Notes and Links to Daniel Peña’s Work
Daniel Peña is a Pushcart Prize-winning writer and Associate Professor of Creative Writing. Formerly, he was based out of the UNAM in Mexico City where he worked as Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholar. A graduate of Cornell University and a former Picador Guest Professor in Leipzig, Germany, his writing has appeared in Ploughshares, The Rumpus, the Kenyon Review, Texas Monthly, NBC News, and The New York Times Magazine among other venues. He’s currently a regular contributor to the Guardian and the Ploughshares blog. His debut collection of essays, HOW TO LOOK AWAY is out now from One World books. He splits his time between Dallas, Mexico City, and a tiny farm in Germany.
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Daniel Peña's Website
At about 1:00, Daniel talks about purchasing info for How to Look Away, tour events, and his mindset four days before the book’s Pub Day
At about 4:30, Daniel talks about his Texas sports’ loyalties
At about 12:55, David responds to Pete’s questions about his childhood language and literature life
At about 20:55, Pete highlights Alfredo Corchado’s work as he asks Daniel about formative writers and writing in his life, including work by Francisco Goldman and Corchado
At about 25:15, Pete asks Daniel’s choice in titling his book and implications for the title
At about 29:45, Daniel talks about movement and its importance and connects it to COVID and George Floyd protests
At about 34:00, Daniel outlines his experience in September 2014 in protests re: Ayotzinapa, and the importance of riots in a democracy
At about 36:40, the two discuss the individualistic ethic and the “intens[ity]” of the early pandemic
At about 37:40, Daniel talks about the strangeness of writing and parenthood during the pandemic
At about 39:35, The two discuss the ways in which self-regulating industries have worked, including crypto companies/businesspeople as featured in Daniel's book
At about 42:35, The two reflect on the ways in which institutions have failed people of color, and how crypto has failed so many; Daniel references “creating the worse parts of humanity” Nefando by Monica Ojeda and Labatut’s When We Cease to Understand the World
At about 46:30, Daniel talks about critical free speech issues in 2026
At about 47:45, Pete asks Daniel about a main topic of the book-the compulsion to gaze at disaster; Daniel references Primo Levi and “useless violence”
At about 50:25, Daniel talks about an “epiphany” he had in researching for the book
At about 51:35, Daniel reflects on ideas of survival and “what’s done in our names”
At about 52:40, Pete and Daniel discuss traumas and “forms of disappearance”
At about 55:40, The two discuss the tragic story of Aliana featured in the book
At about 59:10, Pete highlights areas of joy featured in the book
At about 1:01:00, Daniel discusses the cruelty involved with family separation through immigration policies
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This month’s Patreon bonus episode is the second episode for Pete’s limited podcast series, Rage is a Gift: Evil Empire at 30. Pete reflects on the Importance (and the power of this capital "I") of Rage Against the Machine and their seminal Evil Empire album, which is celebrating 30 years of resistance. The episode focuses on the opening track, “People of the Sun.” The limited podcast series will do a deep exploration of, and reflection on, the lyrics and context of each of the 12 powerful songs on the album.
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Please tune in for Episode 359 with Kristen Millares Young, A prize-winning novelist, journalist and essayist, Kristen Millares Young is the author of the memoir Desire Lines, forthcoming from Red Hen Press and Brilliance Audio on October 6, 2026, and the novel Subduction, named a staff pick by The Paris Review. “Kristen Millares Young will take readers along on her journey of discovery as she publishes her debut memoir this year,” writes People Magazine in its exclusive cover reveal for Desire Lines, named a “Most Anticipated Feminist Book of 2026” by Ms. Magazine.
The episode airs on October 6 or 7.
Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian people.
You can also donate at chuffed.org, World Central Kitchen, and so many more, and/or you can contact writer friend Ursula Villarreal-Moura directly or through Pete, as she has direct links with friends in Gaza.
