LIVING FOR THE CITY – Scenes from Quito, Ecuador

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, stretches across a high-altitude (8,250 meters / 9,350 feet above sea level) meseta surrounded by the slopes of Pichincha volcano and many hills – Panecillo, Libertad, El Placer, Itchimbía and others. On the horizon, Cayambe, Antisana, Cotopaxi, and other volcanos are seen when the clouds part. 

Its Centro Histórico (Historic Center) is one of the best preserved in all of Latin America, thus making Quito one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites (declared in 1978). The city, built in 1534 upon the runs of an Inca city, displays stunning architecture mixing Spanish, mudejár (Moorish), indigenous and other influences. During the colonial period, it was home to the Escuela Quiteña school of art which created altar screens, sculptures and paintings for churches throughout the northern Andes.

Visitors wander Quito’s streets, enthralled by the historic buildings, many museums, and the markets. It is the gateway to adventures to Ecuador’s four regions: hiking and mountain climbing in the Sierra, checking out the jungle wildlife in the Amazonía, surfing on the Pacific coast (and savoring the country’s best dishes there – especially in Esmeraldas and Manabí provinces), and observing the incredible, unique fauna of the Galápagos Islands.

Tourists are so bedazzled by the Quito’s richness that many miss seeing the local people who are living for the city. They don’t hear the rhythm of everyday (and every night) life of this ciudad, especially those who live in the Centro Histórico (Historic Center – yes, tens of thousands live in that sector of the city).  

º

---

º

My first visit to Quito was in 1992. Over the decades, I have visited many times. I always stayed in the Centro Histórico. Each visit has inspired me to capture the sights, sounds and smells of the city. In this collection, Living for the City, which includes poems from 2005 to 2007, I invite you to join me in experiencing the vital rhythms of this ciudad, from before the dawn (Mute to Grey) to the wee hours of the night (Echoes).

A young girl feeds the multitudinous pigeons that hang out on Plaza San Francisco (A Quiteño Sketch). And like any place on this planet, folks go on with their daily lives despite the rain – and miss the magic of a rainbow (Three O’Clock Rain). They return home after yet another long day at work (Homeward). And like many cities in this world, child abuse (One Shoe) and homelessness (2 AM Streets) hide in plain sight – if only we all (locals and tourists alike) would see …

º

---

º

Click on over to the Latin America Wanderer E-Book Library and settle in for these poetic adventures.

Safe Journeys!

º

---

---

º

If you would like continue exploring Quito,

check out these other collections of my poetry :

In the Jaguar Valley (Chicago: dancing girl press, 2023)

Quito Suite and Endless Rains (both from Origami Poems Project)

Songs to Mary – A Pilgrim’s Guide to and a Poetic Witnessing of Marian Processions in Quito, Ecuador (Twin Tails Publishing, 2022)

NEW PUBLICATIONS : Poetic and Travel – March Equinox 2024

HAPPY MARCH EQUINOX!

If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you are officially starting spring.

If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, then autumn is beginning.

This is also the time when many Andean nations celebrate Pawkar Raymi (the Flowering Festival). Kichwa communities in the Ecuadorian Andes also call this Mushuk Nina (Fuego Nuevo), marking a new year.

º

AND – it is time for another quarterly round-up of my recent publications!

º

Indeed, indeed – my poetry, travel writing and visual expressions continue to appear in journals and on websites around the world – this quarter, in the US, Singapore, UK, Australia – and in Spanish, in Peru.

Spend this March equinox browsing through the list (with links) below, poetically journeying to Colombia, the US, Ecuador, Cuba, the Galapagos Islands, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador … and destinations within my self / Self …

Several of these journeys are accompanied by my photography and drawings. In one publication, I am interviewed about my artistic creations.

In the realm of travel narratives and articles, we’ll be off on two more adventures to Guatemala and Honduras to explore more of the Fruit Company’s history there; taking another Mexican train ride; and heading out to a village feast day in the Galápagos Islands, as well as to the local Saturday market.

