Category Archives: Poetry reading

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.

20 Comments

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 | March 7, 2023 · 12:03 pm

#Tanka Tuesday and Poetry Reading

See below for the video that goes with this fireplace photo.

Today Colleen’s prompt for #TankaTuesday involved writing a syllabic poem using a photo by https://secondwindleisure.com/about-me/ as a prompt.

I’ve been wanting to try a cherita, which is 3 stanzas–one line, two lines, three lines. So this is what I came up with.

I can hear the thunder and spray before I see it.

Then it appears before me in its many textures
of wood and stone and the glorious movement of water.

As I stand on the viewing platform overlooking all,
the mist parts from the water, rising up toward 
the blue sky, hugging me in its wet embrace.

Then I started to question if a cherita was really syllabic poetry because you don’t count the syllables, so I quickly came up with a haiku to make sure I’m covered!

powerful water
sheeting down to be as one
with its still-wild self

The publisher, Alien Buddha Press, of Our Wolves has created a YouTube playlist of authors reading from their new books. I read four poems from the chapbook. Oh, and if you do check it out, watch for when I say the most UNINTENTIONALLY FUNNIEST thing. Hint: it has to do with whether Antarctica has folk and fairy tales.

https://www.amazon.com/Our-Wolves-Luanne-Castle/dp/B0BTKNP31D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8PAK9E03LTBV&keywords=our+wolves&qid=1677978570&sprefix=our+wo%2Caps%2C355&sr=8-1&asin=B0BTKNP31D&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1

25 Comments

Filed under #TankaTuesday, Fairy Tales, Our Wolves, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection, Poetry reading, Publishing, Writing

Tagged as #fracturedfairytale, #OurWolves, #TankaTuesday, Alien Buddha Press, book release, cherita, Haiku, Our Wolves, Poetry, poetry chapbook, poetry collection, poetry reading, Red Riding Hood

by Luanne | January 30, 2023 · 5:15 am

A New Interview and a Worthy Journal (and a flash)

Thimble Magazine was founded by the multi-talented Nadia Arioli. Nadia, a poet and artist, is also editor-in-chief of the journal.

Check out Thimble’s interview of me in their newsletter of Patreon supporters. It was really fun to respond to some new questions!

https://mailchi.mp/6f9b64c0d540/five-questions-with-luanne-castle

If you would like to help support (for as little as $1/month) a deserving poetry journal, I can’t think of one I enjoy more than Thimble. Nadia is a delightful person with excellent taste in poetry. I think the statement on the journal’s website is very telling: “THE THIMBLE LITERARY MAGAZINE IS BASED ON THE BELIEF THAT POETRY IS LIKE ARMOR. LIKE A THIMBLE, IT MAY BE SMALL AND SEEM INSIGNIFICANT, BUT IT WILL PROTECT US WHEN WE ARE MOST VULNERABLE.” https://www.patreon.com/thimblelitmag

Thimble seems a magazine by the people for the people. I love it.

Speaking of literature journals, I’m part of the community surrounding the magazine Verse-Virtual. VV held a book party the other day for VV poets who have new books out. I read from Rooted and Winged. Nine others read from their books as well, and thanks to that reading, I bought four new poetry books! I start to read at 2:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2xh0R1rNEpauOqIscRoZsbOcBbODRNsTEveIjcej0ApPq-jP8z5Z58qLQ&v=nLYpTk-HAQQ&feature=youtu.be

Guess what I just discovered? I wanted to start to submit to Visual Verse to practice writing ekphrastically. So for my first try I wrote a flash piece about the art Visual Verse used as a prompt. I didn’t know they published mine, but I just found it: https://visualverse.org/submissions/the-mess-of-mindfulness/

Without saying anything else (because what can be said is endless), I just want to place this link for Tyre Nichols’ photography.

https://thiscaliforniakid2.wixsite.com/tnicholsphotography/portraits.

27 Comments

Filed under #amreading, #amwriting, #poetrycommunity, #poetswithcats, #writingcommunity, Cats and Other Animals, Interview, Literary Journals, Poetry reading, Rooted and Winged, Writing

Tagged as #amwriting, #poetrycommunity, #poetswithcats, #writingcommunity, interview, literary journals, Poetry, poetry reading, Rooted and Winged, Thimble Magazine

by Luanne | January 27, 2023 · 7:56 pm

Elizabeth Gauffreau Reads a Poem from Rooted and Winged

I did post about the beautiful review of Rooted and Winged by Elizabeth Gauffreau in the new issue of Anti-Heroin Chic. Now Liz has recorded a poem from the book–and it’s such a treat! She published it on her post with her link of the review.

Publication First: #BookReview: Rooted and Winged by Luanne Castle

A big thank you to Liz for both the review and this charming reading.

