Category Archives: Our Wolves

by Luanne | November 8, 2023 · 2:35 pm

The Beginning of Winter #TankaTuesday

You really have to be paying attention to see the beginning of winter in Phoenix. It is a little cooler, but it is still as warm as a Michigan summer. The sky is still bright blue. Our flowers are brilliant, and the sun shining through the leaves of the bushes and trees is a painting.

Still, according to #TankaTuesday, this is the first week of The Beginning of Winter (November 7 – 21) Ritto 立冬. I thought I would try a new-to-me form, the gogyohka. This form is not truly syllabic, but Colleen Chesebro’s research has shown it to be more about breaths. It is a five-line poem, like a tanka. A gogyohka does not need a kigo word, but I am playing along with the seasonal prompts, so I am including “long night” as a kigo.

Some super cool news this week. Both my full-length collection Rooted and Winged and my chapbook Our Wolves are finalists for the American Book Fest 2023 awards! https://americanbookfest.com/2023bbapressrelease.html

I’m so pleased with how my books have done with the awards, but they could both use more reviews on Amazon (and Goodreads, too, but especially Amazon). It only takes one or two sentences to help the algorithm, so if you have read the books and liked them, please consider taking the time to drop Amazon a line or two.

It’s been over a week that I have been walking every day. I am so happy that I have been able to sustain this routine, and that my health has permitted. It’s a beautiful walk near me, and so far it’s been almost eventless. I am a little dismayed, though, how few birds I am finding this year. Has anyone else noticed this where you live or is it just here?

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Filed under #AmWriting, #poetrycommunity, #TankaTuesday, #writingcommunity, Arizona, Book Award, Our Wolves, Poetry, Poetry Collection, Rooted and Winged, Syllabic Poetry, Writing

Tagged as #TankaTuesday, American Book Fest awards, Arizona outdoors, book award, gogyohka, Our Wolves, Rooted and Winged, syllabic poetry

by Luanne | October 5, 2023 · 7:36 pm

Carol Balawyder Reviews Our Wolves

One of my favorite novelists, Carol Balawyder, has written a loooovely review of my chapbook Our Wolves. I am so grateful for her reading!!!

Luanne Castle: Our Wolves

Once upon a time / by Library of Congress is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

Elizabeth Gauffreau Reviews Our Wolves

Writer, poet, and critic Elizabeth Gauffreau has written a magnificently brilliant review of my new chapbook Our Wolves. Her reviews are as engaging to read as any poetry or fiction.

#BookReview: Our Wolves by Luanne Castle

Little Red Riding Hood / by Library of Congress is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

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Filed under #OurWolves, #poetrycommunity, Book promotion, Book Review, Fairy Tales, Our Wolves, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection

Tagged as #OurWolves, book review, Elizabeth Gauffreau, Our Wolves, Poetry, poetry chapbook, poetry collection

by Luanne | June 17, 2023 · 1:43 pm

Sally’s Smorgasbord Features Our Wolves

A big thank you to Sally Cronin at Smorgasbord Book Promotions for featuring Our Wolves today on Summer Book Fair 2023.

Smorgasbord Book Promotions – Summer Book Fair 2023 – #Poetry #Fairystories by Luanne Castle, #Mystery #Thriller N.A. Granger, #Shortstories D.L. Finn

Robbie Cheadle’s Guest on Treasuring Poetry

I’m excited to be author and blogger Robbie Cheadle’s May guest for her monthly Treasuring Poetry article on Writing to be Read. She had some wonderful questions for me about writing, and I enjoyed answering them! You can find the publication here: https://writingtoberead.com/2023/05/17/treasuring-poetry-meet-poet-and-blogger-luanne-castle-and-a-review-poetry-poetrycommunity-bookreview/. Robbie has also posted a beautiful review of both Rooted and Winged and Our Wolves.

With son and DIL living here, we have their dog Theo here as well. He’s such a little goofy guy, and I get to let him out when his mom and dad are both gone for three hours or more. I can’t physically handle walking him on a leash, although in a pinch I can take him on the driveway on a leash because he’s very good for me. But I like to let him roam the backyard, which is fenced. He’s very loved and what’s rewarding for me is that he loves his Grandma! In his photo you can see a very typical expression he gets on his face as he is always trying to figure out what’s going on.

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Filed under #OurWolves, #poetrycommunity, #writerlife, #writerslife, #writingcommunity, Book Review, Interview, Our Wolves, Poetry, Poetry book, Rooted and Winged, Writing, Writing Talk

Tagged as #amwriting, book review, Creative writing, favorite poems, granddog, interview, Poem, Poetry, poetry collection, Robbie Cheadle, Writing, Writing to be Read

by Luanne | April 13, 2023 · 5:15 am

Review of Rooted and Winged AND Our Wolves

Writer Joy Neal Kidney has written a review for both my full-length collection Rooted and Winged and Our Wolves. Thank you, Joy!

