Kin Types by Luanne Castle was the first book that intrigued me about writing short pieces about ancestors. What a creative way to approach genealogy. I kept returning to this one, which was an early inspiration for Meadowlark Songs: A Motherline Legacy.
The stories of ancestors help keep their memories alive. Luanne Castle does that regularly on her blog called The Family Kalamazoo That’s where I learned about her Kin Types, a slim volume of 19 poems and flash prose, in which she captures individuals with a vignette or glimpse of well-chosen details that give you goosebumps, even a lump in your throat. They are poignant stories, even difficult ones.
I especially enjoyed one about family resemblances in old photographs, noting the names, dates, and places as her forebears crossed the ocean from The Netherlands and Germany and settled in Michigan.
What a clever name for this book. Tintypes are old photos on metal, usually small ones. I’ll bet the one on the cover of Luanne’s book is from a tintype.
Luanne Castle
Eric Hoffer Award Finalist, Kin Types is a collection of lyric poetry, prose poetry, and flash prose that imaginatively retells the lives of private individuals from previous generations. Using family history research, the writer has reconstructed the stories of women and men from Michigan to Illinois to the Netherlands. Read together, the pieces create a history of women dealing with infant mortality, vanity, housewife skills, divorce, secret abortion, the artist versus mother dilemma, mysterious death, wife beating, and a brave heroine saving a family’s home.
Luanne has written other compelling books. Several of her poems have been published by online publications. Here’s her author website, and her Amazon Author Page.
Luanne’s Kin Types is featured in Meadowlark Songs on page 141 under Favorite Resources.
Thank you for helping me relocate Luanne. I wish her all the best with this endeavor!
She’s been quiet lately, hasn’t she?
Yes, but it appears, after going over there, that our connection had been broken.
Clever ideas for poems. Thank you for this.
You’re so welcome, Jacqui!
Having read Kintypes, I can highly recommend it! Luanne’s poetry is both visceral and insightful.
Amen, Liz!
It is so exciting to hear that Kin Types has inspired a new book. I can’t wait to read it—just ordered it. Thank you so much, Joy!
Goosebumps!
It must be really good if it was an inspiration for you, Joy. That makes it good for us, your fans.
Thank you, Tim. There are three of them. I’ll share Liz Gauffreau’s dear Grief Songs on Monday!
Great!
Luanne had an intriguing idea to weave her family’s story throughout her poetry-Wow! Another inspirational author to check out-thanks, Joy. 🙂
That’s how I ended up with genealogy meeting free verse!
[…] her website, you may notice one book of hers that I’ve shared before. Her Kintypes was an early inspiration for Meadowlark […]