Do follow me on Instagram the official Ana Castillo. Or if you wish, FB. Be warned, I’m opinionated. I don’t care to debate with anyone. I’m not on social media for the sake of hearing from haters or professional trolls. Stalkers sent back to their private hells. All people of consciousness welcome.
Continue readingI hope readers here are staying safe & well. We are all mostly home these days. I’ll be posting a few prompts & exercises for writing poems here over the next days. In the meantime, I’d like to share with you again a poem I wrote in 2018. It was written on the occasion the inauguration of the first African American woman president of my alma mater in Chicago, NEIU. I was invited to…
Continue reading20th Anniversary new edition. (intro by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola-Éstes) UNM Press, 2014) (UNM Press, NM; 1994)
Continue readingTwo Men and Me I left Bukowski again, went back to Bolaño, both men bad to their women. Me, like the rest, couldn’t get enough. Both smoked and drank themselves to death. They liked it rough, said that was how they got their best writing done. One winter we all ended up in hell, ran into each other at a café. [REVISION: bar, public bath…FILL IN THE BLANK.] Chuck wanted to fuck. Roberto punched him…
Continue readingAlgo de ti [An Ekphrastic Exercise] Algo de ti me recuerda a casa; no la de hoy, de otros tiempos– Las tortillas de la abuela sobre su comal ardiente; el perfume de la buganvilla en el jardín Tus pestañas estrelladas– de niñez como las estrellas mismas que contemplaba yo, me parece hace siglos ya. Algo de ti me llama en la noche cuando te estrechas en tu cama como te imagino que lo haces,…
Continue readingIn recognition of National Poetry here is a poem I written in 2018 in commemoration of the first African American woman president at my alma mater in Chicago, NEIU. I had the distinct honor to read it at her inauguration ceremony. Enjoy! These Times I In these times, you and I share, amidst the air you and I breathe, inspiration we take from day to day thriving, opposition we meet, the sacred conch…
Continue readingHola Comunidad: As promised–I’m online until 5 p.m. CST. Thanks to those who’ve participated, commented here and sent emails. Today starts Nat’l Poetry Month. Please post your own favorite poems in the comments section here. It goes without saying we can also use it in these 21st c. pandemic times.
Continue readingApril Fool’s Day takes on new meaning to a world that is forced to reckon with unleashed microbios. We start this month having to look in rather than start bug-eyed at the mess we’ve created as human beings. In the comments section you may leave a poem of yours or the title of a favorite poem for us to look up. For now, I’ll start us off with the title poem from this book.
Continue readingThank you to those who’ve made comments here (and sent to my email at anacastilloworkshops@gmail.com) Why didn’t I use Zoom? Not because my skills are at Jitterbug Cell Phone level but like many these days–I’m just not up to being ‘looked at.’ I also wanted participants to focus on the writing & not their hair. Social media places a huge emphasis on showing off our best selves through filters, makeup, etc.–and this is about getting…
Continue readingThese Times I In these times, you and I share, amidst the air you and I breathe, inspiration we take from day to day thriving, opposition we meet, the sacred conch shell calls us, drums beat, prayers sent up, aromatic smoke of the pipe are our pledge to the gods. An all-night fire vigil burns where we may consume the small cactus messenger of the Huichol and of the Pueblo people of New Mexico, red…
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