New Poetry by Luanne Castle

The Meaning of Lily: #TankaTuesday

Colleen Chesebro posted a prompt today to write a syllabic poem using an image of a lily as a starting point.

The photo is by photographer, Terri Webster Schrandt, from secondwindleisure.com.

When I see or hear lily I have several other images in my mind. Here is a haiku sequence:

When my father died

we asked for cause donations

instead of lilies.

I love daylilies

more than waxy white blossoms

reminding of death.
*

Do not choose lilies

in a home with cats, ever.

Each part is poison.
*

Cuddly Lily lies

on my chest, face tucked under

my chin, gently purrs.
*

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Filed under #amwriting, #TankaTuesday, Cats and Other Animals, Our Wolves, Poetry, Writing, Writing prompt

Tagged as #amwriting, #OurWolves, #poetswithcats, #TankaTuesday, book review, cats, haiku sequence, Poetry, syllabic poetry, Writing prompt

by Luanne | April 10, 2023 · 4:32 pm

Poetry Reading Video

I had fun reading my poetry via zoom through the Well-Versed Words program, hosted by poet Alison Hurwitz. There was time to read quite a few poems from Rooted and Winged, as well as two from Our Wolves and to yak a bit about the poetry. Having to talk about my poetry taught me things about my poetry and my life. Alison is an excellent moderator and offers a reading every month. Check out her website at https://www.alisonhurwitz.com/events.

The video is 48 minutes long (eeks). It has the name of the wonderful moderator, Alison Hurwitz at the beginning, but you are in the correct video. And of course you can skip around if you want to check it out! As for me, no way can I watch it and see myself and listen to my voice hahaha.

https://vimeo.com/816303312

My leg has been diagnosed as an inside meniscus tear and arthritis of the kneecap exacerbated by my primary lymphedema. Surgery is a very very last resort because of the lymphedema. Going to see a PA in sports medicine this week. Long waits for actual doctors. I hope to be able to travel because I have plans to see my mother in Michigan this month. I will be traveling with my daughter while the gardener stays home with the kitties. Yes, I’ve booked a wheelchair at the airport! If you’ve read my blog very long you know there is always a new physical problem ;).

A spot of good news. My son got my sewing machine fixed. It’s been broken for about 15 years. I want to use it for journaling, and now I just have to remember how it works. You would think that the granddaughter of the Head Fitter at The 28 Shop (couture at Marshall Field) would be a natural at sewing. But it was my cousin Leah who inherited some of that talent. Sadly, Leah has now been gone for twenty years.

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Filed under Our Wolves, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection, Poetry reading, Reading, Rooted and Winged, Writing

Tagged as #poetrycommunity, Alison Hurwitz, Our Wolves, Poetry, poetry collection, poetry reading, Rooted and Winged, Well-Versed Words, zoom reading

by Luanne | April 8, 2023 · 3:30 pm

Review of Our Wolves by Robbie Cheadle

Our Wolves has been given a lovely review by Robbie Cheadle! A big thank you to Robbie!

https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2023/04/06/robbies-inspiration-book-review-wolves-by-luanne-castle-poetry-poetrycommunity/

“If you like interesting and thought provoking poetry, you will love Our Wolves.“

On another note, I looked for an African-American Red doll for my collection and found a gorgeous one on ebay by artist Stacy Bayne: $250! Here’s a link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/225374443246 While I can’t justify that (hah), it’s certainly beautiful. Here’s one of my $20 antique mall goodies.

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Filed under #OurWolves, #poetrycommunity, Blog Tour, Book promotion, Book Review, Fairy Tales, Our Wolves, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection

Tagged as #OurWolves, book review, Elizabeth Gauffreau, Goodreads, Our Wolves, Poetry, poetry chapbook, poetry collection, Suanne Schafer

by Luanne | April 4, 2023 · 12:40 pm

Spring Walk: #TankaTuesday

Colleen at Wordcraft poetry suggested this prompt today: to write a shadorma using 3-5 selected words. Syllable count is 3-5-3-3-7-5. I think I used 8 of the words, but I am writing the poem on my iPad in this post so I can’t go over the word list again.

Spring Walk

This spring month,

not yet hot, cloudy

over rocks

and bushes,

I walk with a book and grapes

and wish spring to last.

I hope you enjoyed that, especially knowing how hot it will get here in Arizona by mid-May. I am lying on my back with this iPad because I am resting my legs. For over ten weeks my right leg has been a monster. Saturday I had an MRI, but I’ve had other tests with no diagnosis or idea of what’s wrong. So why did I write about walking? For one thing, it’s a word on the list. But I can and do like to do light walking with the leg issue. But then I have to rest it. And the leg prefers very limited sitting (at the computer).

Serena Agusto-Cox on Savvy Verse & Wit has written a great review for my Red Riding Hood chapbook Our Wolves: https://savvyverseandwit.com/2023/04/our-wolves-by-luanne-castle.html She argues that the poems are not retellings of Red Riding Hood. Read her review to see what she says they are.