Hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a lovely one. My daughter’s in-laws had us over for an Italian Christmas feast, including gluten free versions for the gardener. We had a wonderful time, needless to say.
I had some minor good news the other day. An excerpt of my unpublished memoir Scrap was a finalist in the Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards. Woot! That feels like a step in the right direction for this project that has been in in the works since 2008 hahaha.
Coincidentally, on Christmas Eve, the journal Furious Gazelle published three poems, and these poems all relate to material found in Scrap. A big thank you to the editors.
You can read them here:
3 POEMS AT FURIOUS GAZELLE
In this photo my father is on our left and his twin brother is on our right. They look like they belong in an Our Gang movie, and it’s true they were raised by the streets as much as by their mother or sister.
Congratulations on being published … again! And those three poems are heartbreaking. So much loss. You’ve had a year of so much loss that I couldn’t help but think that these most recent losses brought back the ones from longer ago.
Thank you, Amy. Lots of losses lately. Seen and unseen. Apple and Facebook are conspiring against me, too, as they keep showing me pix of Pear, Fefe, and Izzie.
I am so sorry. 🙁
Congratulations! Those poems are both tender and raw. I wonder if Amy is right. Your work is coming out all over the place–tell me again how you’re not doing anything. 😏
Is Storyworth what you’re doing? My kids got me that for Christmas.
Thank you so much. I love your description of the poems.
Amy and I are both doing Storyworth. It’s really fun because it offers a simple prompt every week. Easy to keep up. And you can share photos with the stories, too. I’ve even stolen a couple stories off my blog when they were appropriate and the best response to the prompt. This is very different from writing poetry or even writing memoir because the emphasis is on straightforward storytelling for family instead of crafting literature, if that makes sense. And I like searching for the photos because I know that while my kids will never go through all the zillions of photos I have, they will certainly see all the ones I choose to put into the final Storyworth book. This week’s prompt is how did I choose names for my kids. 🙂
You’re welcome.
I just got the first question this morning. It should be fun.😀
Enjoy!
😀
Congrats!
Thank you, Kate!
A thumb on the rhythm. These are so dear.
Oh, I’m glad that resonated with you! Thank you, Joy.
Congratulations on the publication of these wonderful yet pain-filled poems, Luanne.
Thank you very much, Derrick.
Congratulations, Luanne.
Thank you, John!
Congratulations on the poems as well as on being a finalist!! You are accomplishing so much. I love the poems/memories. Interesting to me that the last poem is in the second person; I find that as I write the memoir poems, it is almost always that way unless I go back and deliberately change it. What is that, I wonder?
I was reading somewhere (maybe in that Lockward book I sent you) about how it helps to write very emotional poems in 2nd person as it gives some distance, but also it can be more poignant to the reader because the reader senses that the subject is too difficult and that the poet has to handle the material carefully.
Thank you, Carla!! I LOVED your Christmas card and that beautiful Christmas poem. XOXO
Interesting! I like that observation about emotional distance needed by both reader/writer. So glad you liked the Christmas poem! XOXO
How exciting, Luanne! 2022 will be off and running with great opportunities!!! Congratulations!!
And sound like the daughter’s in-laws will be a wonderful addition to your family, too.
Bravo all round.
Congratulations on these poems being published. You capture so well a complicated relationship with parents. And congratulations on being a finalist. It’s gratifying to see you showered with honors.
WJ, thank you so much. Complicated relationship is so true :/.
Daughter’s in-laws are a great addition to the family! And handy in the kitchen :).
Congratulations on the publication of your three poems, Luanne! I was very moved by them. Such depths of emotion. Congratulations on your excerpt from Scrap being chosen as a finalist in the Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards. I would say that’s major good news!
Thank you on both counts, Liz! Getting ready to attend your reading. Just got to grab my champagne first!
You’re welcome, Luanne! Thanks again for coming to the reading!!
I enjoyed it so much. I would love to do a zoom reading sometime, too!
Do any of your local bookstores or poetry societies sponsor them? Of course, we could always organize our own!
I don’t know of any. We should do one ourselves. Of course, I don’t have zoom, don’t know how to organize something like that, and my daughter’s wedding is coming up. Other than that! Do you have Zoom?
Yes, I have a paid Zoom account. Maybe we could plan a reading for after your daughter’s wedding?
That sounds like a very cool idea. Send me an email with your thoughts when you get around to it!
Will do! I’ll write myself a tickler.
Luanne, these are beautiful, touching poems. I had a lump in my throat as I read them. You zeroed in on the emotions with precisely chosen words. Masterful. So well done! Congrats on yet another publication.
Oh, thank you so much. I’m so glad that they touched your emotions!!!
They sure did! Well done, Girl.
Congratulations on three extremely moving and emotional poems, Luanne!
Ah, thank you so much, Jill! xo
Luanne you are such a great poet. The poems are powerful, sad, touching, raw – wonderful work!
Oh, thank you so much, Andrea. That makes me so pleased to hear that they resonated with you!
Such moving poems, full of bittersweet memories and missed opportunities. Congratulations on the publication and the recognition for your work.
Definitely: bittersweet memories and missed opportunities. Good sum up! Thank you so much, Eilene. I hope you have a good publishing year in 2022!
Congratulations, Luanne! I’m looking forward to reading your poems…
Thank you so very much! 🙂
I did read your beautiful poems, their rawness and stark beauty resonated…
Oh Kim, that makes me so pleased to hear that! Thank you!!!And Happy Happy New Year to you.
Yay congratulations on being published! The poems you shared are full of emotions. Very deep. This year has been hard on so many of us. Prayers for a peaceful new year for us all 💜
Thank you, Zeenat. Yes, it’s been a very difficult year. I pray for the same thing you do! xo
Luanne, incredible and powerful poems … huge congratulations on their publication! You reach into the core of your childhood, adult life and into the heart of your relationship with your father in the last poem. The last lines are heart-wrenching and ones I had to read again. Best of luck with your memoir, it needed to be written, it needs to be shared and read.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy and harmonious New Year! Hugs xx ❤️😀
Thank you so very much, Annika. What a sweet and supportive comment! Happy and also peaceful and healthy New Year to you, too! xo
Such beautiful, evocative poetry, Luanne. Powerful too. And gentle where needed: “see how her face turns/ toward you like a sunflower”
Love your work, you are turning me into a poetry fan, well, of yours, that is!
Oh, what a lovely comment, Ellie!!!! Yes!!!!!!!
Such heartfelt poems Luanne. Congratulations (again) on publication. It’s scary isn’t it, when you first see your emotions printed and sent out to the wide world. These pack such a punch in what is left unsaid.
Ah, thank you for this, too, Gwen!
Congratulations, Luanne. Those are very touching poems exposing your talent! The last poem was heartbreakingly sad and yet as beautiful as a portrait. Wishing you much success in the new year. xxx
Thank you so much, Carol! Happy New year to you! xo