after Julia's summer break.
2020-03-301h 11Literally LiteraryI Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter: Part 2Which scenes from the first half of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter resonated with us the most? Listen to part 2 of our discussion to find out!
2020-03-221h 02Literally LiteraryI Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter: Part 1In our first recording on I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez, we talk about our experience at AWP 2020 & COVID-19; the themes, characters, allusions, & connections we made to our previous books-of-the-month; as well as the YA label, the writing style, & the differences between the paperback & hardcover editions of this National Book Award finalist.
2020-03-1845 minLiterally LiterarySabrina & Corina: Part 4 (Author Interview)We are joined this show by Kali Fajardo-Anstine via phone to interview her about her short story collection, Sabrina & Corina. Many thanks to Kali for allowing us the honor of talking to her!
2020-03-0229 minLiterally LiterarySabrina & Corina: Part 3For this episode, we discuss strong lines that struck us from the latter half of Kali Fajardo-Anstine's compelling collection, Sabrina & Corina, that being "Galapago," "Cheesman Park," "Tomi," "Any Further West," "All Her Names," and "Ghost Sickness."
2020-03-011h 04Literally LiterarySabrina & Corina: Part 2Our second look at Kali Fajardo-Anstine's Sabrina & Corina focuses on the first half of the short story collection: "Sugar Babies," "Sabrina & Corina," "Sisters," "Remedies," & "Julian Plaza."
2020-02-251h 09Literally LiterarySabrina & Corina: Part 1Our first dive into Kali Fajardo-Anstine's Sabrina & Corina, the short story collection, includes a conversation of the National Book Award finalist's themes, and connections to previous works we have discussed.
2020-02-1730 minLiterally LiteraryPatron Saints of Nothing: Part 3From the second half of Patron Saints of Nothing, we finish Randy Ribay's novel by pausing over passages that highlight the tension that has been built between the truth Jay seeks, and the one he ultimately grapples with, along with the way his character finds a way to keep a piece of not only Jun's memory, but his own heritage.
2020-02-161h 01Literally LiteraryPatron Saints of Nothing: Part 2In our second part on Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay, we talk about important moments we found from the first half of the novel, including Jay sharing his cousin Jun's letters, his grappling with his hybrid identity, digging up the truth about the Philippines in relation to Pres. Duterte's drug war (and parallels to Mexico's war on drugs), and investigating what happened to Jun, in part by scrutinizing his uncle and police chief, Tito Maning.
2020-02-0449 minLiterally LiteraryPatron Saints of Nothing: Part 1In our opening discourse on Randy Ribay's Patron Saints of Nothing for season 2 of our podcast, we give our synopsis on the novel, and some of the threads that tie in to the previous works we have reviewed.
2020-01-1929 minLiterally LiteraryEverything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club: Part 4We finish discussing Sáenz's collection by covering what struck us about "Brother in Another Language," "Sometimes the Rain," "Chasing the Dragon," & "The Hurting Game."
2020-01-171h 06Literally LiteraryEverything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club: Part 3 (Author Interview)Benjamin Alire Sáenz joins us for an interview in this episode to talk about the border, politics, his writing style, the stories in Everything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club, & news on the film adaptation for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
2020-01-0356 minLiterally LiteraryEverything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club: Part 2In our second part on Everything Begins & Ends, we cover our strong lines from the first half of the collection, including the stories, "He Has Gone to be with the Women," "Art of Translation," & "Rule Maker."
2019-12-2351 minLiterally LiteraryEverything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club: Part 1For our last book of the year, we open Benjamin Alire Saenz's Everything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club, covering some of the themes from this PEN-Faulkner-award-winning short story collection, as well as the setting, the style, the role of food, & part of the first story, "He Has Gone to be With the Women."
2019-12-1746 minLiterally LiteraryThe Hate U Give: Part 3We conclude Angie Thomas' novel by highlighting some differences with the film adaptation (focusing especially on DeVante and Khalil), the significance behind the names, and the differences between the two protests we see in the story.
2019-12-1040 minLiterally LiteraryThe Hate U Give: Part 2In our second look at Hate U Give, we analyze some of the themes of the novel, point out its pop culture allusions, & highlight what makes it so relevant.
2019-12-0149 minLiterally LiteraryThe Hate U Give: Part 1In our first round on the Hate U Give, we cover the setting and main characters in Angie Thomas’ novel, as well as tie in some threads to Poet X and Black Klansman.
2019-11-1232 minLiterally LiteraryBlack Klansman: Part 3 (Author Interview)This episode, Ron Stallworth joins us to talk about his memoir and its film adaptation as part of the events of the EPCC Literary Fiesta.
2019-10-2837 minLiterally LiteraryBlack Klansman: Part 2In this episode, we discuss the second half of Ron Stallworth's memoir, Black Klansman, highlighting our most salient passages.
2019-10-2223 minLiterally LiteraryBlack Klansman: Part 1This episode, we begin Ron Stallworth's memoir, Black Klansman, which details his undercover work as a police officer passing as a member of the KKK. We highlight moments that stayed with us from the first half of the book, but on Saturday Oct. 19 at El Paso's downtown library, join us at EPCC's Literary Fiesta for a live interview with Mr. Stallworth, preceded by a free screening of the Academy-award-winning film adaptation, BlaKkKlansman, by director Spike Lee.
2019-10-1434 minLiterally LiteraryThe Poet X: Part 3As we close the book on Poet X, we highlight our favourite pieces from Part III, and bring in special guest and EPCC English Professor Reyna Muñoz to talk about the audiobook too.
2019-10-0847 minLiterally LiteraryThe Poet X: Part 2In our second part of Poet X, we dive into our favourite pieces from parts I and II of the book.
2019-09-2444 minLiterally LiteraryThe Poet X: Part 1On our first episode of Literally Literary, we summarize the general plot of Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X, as well as discuss some of its themes, its style, and its allusions. Jorge Gomez & Vanessa Zuñiga are joined by Richie Marrufo to engage in a dialog about Acevedo's work. This podcast is brought to you by the Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP. Big thanks to our guest and colleague, Richie Marrufo, for all the sound mixing and editing!
2019-09-1833 minLiterally LiteraryLiterally Literary: TrailerThis trailer gives you a taste of what our literary podcast is all about!
2019-09-1700 min