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Platica Y Poetics S3E6 w/ Jessica Betancourt

In honor of National Poetry Month, I began this conversation by reading Dr. Carmen Tafolla’s
poem “Fashion Advice to Women over 40” from the SOMOS XICANAS anthology—a reminder
that style and self-worth deepen with time, and that fashion can be a radical, poetic act. In this
special plática, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jessica Betancourt, also known as Palo
Santo Poet—a San Antonio native, writer, performer, and sustainable fashion stylist who
embodies the power of expressive living. Through our conversation, we explored the intimate
intersections of fashion, poetics, identity, and resistance. Jessica shared that fashion is a tool for
healing—how fabric, texture, and silhouette can hold memory and become part of one’s story.
We talked about how clothing, like poetry, is a language of its own—a way to reclaim space,
speak truth, and step into confidence. We spoke to the truth about how vulnerability is a key part
to reclaiming self agency and how intentional styling can ground your authenticity. Poetry and
fashion help us resist imposed identities and encourage us to celebrate the fullness of who we
are. As someone who believes deeply in the power of self-expression, I resonated with Jessica’s
belief that fashion can be a radical act of self-love, especially for those of us navigating societal
expectations around gender, body, and beauty. She reminded that breaking fashion’s gender
rules, rewriting the script on beauty, and dressing with purpose are all part of leaving behind a
legacy of truth, courage, and artistry.

Platica Y Poetics S3E5 w/ Rachel Aguirre

For this Women’s History Month episode of Plática y Poetics, we opened the show by honoring
the powerful SOMOS XICANAS anthology from Riot of Roses Press—an offering of lyrical
solidarity and a celebration of the Xicana woman in all her poder. Featuring voices like Dr.
Carmen Tafolla, Irene Lara-Silva, Ada Limón, Sandra Cisneros, Jen Yanez Alaniz, and publisher
Brenda Vaca, the anthology speaks to the sacredness of our intersectional identities, our lineages,
and our language. I began by sharing the foreword written by Jen Yanez Alaniz—her words a
poetic invocation of the Xicana voice, and a grounding for our conversation to come. Rachel
Aguirre, a poet whose work pulses with the beauty of San Antonio, shared how she feels rooted
in the city's rhythm. She spoke about how both the natural and urban worlds shape her poetic
voice, how she connects with nature through small rituals like sunset walks, and how that
presence makes its way into her writing. She emphasized how essential it is to uplift all voices,
from—the cooks, the servers, the unseen hands behind the culture—because they are San
Antonio’s heartbeat. Our conversation moved into themes of immigration and cultural
intersectionality sharing the importance of passing down cuentos de la familia to honor, and to
keep them alive for future generations. We concluded our plática speaking to the importance of
connecting to our cultural roots through poetry—a segway to reclamation, affirmation, and joy.

Empower Community Health- Artpace

Empower Community Health - KLRN

Platica Y Poetics S3E4 w/ Mx. Ratiqing Rios

In my sit down with Mx. Ratiqing Rios—a poet, artist, teacher, and education advocate a
profound understanding of artistry and advocacy arose. Speaking about how their work bears
witness to the struggles of marginalized youth meanwhile affirming the power of creativity as a
tool for survival and transformation. Their poetry transforms everyday experiences into powerful
narratives of identity, resilience, and community. Our interview opened with Audre Lorde's "A
Litany for Survival," setting the tone for exploration of survival and creativity as acts of
resistance. Mx’s poetry, grounds in their lived experiences as an educator and visual storyteller,
inviting listeners to witness the intersections of socio-economic struggle, gender identity, and the
transformative power of art. We spoke of the playful yet chaotic nature of their artistic process,
emphasizing the power of imagination as both a coping mechanism and a radical act of self-
definition. Their poetry captures the resilience of marginalized communities while exploring the
vulnerabilities of gender-diverse students and the crucial role educators play in fostering safe,
affirming environments. We shared a teacher/activist commonality. Our fierce conviction on the
importance of showing up as one's full self in the classroom. Modeling what it means to advocate
for students' right to express who they are without fear. Throughout the interview, Mx returned
to the idea of play as a restorative act, in both their poetry and teaching, encouraging playfulness
as a means of fostering creativity and resilience, a frame-by-frame cartoon storyboards snapshots
of identity and survival —a testament to the multifaceted roles they embody.

The Resilience Within S3E8 w/ Dragonfly

The Resilience Within S3E7 w/ Sonya Rosario- Forgiveness as a form of Self-Care

Season 3 is about self-care, because self-care is community care. Independent filmmaker Sonya Rosario shares her powerful story of self-determination and empowerment as a daughter of Mexican -American heritage who was ready to break out of the confinements of patriarchy. She also shares one of the most important acts self-care she could give to herself: forgiveness of her father, and ultimately even of herself. 
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Sonya Rosario is an independent filmmaker, owner and CEO of Sonya Rosario Productions, founded in 2000. Sonya lived in Idaho, 1994-2023, now lived in San Antonio. An Award-winning filmmaker, dedicated to give voice to women living on reservations and in rural Idaho, so that their presence and work are not forgotten or diminished, as they leave a significant marker through activism, education and legislature.
 

The Resilience Within S3E6 w/ Vic Janitzi Estrada

The Resilience Within S3E5 w/ Violeta Garza - Los 13 Aires Cósmicos

Season 3 is about self-care, because self-care is community care. Violeta Garza sat with me in the studio and shared some of her journey from external validation to internal knowing. After a series of TBI’s (traumatic brain injuries), she realized she had no choice but to ✨slow down✨ and pay attention to her body’s needs and capacities. This stance of radical self-care has led her into a beautiful life doing what she loves with people she loves: creating art and using her voice. She also shared the medicine of “Los 13 Aires Cósmicos,” a way to work with the “icky” feelings that sometimes run through us. Violeta, thanks for the medicine! 
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Violeta Garza is an award-winning  Latinx poet. Her debut poetry chapbook Brava will be released in September 2025 by First Matter Press. You can peruse their work at violetagarza.com or on IG @violeta.poeta.

The Resilience Within S3E4 W/ Lesley Ramsey - Community Care is Self-Care

Lesley Ramsey believes that self-care is community care, and also that community care is self-care. She shares how as an activist she found herself in burnout because of the demand of urgency that didn’t allow time for personal needs, including grieving the loss of her mother. She finally took a year off and went on the road with her mom’s dog, where she realized she wanted to help others in the nonprofit world change the culture of self-neglect and burnout. She wants to spark the notion of self-care as a necessary part of the day, so she founded BeCause Yoga. Hear more about her mission here.
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Bio: Lesley currently manages the Yoga Studio and Art Gallery at MBS Fitness, and founded BeCause Yoga to bring the healing tools of yoga to artists, activists, educators and nonprofit professionals working to make our communities spaces of love, compassion, dignity, equity and respect. She writes grants for Musical Bridges Around the World and Anuja SA, the organizers of Diwali SA Festival of Lights.