The Zoomuse Poems for Peace series completes its first year of readings by presenting Claudia Castro Luna, a former Poet Laureate of the state of Washington and author of the new book Cipotla Under the Moon. That Claudia is a refugee from the Salvadoran Civil War makes her appearance as part of this series especially relevant at this time. Her new book is her first effort a writing about her own history as an immigrant from Central America. Andrew Hall of Ottawa, Canada is the Executive Producer of Zoomuse Poems for Peace. His “teaser” interview is here:

Details for Zoomuse Poems for Peace are: The Zoom Meeting link on Thursday, 16 June is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81799264950 Meeting ID is 817 9926 4950 The time on June 16 is: – 11 a.m. Pacific time – 2 p.m. Eastern time – 7 p.m. UK time – 8 p.m. Central European time – 4 a.m. on June 17 in Sydney, Australia

ABOUT CLAUDIA CASTRO LUNA

Claudia Castro Luna was Seattle’s first Civic Poet (2015-2018) and was Washington State’s Poet Laureate (2018-2021). Castro Luna’s newest collection of poetry, Cipota Under the Moon, has just been published from Tia Chucha Press. Claudia is also the author of One River, A Thousand Voices (Chin Music Press), the Pushcart nominated Killing Marías(Two Sylvias Press) also shortlisted for WA State 2018 Book Award in poetry, and the chapbook This City (Floating Bridge Press). Her most recent non-fiction is in There’s a Revolution Outside, My Love: Letters from a Crisis (Vintage). Born in El Salvador, Claudia came to the United States in 1981. Living in English and Spanish, Claudia writes and teaches in Seattle on unceded Duwamish lands where she gardens and keeps chickens with her husband and their three children. As always you can find the link to the Zoomuse Poems for Peace series here: https://sica-usa.org/sica-usa-events/zoomuse-poems-for-peace/ To work with Andrew Hall and Co-Curator Adelia MacWilliam is a joy and the focus on peace can be applied to every aspect of our lives. The condo building down the street I’m told is at war between dog-owners and dog-haters. Gunshots are heard regularly in this neighborhood. Each mass killing, especially in schools, is horrific. The Russian war in Ukraine is also a holocaust. Peace starts with us and the act of writing and listening to poetry is, itself, an act of peace. After Claudia’s reading, we break until September. As Claudia signed her book to me: “Luz, Paz y Justicia.”