Zona San Anto Podcast

Vincent Cooper, former United States Marine and Chicano author of Infidelis (Mouthfeel Press. 2023), was a finalist winner at The International Latino Book Awards in The Juan Felipe Herrera Best Poetry Book Award - Bronze Medal. Cooper also penned, Where the Reckless Ones Come to Die (Aztlan Libre Press 2014), and Zarzamora - Poetry of Survival (out-of- print. 2019). He is a Macondista of the Maco...

Zenobia (she/her) has island roots from Barbados and was born in Queens, New York.  She has lived in San Antonio for over 15 years with her family and is a poet and dentist.  There are no limits to the styles or subjects in her poetry that she is willing to face. Still, she always aims for the heart to remind us of the humanity of our history, to hold on to our empathy for each other, and to encou...

Angelica Guerrero, known as That One Tejana , is a spoken-word poet and storyteller whose work lives at the intersection of grief, love, motherhood, identity, and healing. Through bilingual verse and raw honesty, she gives language to emotions that are often felt but rarely named. Her poetry is both a release and a reclamation; rooted in lived experience, guided by resilience, and softened by her...

Alicia "Alycatt" Enriquez is a first-generation Chicana who made South Side San Antonio her home. She's a resilient single mother of two boys who has bravely been sharing her voice at various open mics. She's been a featured poet at The Mouth Dakota Poetry Project for Dream Week, The Write Spot, Jaime's Place for Show Me Your Stacy's, Empowerhouse Radio at Black Potio...

Consuelo is an Inland Empire(IE) artivist, student, and Pushcart Prize nominee. Her debut poetry book, Water Damage, is published with Riot of Roses Publishing House. You can find her at open mics across the IE and LA, experimental art shows, your local public library, or spiritual apparitions. Music by Jamie Seward

Jonathan Fletcher holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University School of the Arts.  His work has been featured in numerous literary journals and magazines, and he has won or placed in various literary contests.  A Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Microfiction nominee, he won Northwestern University Press’s Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize contest in 2023, f...

Melissa Moreno was born and raised in San Diego, CA. In January of this year, she published her first book titled "Dreamz of a Butterfly."  With a passion for writing, Melissa strives to uplift others through her words and poetry. Her life experiences have shaped her creative process, allowing her to share her vulnerability with those who support her writing journey. Writing has served a...

Kc Luna is a Tejano jack of all trades born and raised in San Antonio. He's a writer, storyteller, playwright, poet, cartoonist, improviser, satirist, and a few other things best left unmentioned in polite company.  His work ranges from humor to horror and everything in between, exploring philosophy, indigenous identity, everyday life, surrealism, and the intersections between artistic medium...

Tessa Robago is a passionate poet and performer based in San Antonio, known for her electrifying open mic performances. With a unique blend of raw emotion and vivid imagery, Tessa captivates audiences, drawing them into her world through powerful storytelling. Whether she’s reciting in a cozy lounge or a crowded theater, her intensity and authenticity leave a lasting impression on everyone fortuna...

Rod Carlos Rodriguez has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio Writing Program. He is an award-winning poet who has been writing for over 40 years. He has 5 books of poetry published: Exploits of a Sun Poet (Pecan Grove Press, 2003), Lucid Affairs (Sun Arts Press, 2012), Native Instincts (Human...

A fire sprinkler designer for over 20 years, Jose H. Mojica used his free time to write poetry. In 2016, he was inspired by local poets to finally share his words and voice. He now performs around town and is a confident regular at the Jazz Poets of San Antonio.  Jose has curated art events through various collectives, including Art of Consciousness, a project he started with fellow artist, Jagwir...

Robert J. Cavazos is a poet and Lecturer of English at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. He graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word and North Carolina State University's MFA program. He has served as a Teach For America corps member and Gemini Ink writer-in-residence. A winner of the 2022 San Antonio Ekphrastic Poetry Contest, he has poems published in Quirk and Boundless. Mus...

Chelsea Prieto is an English major at Texas A&M University–San Antonio and an active member of the Jaguar Ink Society, the university's creative writing club. A passionate storyteller and aspiring young adult novelist, Chelsea also explores the realms of short fiction and poetry, often drawing inspiration from personal experiences and the challenges she has overcome. Her writing is raw, h...

