In part two of this special live recording of Words on a Wire, host Daniel Chacón continues his conversation with historian David Dorado Romo, marking the 20th anniversary of Ringside Seat to a Revolution. Recorded at the University of Texas at El Paso, this episode moves deeper into Romo’s philosophy of history, storytelling, and what it truly means to understand revolution from the ground up.
Romo expands on his idea that revolution is not only political—it is also personal, cultural, and spiritual. Through stories of figures like Carmelita Torres and Teresita Urrea, he reframes resistance as acts of healing, memory, and reclaiming identity. The conversation explores how history lives in overlooked details, and how writers and historians can uncover meaning by following intuition, walking the city, and paying attention to what others ignore.
The episode also turns toward craft, as Romo and Chacón discuss research as a creative act—one shaped by curiosity, disorientation, and discovery. In a lively audience Q&A, questions of revolution, identity, and storytelling open into a broader reflection on whose voices are centered in history—and how shifting that focus can change everything.
Part two is both reflective and forward-looking, inviting listeners to reconsider history not as something fixed, but as something we actively interpret, challenge, and remake.
Additional information
- For more information on Daniel Romo you can visit: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2292801/david-dorado-romo/
- Or visit his social media:
- Instagram: @david.d.romo
To download the podcast version visit wordsonawire.org
Originally aired on April 5, 2026