9 Comments

Filed under #amreading, #amwriting, #poetrycommunity, #writingcommunity, Book Review, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection, Poetry reading, Reading

Tagged as #amreading, Anti-Heroin Chic, book review, Book Writing, Elizabeth Gauffreau, Poem, Poetry, poetry book, poetry collection, Rooted and Winged, Your Foot Bone Connected to Your Heart Bone

by Luanne | December 30, 2022 · 8:00 am

An Interview by Christine Butterworth-McDermott for Gingerbread House

This post is about something exciting to me at the same time that it is sad. Gingerbread House Editor Christine Butterworth-McDermott has interviewed me in the new issue up today. You can read it here:

Luanne Castle / Poem & Interview

Gingerbread House Lit Mag, with its emphasis on fairy tale-inspired literature, is one of my very favorite journals. Very sadly, I must say that this is the final issue of GH! Butterworth-McDermott will go on to do exciting things in the literary and artistic worlds (she’s an artist as well as a poet/writer), but this feels like the end of an era.

Please check out the whole gorgeous issue through the link above.

And here’s to a healthy and peaceful 2023.

19 Comments

Filed under #amreading, #amwriting, #poetrycommunity, #writingcommunity, Interview, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection, Poetry reading, Reading

Tagged as #amreading, book review, Book Writing, Christine Butterworth-McDermott, Gingerbread House Lit Mag, Poem, Poetry, poetry book, poetry collection, Rooted and Winged

by Luanne | December 20, 2022 · 8:04 pm

Millicent Borges Accardi Interviews Me for CutBank Literary Magazine

What fun to be interviewed by poet Millicent Borges Accardi, author of the new Quarantine Highway, for the beautiful CutBank Literary Magazine. Her questions really made me think about my life, and in the process, I discovered things about myself. You might, too!

http://www.cutbankonline.org/interviews/2022/12/cutbank-interviews-a-conversation-between-luanne-castle-and-millicent-borges-accardi

Let me know what you think!

17 Comments

Filed under #amreading, #amwriting, #poetrycommunity, #writingcommunity, Interview, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection, Poetry reading, Reading

Tagged as #amreading, book review, Book Writing, CutBank Literary Magazine, Millicent Borges Accardi, Poem, Poetry, poetry book, poetry collection, Rooted and Winged

by Luanne | December 9, 2022 · 9:31 am

Anti-Heroin Chic Publishes Review of Rooted and Winged by Elizabeth Gauffreau

So excited to see such a beautiful review of Rooted and Winged by Elizabeth Gauffreau in the new issue of Anti-Heroin Chic. A big thank you also to editor James Diaz.

You can find the review here: http://heroinchic.weebly.com/blog/luanne-castles-rooted-and-winged-reviewed-by-elizabeth-gauffreau

See below image for update on Perry.

Perry’s ultrasound showed that he definitely has either IBD or lymphoma. Our decision was narrowed down to starting steroids or having investigative surgery. A complication is that he has recently developed a heart murmur so nothing can be done (except food change nightmare) until after his echocardiogram which is after Christmas! If you are a praying person, please put us on your list. Or send healing vibes or demands to the universe that this is IBD and that the steroids will make him well!

38 Comments

Filed under #amreading, #amwriting, #poetrycommunity, #writingcommunity, Book Review, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection, Poetry reading, Reading

Tagged as #amreading, Anti-Heroin Chic, book review, Book Writing, Elizabeth Gauffreau, Poem, Poetry, poetry book, poetry collection, Rooted and Winged

by Luanne | November 1, 2022 · 7:35 am

Review of Rooted and Winged by Marie A. Bailey

For some reason WordPress doesn’t allow me to reblog to Writer Site, so I am posting a link to Marie Bailey’s fun review of Rooted and Winged. Thank you so much, Marie, for giving me a fresh look at my poetry collection!!!

https://1writeway.wordpress.com/2022/10/31/the-ease-of-wind-filled-wings-a-review-of-luanne-castles-rooted-and-winged-poetry-bookreview/

Read why Marie felt anxiety and exhilaration . . . .

Poetry in the Blogosphere: The Video Recording

Liz Gauffreau has made a video of the March 23 poetry reading for those who wanted to attend, but were unable to. Here ’tis.

Now, how do I stop saying um before every sentence? Are there online lessons available in that? Do I use a shock collar?

20 Comments

Filed under #poetrycommunity, #writerlife, #writerslife, #writingcommunity, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry reading, Reading

Tagged as #blogpoetsread2022, #NationalPoetryMonth, #poetrycommunity, blogger poets, poetry reading, zoom poetry reading

by Luanne | April 25, 2022 · 5:20 am

Angels on My Ears

We had a really lovely poetry reading on Saturday. Liz is working on a recording for us of the event, which we will be able to share. I can’t tell you how much extraordinary effort she put into both the organization and the hosting. She’s quite the dynamo!

Remember all that went into the event when you read her wonderful books because you will see all the effort and talent in her writing as well.

POETRY

GRIEF SONGS

NOVEL

T ELLING SONNY

All the readers were so engaging and professional, with very special poems to share.

Then yesterday, I read a poem called “The Purpose of Earth” for Moonstone Arts Center in Philadelphia. They are celebrating Earth Day with an anthology, and the poets who wrote the collected poems read them at the event. “The Purpose of Earth” will also be in my new collection, Rooted and Winged. Presales will be next month.

These are the amazing etsy earrings I wore to Saturday’s reading in honor of “wingedness.” Haha, I know. My daughter called them “extra,” but then said to “definitely wear them.” Somehow they do feel right.

Going to close comments on this post because I want to spend my blog time this week reading other blogs. Make it a great week! It’s our last week of poetry month!