º

And until we next meet …..

Safe Journeys!

º

“Eastward / horizon glows …” photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW LITERARY EXPRESSIONS

“Here on the Coast” in Beach Chair (Issue 2, Winter 2023)

“Summer Storms” in Otherwise Engaged Literature and Arts Journal (Twelfth Volume, Winter 2024)

º

“On Quinoa Plains” and “Confluence” in The Tiger Moth Review (Singapore) (Issue 11, January 2024)

“The Sea of Our Lives,” “Meditation – Galápagos Seas” and “Zipolite” in Lit Shark (Issue 4, January 2024)

“Premature” in Panoply (Issue 26, Winter 2024)

“Pa’ Barquisimeto Lara Saliendo” and “Tropical Storms” in Windward Review (Volume 21 : Myths and Hauntings, 2023)

“Eastward” + photography in MasticadoresUSA (31 January 2024)

º

++ “Lloro por la noche”, “Entre ríos”, “Esperanza”, “Siempre el viento” y “La lluvia llega” en Revista Kametsa (Perú) (17 febrero 2024)

“A Southern Colombian Odyssey” + photography in MasticadoresUSA (29 February 2024)

º

“Andean Nocturne” and “Foretelling This New Day” in Orbis (UK) (nº 207, Spring 2024)

º

Synapses (pen & ink) © Lorraine Caputo

NEW VISUAL EXPRESSIONS

Besides my photography and artwork appearing in the above journals, my visual creations have also been featured here :

[4 drawings] “Helix,” “Synapses,” “Tapestry” and “Gibbous” in Thimble Literary Magazine (Volume 6, number 3, Winter 2023)

[7 drawings] “Between Worlds,” “Night Perfume,” “Hejira,” “Night of the Iguana,” “Nocturnal Helix,” “On the Shore,” “Tropical Respite” + interview in Streetlight Magazine (Winter 2023)

[3 drawings] “Sea Rain,” “Night Beach,” and “Turf & Surf” in Flora Fiction Literary Magazine (Volume 4, Issue 4, Winter 2023)

[3 drawings] “Outside My Window,” “Playa Escondida” and “Secret Garden” + “A Few Words with Lorraine Caputo” in The Mersey Review (UK) (Issue 2, Spring 2024)

º

º

AND OTHER NEWS IN THE PUBLISHING and ARTS REALM

Flapper Press nominated my creative nonfiction narrative “Puerto Barrios” for the 2023 Pushcart Prize.

I am a featured poet in the long-delayed issue of Muddy River Poetry Review (Issue Nº 27, Fall 2022 / January 2024), featuring my poems: “Wading the Midst,” “Bojó (selections),” “Evening’s Tide,” “Leaving Behind” and “Towards the River Plate”

At the beginning of March, I gave a virtual presentation-discussion, “When the Words Fail: Using Images/Imagination to Break the Block,” about how I use drawing to break writer’s block, to the North Carolina Writers Network.

º

º

The Saturday Feria. Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos. photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW TRAVEL EXPRESSIONS

Eucalyptus Lit

“The Abandoned Lands” and “Southbound on the Oaxaqueño” (Issue 2, December 2023)

The Fear of Monkeys                                                   

“Who Are You?” (Issue 47, Winter 2023)

Lowestoft Chronicle

“Galápagos Sketches – A Village Feast Day” (Nº 57, March 2024)

Sojournal (Australia)

“Galápagos Sketches: The Saturday Feria” + photography (6 March 2024)

º

º

---

---

º

                Do you have a project in mind?

Rely on my decades of writing and publishing experience to make your writing or website shine!

If you need any of the following services, please feel free to contact me for a cost quote on your project:

• an article for your publication or website

• proofreading and editing of your blog articles

• a translation (Spanish-English)

• proofreading or copyediting of your dissertation, book or article

• design of an eBook or ready-to-print collection of your poetry (please see here for examples)

I am also available to participate in literary events.

