KXEP-LP Empower House Radio

The Resilience Within Ep. 9 w/ Antonia Murguia - Life After Loss

Content Advisory: This episode touches on the subject of suicide.
In this episode we hear from Antonia Murguia, a poet, playwright, and public speaker who has been on a journey of grief and healing after losing her son to suicide over 13 years ago. She shares some of the ways she’s processed the grief, including sharing on public platforms in order to help bring comfort to others going through loss through suicide. Antonia also shares some of her current struggles around finding a balance between helping others and focusing on her own needs, and some of the ways that fill her cup, help her feel loved, and keep her connected.
 

The Resilience Within Ep. 8 w/ Rohn Bayes - Observe the Natural World

In this episode we hear from Rohn Bayes is the author of The Ancient Book of Magic Secrets, creator of the weekly substack “The Rohn Report” and is the caretaker and curator of an urban nature preserve he cultivated in his backyard. Rohn has carved his own way through life by staying connected to the natural world, hs body, and the creative forces within. Rohn shares his philosophy about being a natural, organic being living in a natural & unnatural world. He shares how slowing down and observing (meditation) is a deep medicine for us all. 
 
 

Platica Y Poetics EP. 8 w/ Violeta Garza

In Episode 8 echemos el chal with Violeta Garza, delving deep into the complexities of identity, exploring how dual creative process as a poet and weaver mirrors the interweaving of cultural and personal histories. Our conversation emphasized the significance of ancestral lineage, especially matrilineal lines, in shaping familial and cultural identity. She shared how her weaving practice serves as a powerful metaphor for the poetic and literal intertwining of past and present selves, reflecting how identity is in constant motion, a work in progress. Our charla gifted permission to oneself to explore different versions of identity, and how poetry and art serve as vehicles for expressing these shifts for both. Through translanguaging, where multiple languages coexist, she activates various facets of the self. Like any good platica with a comadre, we shared intimate space in another's metaphorical landscape ending the episode with a bilingual poetic collaboration, honoring las mujeres mechas on their collective journey.

Platica Y Poetics Ep.7 w/ Jen Yáñez-Alaniz

A sensory delight and candid platica, Episode 7 with poetic comadre Jen Yáñez-Alaniz was a sweet dive into the sensuous universe she conjures in her debut poetry chapbook, Surrogate Eater. Our tableside exchange swirled around the intersections of pleasure, activism, and scholarship, with Jen guiding us through her approach to pleasure activism — reclaiming joy, desire, and pleasure as forms of resistance and empowerment. We grazed on topics such as how her poetry challenges societal norms, particularly concerning the body, sexuality, and identity within cultural contexts that often attach shame to female and queer bodies. Through this dialogue, we reclaimed the sacred through the body, turning poetry into a life-affirming, liberating force. Jen’s words resonated with the power of pleasure as a radical act, not just for the self, but for collective healing — especially within divine and marginalized communities.

Ben Akande COVID Interview

The Resilience Within Ep.6 w/Lotus Rios - Art & Grieving

In this episode we hear from Lotus Rios, an artist, poet, and co-founder of the Harlandale Sunshine Pantry, a mutual aid pantry for those in need in her community. Lotus shared some of her story around releasing long-held grief through the cathartic process of making and releasing artwork that she’s been holding for years. She used her story to illustrate how important it can be to “stretch into the pain” versus avoiding it. 

The Empower Hour w/ Garrett T. Capps

Garrett T. Capps stops by the studio to talk about Music, Events and his Favorite Texas River with Empower Houses very own Becca Najera!

The Resilience Within Ep. 7 w/ Shell Martinez - Recovery from Burnout

In this episode we speak with Shell Martinez, who was an uber-successful real estate agent who fell into debilitating burnout. Now a caregiver to her parents and an aspiring voiceover narrator, Shell shares her navigation through her own healing process and recovery from codependency, people pleasing, and unnecessary striving. She's learning how to let go even as she shows up, and how to connect to a place where she is working with the Universe so that she moves with ease instead of stress.. 

Platica Y Poetics Ep.6 w/ Natalia Treviño

This spiritual and esoteric platica carried us into the feminine divine universe, where we wove together cuentos of our abuelas and the universal sacred. We explored the dual presence of La Virgen in both our cultural and spiritual realms. Her poetry delves into the complexities of cultural and political identities, revealing how the divine transcends and unifies borders. We discussed the various archetypes she explores in her book “VirgenX” and how La Virgen is intricately woven into both the physical and political worlds. Our conversation touched on the life force, the power of love as an act of creation, and the cycle of generosity and life. She reminds us that the present moment and the afterlife are interconnected, bound by the threads of divine connection.

Platica Y Poetics Ep.5 w/ Johnny Guerra

A platica with my Chicano hermano in poetics was a nostalgic return to my childhood street. Our tableside conversation explored San Antonio’s poetic renaissance, the borderlands, and our shared role as disciples of Anzaldúa. We dove into the “plurality of self,” discussing how our mestizaje and border consciousness foster intercultural unity. As the founder of the Zona San Anto Collective and podcast, he emphasized the significance of Chicano pride and San Antonio’s role as a cultural hub for the Latine community. Our conversation delved into the quest for true self and identity, revealing that there is no fixed identity—our Chicano/Latine heritage is made up of layers, constantly evolving.