Notes and Links Referenced on Episode 75 with Marcos Bretón
On Episode 75, Pete and The McClatchy Company’s new California Opinion Editor, Marcos Bretón, talk about his upbringing in Northern California, ideas of representation in media, formative reading, his singular writing style and opinions, his covering of Major League Baseball-including his Hall of Fame voting philosophy- and Caribbean baseball cultures, and much more.
Marcos Bretón’s Sacramento Bee writer page says that he is “Connecting the dots on issues, people and news in the Sacramento region.” He is a journalist and columnist who was awarded the Guillermo Martinez-Marquez Award by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists for “Fields of Pain,” a series of stories about the exploitation of migrant farmworkers in California.
He is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering California. The son of Mexican immigrants, Bretón is married and is the father of two daughters. Breton has worked at The Bee since 1989; first as a news reporter, then as a sports columnist, and then as a news columnist. He was recently named The McClatchy Company’s new California Opinion Editor.
Marcos Bretón's Sacramento Bee Page
Marcos Bretón’s Article: “I am Mexican American with no hyphen and no apologies – and am haunted by a history of hate”
Marcos Breton’s July 7, 2021 article- “A leader we haven’t appreciated enough: ‘I had the audacity to be a Black woman with a voice.’ ”
Buy Away Games: The Life and Times of a Latin Baseball Player
At about 2:50, Marcos talks about bilingualism and his relationship with language as a child
At about 4:25, Marcos talks about his other Mexican-Americans’ experiences in his childhood and beyond
At about 7:30, Marcos talks about the images (or lack thereof) that were used to portray immigrants as he grew up and saw a “hijacked” narrative
At about 9:45, Marcos reflects on learning the “Reader’s Digest version” of our history and the need to “embrace the complexity of the story,” including the current need to redress past wrongs in the local and national media narratives and identify and teach current history without “looking away”
At about 15:35, Marcos discusses his thoughts on the term “pocho” in connection to the great book of the same name by Villarreal, and Marcos discusses the idea of “ni de aquí, ni de alla”
At about 20:30, Pete asks Marcos if he felt represented in what he read growing up, and how reading Richard Rodriguez
At about 22:50, Marcos lists John Steinbeck and local journalists like Ron Fimrite and Sports Illustrated, with its longform writers like Steve Wolff, who gave/give him “chills at will”
At about 27:30, Marcos explains his philosophy on “reading less of what other people were writing” in developing his own voice; he relates it to Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory
At about 30:10, Marcos pinpoints a combination of his childhood, his well-read and opinionated parents, and his reading as making him want to be an opinión writer
At about 32:05, Marcos describes more subtle “Eureka moments” in becoming the writer he wanted to be, and how he ended up in Sacramento to stay
At about 34:05, Marcos discusses his personal circumstances and political circumstances that led to the award-winning and personally-satisfying series done with Genaro Molina and Mike Wagner-he was awarded the Guillermo Martinez-Marquez Award by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists for the “Fields of Pain” series
At about 38:30, Marcos talks about his differing views of interacting with readers online and in real life and some of his provocative takes over the years
At about 42:40, Marcos talks about his book Away Games that started with a series for The Sacramento Bee and was written with José Luis Villegas and focused on Miguel Tejada
At about 45:30, Marcos talks about the culture and milieu of baseball in the Caribbean, as evidenced through his research for his book
At around 51:00, Marcos responds to Pete’s question about ignorance versus malice in dealing with players from Latin America as the generations have gone on
At about 53:25, Marcos talks about the ways in which Latin American baseball players have changed the culture of baseball
At about 53:55, Marcos details the process of voting for The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and how he plans his own voting
At about 55:50, Marcos and Pete discuss the merits of performance versus character when it comes to who gets into The MLB Hall of Fame, especially regarding players like Barry Bonds from the “Steroid Era”
At about 1:00:30, Pete asks Marcos how he balances objectivity and subjectivity in his writing
At about 1:04:40, Marcos discusses his visceral reaction and heartfelt column written after the racist El Paso shootings
At about 1:10:45, Marcos describes a recent article on Yvonne Walker, local SEIU head
At about 1:11:20, Marcos talks about future projects, as he now is focused on California stories for McClatchy
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The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.
I’m excited to share my next episode with Mirin Fader on Aug 31. Mirin has written for The Bleacher Report and The Ringer, and is The New York Times-bestselling author of 2021’s, Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP.
Episode 134 with Kirstin Chen: New York Times Bestselling Author of Three Novels, Including the Topical, yet Timeless and Universal Counterfeit, a Reese’s Book Club June 2022 Pick
Episode 133 with Nicholas Buccola, Keen and Reflective and Innovative Political Scientist, Historian, and Author of The Fire is Upon Us: James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr. and The Debate...
Episode 132 with Morgan Talty, Writer of Believable, Relatable, and Subtly Powerful Prose, and Critically-Acclaimed Author of the Debut Collection, Night of the Living Rez, a Tour De Force
Episode 131 with Alice Elliott Dark, Brilliant Chronicler of the Specific and Universal, Writer of ”In the Gloaming,” Best Short Stories of the Century, and the New Epic Novel, Fellowship Point
Episode 130 with Dan Grunfeld, Former College and Pro Basketball Standout
Episode 129 with Sam Quinones, Highly-Acclaimed Journalist, Storyteller, and Author of the Acclaimed Books Dreamland and The Least of Us, and True Tales from Another Mexico
Episode 128 with Vania Patino, Journalistic Prodigy and Thorough and Reflective Reporter
Episode 127 with Raina Kelley, Innovative, Creative Storyteller and Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Andscape
Episode 126 with Kevin Owens, Author of Overseas Famous, Owner of Countless Classic Stories about Playing Ball Overseas, and Founder of Overseas Famous, LLC
Episode 125 with Jamil Jan Kochai, Master Allegorist/Worldbuilder and Author of the Award-Winning 99 Nights in Logar, and the Upcoming Story Collection, The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories
Episode 124 with Robin Peguero, Exciting New Voice, Legal Insider, and Crafter of the Exciting and Evocative Thriller, With Prejudice
Episode 123 with Zach Harper: Hilarious and Perceptive Hoopshead, Multitalented Host and Writer of Podcasts like CinePhobe, Radio Host, and Basketball Writer at The Athletic
Episode 122 with Sonora Reyes, Keen Observer and Chronicler of Young Adult Stories, Creator and Host of the Twitter Chat #QPOCChat, and Author of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School
Episode 121 with Michael Torres, Crafter of Profound and Musical Lines, Master of Imagery and Pathos, and Author of the Award-Winning Poetry Collection, An Incomplete List of Names
Episode 120 with traci kato-kiriyama, Thoughtful and Reflective Artist, Creative, Historian, and Activist, and Writer of the Work of Art that is Navigating With(out) Instruments
Episode 119 with Deesha Philyaw, Master Storyteller, Builder of Intrigue, Skilled Worldbuilder, and Craftswoman of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Winner of the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
Episode 118 with SJ Sindu, Master Storyteller, Versatile Writer of Varied Texts, and Author of Blue Skinned Gods, ”a rich, beautifully told and moving” Work
Episode 117 with Nadia Owusu, Introspective and Precise Writer and Chronicler of Trauma and Joy, Writ Large, and Author of the Award-Winning Memoir, Aftershocks
Episode 116 with Noel Casler, Standout Artist, Creative, Podcaster, and Standup Comedian with 25 Years of Experience in TV and Production, Including The Celebrity Apprentice
Episode 115 with Jennifer Fliss, Flash Fiction Star and Master of Signifying So Much by Writing So Little
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