FROM SHORE TO SHORE : A Galápagos Crossing

“To the west the Daphnes, Mayor and Menor, dot the sea.” photo © Lorraine Caputo

When we leave the south side of Isla Santa Cruz, the light rain still falls.

And into the highlands, the misting fog heavy. The scent of escalesia and lichen-draped palo santo is so faint – like a watercolor fading in this garúa.

To the twin craters of this island’s volcano, heading north. Here, the sky is sun-cleared, sun-dried. The landscape a bit more sere, less green – but much greener than when I came three months ago.  And on this side, the earth is free from the hand of man. We are ascending, drying. Then, descending to Canal de Itabaca which separates this isla from the island to the north.

Outside this bus window, I watch for the gentle giant, the Galápagos tortoise, who – at times – wander to this highway, watching the humans come, the humans go in their metal shells.

That channel is now visible, a broad blue ribbon draping the northern coast / shore. To the west the Daphnes, Mayor and Menor, dot the sea. On the distant horizon is a large, hazed island, perhaps Santiago.

And on the shore of that canal, I watch small dory fish swim this way, that way, above larger, blue-bellied fish. Across the turquoise water, several frigatebirds soar above the rough, red-lava cliffs streaked with guano. A great blue heron wades along on the shore green-laced with mangrove.

º

º

published in:

Synchronized Chaos (mid-June 2023)

º

---

---

º

Would you like to continue exploring the Galápagos Islands?

Check out these poetry collections of mine!

On Galápagos Shores (Chicago: dancing girl press, 2019)

º

Beneath the Enchanted Moon (Galápagos Nights) (Origami Poems Project, 2020)

THE TIME FOR TRAVELING – 2023 E-Book Travel Guides and Poetic Journeys

© Lorraine Caputo

The time for travelling has arrived.

In the Northern Hemisphere, chill winds blow through bare tree limbs, whipping sodden, colorless leaves into whirlwinds. Snow is a-blowing into drifts. Icy slush seeps into boots.

For some of us, this is the time to transform into the ultimate snowbird. We pack the ol’ trusty knapsack and hop on the wind, escaping from that frigid winter. We head to lands where the hurricane season has ended and the dry season begun – or to others lands where summer is beginning.

In the Southern Hemisphere, summer vacations are upon us. Locals are packing luggage, coolers and other essentials – especially in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. They are boarding trains to explore the countries, then bee-lining it to the numerous campgrounds, hostales and other lodging so common throughout these countries.

º

Are you ready to enjoy the endless summer?

Then come with me to browse the 2023 acquisitions to the Latin America Wanderer’s eBook Library.

No, these aren’t guidebooks in the traditional sense, listing hotels, restaurants and the such. These are a whole new concept in guides.

Some of these special collections of my published poetry are journeys to specific countries, sometimes illustrated with my own photography.

Others are handbooks – to give you information on Latin America’s cultural and natural beauty. These also include poetry and – very often – are generously illustrated with my photography.

Embark, then, on poetic journeys to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and other destinations in Latin America.

And check out the special handbooks to help you in your journeys to Northeastern Argentina and to Latin America’s multitudinous archaeological sites, and enjoy one of the region’s most important religious celebrations, Semana Santa.

All are available at the LATIN AMERICA WANDERER E-BOOK LIBRARY.

Safe Journeys!

º

                Poetic Journeys to Great Destinations

At Blue Beach & Other Explorations : Chilling On Mexico’s Pacific Coast

Mmmmmm – what a delight to escape to the beach! Come chill at some of Mexico’s most-renowned Pacific Coast playas, as well as some lesser-known ones. Caleta de Campos, Playa Azul, Puerto Escondido and Zipolite are all on the itinerary.

Jungle Visions – Meditations from the Shores of Lago Izabal

A half-dozen poems of one of my favorite get-away-from-it-all places in eastern Guatemala.