Walker (Walpoet) Valdez is a Bolivian American spoken word poet, and educator from Falls Church, VA. His storytelling contains themes of identity, and is blended with humor and wordplay to speak on the Latin American experience. Mr. Valdez is an alumni from the award-winning arts collective Spoken Resistance and is a graduate of the NALAC Leadership Institute in San Antonio Texas. He holds a B.A i...

AgitProp's poetry is a powerful exploration of identity, resistance, and liberation. Rooted in his Chicano heritage, his verses blend raw emotion with unapologetic truth, confronting systemic oppression and celebrating revolutionary love. Through vivid imagery and rhythmic intensity, AgitProp captures the struggles and resilience of marginalized communities, weaving personal and collective na...

Chieftain is a poet from San Diego who advocates for social justice through his artistic expression. His poetry reflects his personal experiences and the environment around him, which can often be challenging and unfair. Despite these difficulties, he remains a beacon of hope in his community, inspiring many people, including me. After you listen to his work, follow @sandiegostreetops on Instagram...

RatQing Rios is a Tejanx storyteller and educator based in San Antonio. Queer, neurodivergent, and Latinx, RatQing creates from a place informed and inspired by the binaries they have navigated, challenged, and straddled their whole life. A polyamorous creator, RatQing loves many mediums, including poetry, comics, zines, and nonfiction. Music by Jamie Seward

Candelaria Nieves Perez has been writing poetry since the age of 9, using it to discover and reaffirm her identity. She is currently a student at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in English Language Arts with a concentration in Literature. Candelaria’s poetry has been published in four local anthologies and in Texas A&M’s inaugural literary magazine, The Mos...

Gaby Moreno is a San Diego native who graduated from SDSU. She is an independent creative and a jack of all trades. She loves to express herself in various art forms and doesn't like to be boxed in. She writes poetry, makes music, and creates art. She also hosts a podcast called Nightmare on Sedgwick Avenue, where she blends her love for Hip-Hop and Horror.  She has released two EPs (God Of M...

Johnie J. Guerra was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and his family roots are in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Brownsville, Texas. After serving in the military at Fort Sam Houston, he fell in love with San Antonio and made it his home. He earned a bachelor's degree in Mexican American Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His poetry celebrates Chicano identity and history, usin...

This episode will feature Jamie, the Clever Poet. Originally from Brownwood, Texas, Jamie has lived in San Antonio since 2020. A mostly reserved person with a history of many trades, Jamie is a multi-instrumentalist, poet, photographer, kitchen magician, student of human behavior, and lover of nature's beauty. Listen and see the world through Jamie’s words. Music by Jamie 

Songbird, born Mark Anthony Leal, is a spoken word poet and writer from San Antonio, TX. His poems delve into cultural identity, mental health issues, and spiritual experiences. He reads regularly with Zona San Anto, a poetry collective based on the west side of San Antonio. He holds a BS in Music from Northeastern University in Boston and an MS in Design from Parsons the New School for Design in...

This episode will feature Alicia Enriquez, aka Alycatt. She is a first-generation Chicana poet and single mother living in the heart of the southside San Antonio. She wrote her first poem at the age of eleven. Today, she is honing her literary skills by attending writing workshops and classes and sharing her work at poetry open mics.  Let’s take a listen and see the world through Alycatt’s words....

This episode is hosted and features Alejandra, La Mera Mera, @mera_sa_mara on Instagram. Please tune in and listen to this translingual poet who taps into our pleasure senses with her work. Her writing powerfully confronts the challenges that the queer community and women face during these critically charged political times. Music by- Johnie Guerra

This episode features Melissa Guerra, @allaboutmoe, on Instagram and is a must-listen. She employs poetry as a tool for healing. Her work kept quiet, and to herself, made its way to the stage during Zona San Anto's poetry event, Lakeside Poetry, and this podcast. So, listen to this episode and catch her at the Lighthouse Lounge once a month during our open mic. Music by Johnie Guerra