Tag: LindaAnn LoSchiavo

VAMPIRE VENTURES by LindaAnn LoSchiavo

November 12, 2024 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 1 Comment

LindaAnn LoSchiavo’s “Vampire Ventures” is a captivating and imaginative collection that weaves together haunting tales of romance, mystery, and the supernatural, offering a fresh and enticing take on the vampire lore, skillfully blending elements of classic gothic romance with modern sensibilities. LoSchiavo masterfully crafts a narrative that unfolds with both elegance and intrigue. The themes of desire, transformation, and the clash between tradition and modernity are skillfully interwoven throughout the chapbook. LoSchiavo’s attention to detail creates a truly immersive experience. “Vampire Ventures” is a captivating journey that melds tradition and innovation.

A must-read for anyone who appreciates a fresh take on timeless themes, as well as those who revel in the art of storytelling that transcends genres and eras.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this review copy!

LindaAnn LoSchiavo’s Vampire Ventures is a haunting journey into the underworld of the vampire mythos, reimagined with a modern twist. Through her lyrical verse, Loschiavo offers a fresh perspective on these gothic creatures of the night.

One of the strengths of this collection is the author’s unique talent for creating vivid and memorable characters. Her vampires are not mere stereotypes but individuals with their own unique personalities and histories, with their own desires, fears, and hopes. From the brooding and enigmatic count (A tall, lean figure moved towards me, skullish in his gauntness and unworldly pallor), to the rebellious and free-spirited vampiress, each poem introduces a distinct character that invites the reader to connect on a deeper level.

The poems are steeped in lush descriptions (rosy cheeks as velvety as a ventricle). Readers are transported to shadowy alleyways, grand gothic manors, and moonlit nights where vampires lurk, not as fearsome predators but as creatures in search of meaning. LoSchiavo’s vampires are multifaceted—they embody both the romanticized notion of the seductive, powerful being and the tragic figure haunted by centuries of existence.

The author’s use of language is both evocative and precise. Her imagery is rich and atmospheric, painting pictures of a world that is both familiar and mysterious in the reader’s mind. She skillfully employs various poetic forms, including sonnets, haikus, Fibonacci, and villanelles, demonstrating her versatility as a poet. (Learning about these unusual structures expanded my knowledge of poetry AND instilled new respect for the author. Telling a story under the constrictions of each type of poem is no easy feat.) Each poem is a journey of its own, often blending dark humor with somber reflection. The use of rhythm and meter enhances the haunting, melodic quality of the collection. LoSchiavo’s poetry is accessible yet deeply layered:

Like trees, we’ve bound ourselves below without

Burial, cocooned in soil, still sentient,

Possessed of appetites, required to feast.

Readers are invited to engage with the subtext while still enjoying the visceral, gothic beauty of the surface-level narratives. While the collection primarily focuses on the romantic and sensual aspects of vampire lore, LoSchiavo also explores darker themes such as loneliness, isolation, and the consequences of immortality:

“No

One

Begs for

Life-in-death,”

Explained the vampire. “Immortality takes effort.”

Her poems offer a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of these complex issues, inviting the reader to consider the psychological impact of not only living forever, but the challenges of living forever in a world that is constantly changing.

Vampire Ventures is a mesmerizing collection of poems that explore the dark and alluring world of vampires, transforming a well-worn trope into something fresh and introspective. While the collection is brief, each poem leaves a lingering impact, allowing readers to contemplate the complexities of the human (and non-human) condition.

For lovers of gothic literature, horror, and poetry, this collection is a must-read. It will appeal to those who enjoy the darker side of the supernatural but are also looking for more profound emotional depth in their reading. LoSchiavo’s writing is engaging enough to draw in even those new to the genre.

Want your own copy? You can pick it up here.

ALWAYS HAUNTED by LindaAnn LoSchiavo

October 29, 2024 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 1 Comment

Trick or treat, twisted with treachery…..