Land Of Lakes & Volcanoes : Poetic Vignettes of Nicaragua

With this collection, you will mosey through Nicaragua, to cities, small towns and deep in the countryside, from Estelí in the north to Rivas in the south. Be witness to daily life, to a heartfelt serenade, and to several holidays: the feast day of San Antonio, New Year’s Eve and the Epiphany (feast day of the Three Kings).

From the Crossroads of the World : Verses from Panamá  

From Bocas del Toro, on the far northern Caribbean Coast, to Panama City, the Pacific Ocean terminus of the Panama Canal, we wend and learn why Panama is the Crossroads of the World.

Selva Saunters : Poetry in Ecuador’s Jungle

This selection of poems let’s us journey through the Ecuador’s jungle region, from Baños to Zumba, with stops at Puyo, Macas and Vilcabamba.

Return to the Roof of the World : Journeys Through the Northern Peruvian Andes

We return to the Roof of the World in Peru, this time wandering through the northern Andes: to Mitupampa; from Huamachuco to Trujillo; to Huaraz; from Huaraz to Chavín and vice-versa; and from  Huancavelica to Pisco. This collection is the sister companion to On the Roof of the World – Poems from the Southern Peruvian Andes (2022).

Patagonian Passages : Poems from Southern Argentina

Here we travel in Argentina’s Patagonia, from the South Atlantic seas to the towering Andes. Such breathtaking landscapes!

º

                Cross-Geography

Jaguar Dreams

Throughout tropical America, the jaguar (Panthera onca) is a sacred animal. For many indigenous nations, this mystical feline represents abundance, protection and leadership. In my journeys, I have had often felt its spirit (and even had a few close encounters of the yaguareté kind!)

Women of Latin America – South America

In celebration of International Women’s Day and Month, this volume honors the women of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, the Galápagos Islands, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay in poetry and photography.

º

                Travel Handbooks

Between Rivers – Journeys in Argentina’s Mesopotamia Region

The wonderful thing about traveling in Argentina is that even the smallest of towns have campgrounds – and Argentina’s Mesopotamia region, which encompasses Entre Ríos, Corrientes and Misiones provinces, is the perfect place to kick back and chill. The principal towns are popular with national and international vacationers, as are Iberá National Park and Iguazú Falls.

Digging the Past : Exploring Latin America’s Ancient Ruins

This handbook will guide you to visiting Latin America’s many ancient ruins, with information on off-the-beaten-track explorations and tips for visiting archaeological sites. Also included are special articles on geoglyphs, petroglyphs and other earth art; Chinchorro mummies; and suggested readings on Latin America archaeology. Lavishly illustrated with my photography. We also embark on poetic journeys to sites in Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, and Argentina.

Semana Santa – A Guide to and a Poetic-Photographic Journey of Easter Week in Latin America

Semana Santa (Easter Week) is one of the major religious seasons in Latin America. This guide fills you in on everything you need to know to witness these events: Marking the Days of Semana Santa in Latin America; Best Places to Experience Semana Santa, Tips for Travelers, and Ciphering Semana Santa. Poetry documents the religious traditions, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday, in Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru and El Salvador. Extensively illustrated with my photography.

º

Where shall we be a-journeying in 2024?

What festivities shall we be joining?

Come visit the Latin America Wanderer E-Book Library every month, when a new collection is added, and find out!

º

---

---

º

Would you like an eBook or ready-to-print collection of your poetry designed?

Contact me to discuss your dream!

NEW PUBLICATIONS : Poetic and Travel – December Solstice 2023

HAPPY DECEMBER SOLSTICE!

If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you are officially starting winter. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, then summer is beginning.

Now, that leaves the age-old question: What about if you’re near the equator? In the tropics (defined by the region lying between the Tropic of Cancer – which, in the Americas, runs through Mexico – and the Tropic of Capricorn – which passes through Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil), there really isn’t an autumn … or a spring. Rather, the seasons are defined by whether it is the rainy season or the dry season – and depending where you are, the rainy season may be called winter and the dry season summer – or vice-versa ….

This is also the time when many Andean nations celebrate Kapak Raymi (the Great Festival), when the female energy of the Universe is at her peak. It is the time of the release of potentials.

º

AND – it is time for another quarterly round-up of my recent publications!

Indeed, indeed – my poetry and travel writing continue to appear in journals and on websites around the world – this quarter, in the US, the UK, India, France and Japan.

Spend this December solstice browsing through the list (with links) below, poetically journeying to Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, the Galapagos Islands, Colombia, Peru, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela … and destinations within my self / Self …

Besides my photography accompanying my poetry, my visual expressions are featured in several other publications.

In the realm of travel narratives and articles, we’ll be hanging out in the Mexico City train station; off on another two adventures to Guatemala and Honduras to explore more of the Fruit Company’s history there; and witnessing an event on the Caribbean coast of Honduras.

And until we next meet …..

º

Safe Journeys!

“I sit in my room … hearing / the window rattle …” photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW LITERARY EXPRESSIONS

“Canticle” in First Literary Review-East (September 2023)

º

“A Thousand Miles” in Ink Sweat & Tears (UK) (5 October 2023)

“New Year Delayed,” “Dreaming with Hormigas Voladores” and “Counting the World” in Literary Yard (India) (7 October 2023)

“Secrets” + photography in MasticadoresUSA (10 October 2023)

“In the Darkest Hour” in Orenaug Mountain Poetry Journal (12 October 2023)

“Midnight Murmurs” in Orenaug Mountain Poetry Journal (18 October 2023)

[Hallowe’en haiku] “Frost fractures upon …” in Scarlet Dragonfly Journal (Hallowe’en issue, October 2023)

“Some Saturday in Otavalo” in Beakful / Bécquée (France) (24 October 2023)

“Holding Our Breath” in Orenaug Mountain Poetry Journal (25 October 2023)

“Skyline,” “Retreat,” and “Solitary Shores” in Lit Shark Magazine (Issue 2, October 2023)

º

“Upon the Ruins” in Dashboard Horus (12 November 2023)

“Evening’s Tide,” “Leaving Behind” and “Towards the River Plate” in Synchronized Chaos (mid-November 2023)

“Villa de Leyva” + photography in MasticadoresUSA (18 November 2023)

[haiku] “Night falls deeper …” in Cold Moon Journal (19 November 2023)

“On Restless Wing” in The Seraphic Review (Issue 2, November 2023)

º

“Southern Cross” and “The Road of Death” in Verse-Virtual (December 2023)

“Yungas” in Backchannels Journal (Fall 2023)

“Shadows Sonance” in The Sacramento Review (Nº 1, December 2023)

“Mountain Matins” in The Orchards Poetry Journal (Winter 2023)

º

“Desert Dream” (pen & ink, colored pencil) drawing © Lorraine Caputo

Besides my photography and artwork appearing in the above journals, my visual creations has also been featured here :

“Parting the Waters” in Quail Bell Magazine (9 November 2023)

4 drawings: “Contrasts,” “Desert Dream,” “Subaqueous,” and “Visitor” in Tigershark (UK) (Issue 34, Autumn/Winter 2023)

“Parting the Waters” in Literary Cocktail Magazine (India) (Fall 2023)

º

º

AND OTHER NEWS IN THE PUBLISHING REALM

My chapbook, In the Jaguar Valley, has been reviewed in the UK:

“Midnight Echoes,” in The Lake (UK), One Poem Review (November 2023)

º

My poem, “Wraiths,” was nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.

º

A new, FREE microchap of my poetry has hit the virtual bookshelves!

Endless Rains (Origami Poems Project, 2023)

(If you are able, please make a donation to the Origami Poems Project so that they may continue to make these microchaps available for free to all! Thank you!)