Haunting and harrowing visions of All Hallows’ Eve here include horrific crimes committed on October 31st, a honeymoon homicide, mysterious witches, amorous vampires, dead serious poltergeists, along with a pageant of autumnal imagery sure to evoke goosebumps beyond the spooky season.
Wearing the cunning costume of a Hallowe’en poetry collection, 24 poems reimagine macabre true crimes and explore injustices.

Thanks to the author for this review copy!

This Halloween anthology is a captivating exploration of the eerie, the mystical, and the supernatural, blending themes of memory, legacy, and the unseen forces that shape our lives. LoSchiavo, known for her rich literary voice and command of language, weaves a collection of poems that evoke both the beauty and the terror of the human experience, exploring what it means to live with constant reminders of the past—whether it be ghosts, memories, or the weight of history.

The title itself, Always Haunted, sets the tone for the collection, suggesting that the hauntings in these poems are not momentary but persistent, a lingering presence in every aspect of life. The author skillfully balances the spectral with the personal, moving between ghost stories and reflections on human existence. Her poems touch on the inevitability of death, the thin veil between the living and the dead, and the remnants of history that refuse to fade.

LindaAnn LoSchiavo’s poems are a masterclass in atmospheric writing. She has a knack for finding the perfect words to evoke a sense of fear and unease, while the vivid imagery of autumn (Crunching frost-crisped leaves underfoot produce a dry crackle like ghosts coughing) and haunting language (Robed figures holding torches silently walk widdershins) transport readers to dark, mysterious worlds. Each poem is a miniature masterpiece, filled with suspense and a sense of foreboding. From ghostly encounters to eerie tales of historical injustice, the author expertly captures the essence of Halloween. LoSchiavo’s use of language is exquisite in these following examples.

Pumpkin thieves are in for a surprise here:

A jack-o-lantern moon illuminates

Gold grinning gourds, arousing appetites…..

Shushed evergreens’ tips whisper “witching hour”

***********************************************

A different take on “Macbeth”:

The patriarchy does its best to warn,

Forbid, discourage daughters, sisters, wives

By commandeering rights to accolades……

Elizabethan dramatists – all men! –

Put witches in the plot for novelty

Meanwhile, witch hunts harassed the innocent…

Mark my words, women have always fought back,

Preserved infernal mysteries. Bewitched,

Dark invocations learned by stealth live on.

*************************************************

Giving life (and love) to Potter’s Field:

Death flattens a corpse’s understory, its ancestry a forgotten dialect, but long bones persevere. Once a potter’s field agitated this soil, 20,000 deceased, indigent New Yorkers were shoveled over, poverty the public’s natural blindfold.

*************************************************

One of my favorite elements of this collection is its ability to blend the supernatural with historical events. These poems often reimagine true crimes and injustices through a Halloween lens, adding a chilling dimension to the stories. This approach is both thought-provoking and haunting, inviting readers to consider the ways in which the past can continue to haunt us. The use of footnotes to provide context adds another element to these poems – such as:

the story of America’s first female tycoon, unfairly portrayed as a miser and eccentric, which could not be further from the truth (Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street”).
what is now Washington Square Park was Manhattan’s Potter’s Field, where thousands of people, including the unidentified, indigent, and those who died of yellow fever, were buried (Babysitting a Bone in Washington Square Park)
former journalist Peter Braunstein is serving an 18 years-to-life sentence at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, NY for crimes he committed on October 31, 2005 (Hallowe’en Horror, October 31, 2005).

Each poem feels like a glimpse into a shadowy world where reality and the supernatural intersect. Whether describing a physical haunting or a more metaphorical one, such as being haunted by family history or past regrets, LoSchiavo’s words linger in the mind, echoing like the spirits she writes about. Her language is both elegant and chilling, offering moments of beauty even in the darker corners of her work.