º

º

The complete manuscript of my works about the United and Standard Fruit Companies. photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW TRAVEL EXPRESSIONS

This quarter, four of my travel narratives have been published – including two from The Ode.

Oracle

“Boredom” (Spring 2023)

Flapper Press

“Puerto Barrios” (October 2023)

Dissident Voice

“Here Comes the Rain Again” (18 November 2023)

The Personal Essayist

“Because of Circumstance” (1 December 2023) – trigger warning: sexual assault

º

And a special article to help you travelers plan your adventures:

Japan Concert Tickets

Ghibli Theme Park

º

---

---

º

Do you have a project in mind?

Rely on my decades of writing and publishing experience to make your writing or website shine!

If you need any of the following services, please feel free to contact me for a cost quote on your project:

• an article for your publication or website
• proofreading and editing of your blog articles
• a translation (Spanish-English)
• proofreading or copyediting of your dissertation, book or article
• design of an eBook or ready-to-print collection of your poetry (please see here for examples)

I am also available to participate in literary events.

NEW PUBLICATIONS : Poetic and Travel – September Equinox 2023

Happy September Equinox to all!

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn has officially begun. Perhaps already the leaves are beginning to change colors. Soon they will be twirling to the damp, icy earth. Then those frigid winds will loosen the last of the last of the leaves as the December Solstice nears …

Whereas for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, Spring is upon us. Far to the south, the last snows are swirling. Planting has begun in the warmer areas, with Kulla Raymi celebrated.

And to pass the evenings after preparing for the growing season or sheltering from the blustering wind, I invite you to join me in poetic, artistic and narrative adventures.

Indeed, my poetry and travel writing continue to appear in journals and on websites around the world – this quarter, in the US, India, Scotland, Japan, and the UK.

Spend this September equinox browsing through the list (with links) below, poetically journeying to Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Honduras, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, Bolivia, Cuba … and destinations within my self / Self …

One of these journeys is accompanied by my photography.

In the realm of travel narratives and articles, we’ll be off to the Caribbean coast of northern Honduras, not too far from the Guatemalan border. We shall also be hopping across the Pacific to check out some attractions in Tokyo.

And until we next meet …..

Safe Journeys!

“When the night rains …” Atacazo with morning snows, as seen from Quito, Ecuador. photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW LITERARY EXPRESSIONS

“Crossing” in South Broadway Ghost Society (26 June 2023)

“Scavengers” and “The Other Side” in The BeZine (volume 10, issue 2, Summer 2023)

º

“I Cry for the Night” in Global South (Volume 16, Nº 1, Fall 2023)

“A Dissonant Sonnet for a Rain-Drenched City” in The Orchards Poetry Journal (Summer 2023)

“I Am a Mother” in The Sunflower Collective (India) (Roe vs Wade Series, 7 July 2023)

“Scarlet Sunset” in Red Eft Review (12 July 2023)

“Interlude” in Poetry Breakfast (13 July 2023)

“Wraiths” in Dashboard Horus (20 July 2023)

“The Duet” in First Literary Review-East (July 2023)

“It Never Does,” “Copán” and “Until the Dawn” in Dreich (Scotland) (Season 6, Issue 10, July 2023)

º

“Through the Door” and “Within the Sounds of Insomnia” in Verse-Virtual (August 2023)

“Specters,” “Silence” and “The Healing” in Tokyo Poetry Journal (Japan) (Volume 13: Maladies, Calamities & Misfortunes, 2023)

“The more this night’s rain …” in 5-7-5 Haiku Journal (UK) (18 August 2023)

“Rush Hour” in 5-7-5 Haiku Journal (UK) (25 August 2023)

º

“The coal black earth heaps …” in 5-7-5 Haiku Journal (UK) (5 September 2023)

“Eclipsing” in MasticadoresUSA (7 September 2023) – with my photography

“When night rains, dawn reflects off …” in 5-7-5 Haiku Journal (UK) (22 September 2023)