The illustrations accompanying the poems are a perfect complement to the text. They add a visual dimension to the stories, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the collection. The artwork is both haunting and beautiful, capturing the essence of the poems in a visually striking way. Some of my favorites are the ones accompanying Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street”, Emily Post’s “Etiquette Book for Ghosts”, and The Hallowe’en Homicides on October 31, 1981. The last one is especially poignant, underscoring the melancholy of the words.

The collection’s emotional depth is another highlight. LoSchiavo doesn’t just rely on the macabre to draw readers in; she layers her poems with emotional resonance, exploring themes of loss, guilt, and the passage of time. Readers will find themselves contemplating the nature of memory and the ways in which we are all haunted by our own experiences and the stories of those who came before us.

In Always Haunted, LindaAnn LoSchiavo delivers a powerful collection of poems that lingers long after the final page is turned. It is a book for those who enjoy poetry that delves into the supernatural but also for those who appreciate reflective, introspective work. Her ability to blend the spectral with the emotional makes this collection a haunting, yet human, experience.

Want your own copy? You can pick it up here.

APPRENTICED TO THE NIGHT by LindaAnn LoSchiavo

January 9, 2024 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 1 Comment

“Apprenticed to the Night” is a collection of 66 poems focused on mortality, betrayal, memory, trauma, and the bewilderment of loss as constantly shifting enigmas. It explores themes of life, death, childhood, trauma, family, and love. The book is divided into three sections: Youth, Maturity, and Beyond. Reviewers have called this collection a powerful and moving collection of poetry that is honest, insightful, innovative, and beautifully written.

Thanks to the author for this review copy!

2023 has been a terrible year for me; I lost my beloved Mom and all three of my dogs (at different times throughout the year). When I was offered this review copy, I wondered if these poems would be too much for me to absorb. Thankfully, I was wrong. My own exposure to great loss enabled me to understand the deeper meaning of LoSchiavo’s words. Despite the grim, stark environment of these verses, they offer readers a glimpse into the raw and vulnerable world of the speaker and force the reader to delve into the depths of the human experience.

The author’s imagery is often dark and evocative, yet it also manages to be strangely beautiful. The poems are filled with metaphors and similes that create a rich and textured landscape, inviting readers to linger and savor each word. Some of my favorite lines (taken from various poems) are:

When my mother died, she took home along with her
Tick, tick — mortality’s metronome
Accusing north winds whip open coats like a Customs Officer
Doves nesting at the lake’s edge knitting a new home out of trash and exhausted leaves
A domesticated red lighthouse
They find a determined amaryllis
My sister lives forever in six drawers / Where Mom maintains her clothing, worn, outgrown
Some kisses are consumer errors

Some of these poems use their words to lead you down a poignant yet rosy path, full of nostalgia, then veer off into the shocking, cold truth of the world. One such story is A Little Choir Girl at Passiontide – the poem starts out full of calming religious images and scenes from a typical Brooklyn neighborhood…then like a bucketful of cold water, these sentences turn the microcosm into an abomination:

…cars gunning for

You with their solid metal presence in your Immediate future, taking action

That could recast the universe in dark

Unpredictable ways

The poems are written in various forms and styles, such as sonnets, villanelles, haiku, free verse, and more. The language is rich, as similes and metaphors are used to convey the emotions and experiences of the speaker. Some of the poems are inspired by historical figures, such as Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette, and Edgar Allan Poe, while others are based on personal anecdotes and observations.

This collection is not for the faint of heart. The poems deal with topics such as death, suicide, abuse, eating disorders, and grief. However, they also explore the complexities of love, friendship, family, and identity. The author’s words are honest, insightful, and sometimes heartbreaking, but they also offer hope and the power of resilience. Even in the darkest of times, there is beauty and meaning to be found.

APPRENTICED TO THE NIGHT is a hauntingly beautiful assortment of poems that will stay with readers long after they have finished reading. LoSchiavo’s words are like a balm to the soul, offering solace and comfort in the face of darkness. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever experienced loss, love, or the struggle to find their place in the world.

Want your own copy? You can pick it up here.