º

º

AND OTHER NEWS IN THE PUBLISHING REALM

Besides my photography appearing in the abovementioned journal, one of my visual creations was also featured here :

“Cosmic Breeze” (drawing) in Anti-Heroin Chic (August 2023)

º

I was Storyteller of the Week in …

“Disappearing into the Night Rain,” “Sunday Morning Meditation,” “Tidalpooling,” “Saint John’s Eve” and “Dominoes” in Storyteller Poetry Review (28 July 2023)

º

The complete manuscript of my works about the United and Standard Fruit Companies. photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW TRAVEL EXPRESSIONS

Another installment of The Ode has been published:

Flights (UK)

“When the Company Was Here” (Issue 10, September 2023)

 º

And special articles to help travelers plan their adventures:

Japan Concert Tickets

Shibuyu Sky Observation Deck

Harry Potter Studio

º

---

---

º

Do you have a project in mind?

Rely on my decades of writing and publishing experience to make your writing or website shine!

If you need any of the following services, please feel free to contact me for a cost quote on your project:

• an article for your publication or website
• proofreading and editing of your blog articles
• a translation (Spanish-English)
• proofreading or copyediting of your dissertation, book or article
• design of an eBook or ready-to-print collection of your poetry (please see here for examples)

I am also available to participate in literary events.

NEW PUBLICATIONS : Poetic and Travel – June Solstice 2023

HAPPY JUNE SOLSTICE!

In the Northern Hemisphere, today is officially the first day of Summer … and for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere (especially in the extreme south of the continent), Winter has arrived. The Mapuche indigenous are celebrating We Tripantu, and the Aymara are observing Willkakuti.

And, here at Latin America Wanderer, it is time for the quarterly round-up for my recent publications!

º

Indeed, my poetry and travel writing continue to appear in journals and on websites around the world – this quarter, in England, the US, Hong Kong, the UK and Iraq-Kurdistan.

Spend this June solstice browsing through the list (with links) below, poetically journeying to Mexico, Colombia, the Galapagos Islands, the US, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Ecuador, Panama … and destinations within my self / Self …

In the realm of travel narratives, we’ll be off to Isla del Tigre in the Golfo de Fonseca in Honduras and crossing Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos.

And until we next meet …..

Safe Journeys!

Y él se va … (pen & ink, colored pencil) © Lorraine Caputo

NEW LITERARY EXPRESSIONS

“The Hunt,” “Spirit Bolom,” “Wisdom” and “Animal Dreams” in Lothlorien Poetry Journal (England) (Volume 20 – Masks of Many Colors, 2023)

“Non-Remembrance,” “Charmeuse” and “Ice Bound” in The Red Fern Review (Spring 2023)

º

“A Sunday Masaya Morning” and “Saint’s Day” in 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine (Hong Kong) (Issue 71, May 2023)

“Assuagement,” “With Pen” and “Troubadours” in The BeZine (27 April 2023)

 

“After the Feast” in Panoply, A Literary Zine (Issue 24, May 2023)

“In Clear Nights,” “Enchanted Night” and “Golden Dawn” in Impspired Anthology (UK) (Volume 11, May 2023)

“Awaiting the Silence” in AUIS Literary Journal (Iraq-Kurdistan) (Issue 2 | Handmade Forest | Spring 2023)

1 haiku (“indigo night drapes…”) in Shadow Pond Journal (24 May 2023)

º

Two haiku (“Spirits entangled” + “A thousand shards of”) in Cold Moon Journal (2 June 2023)

“Crossing the Isthmus” in Synchronized Chaos (mid-June 2023)

º

AND OTHER NEWS IN THE PUBLISHING REALM

I am now part of The BeZine’s Core Creative Team

I participated in Verse-Virtual’s Book Party #6 (10 June 2023) to promote my new chapbook, In the Jaguar Valley

Pick up a copy of my latest chapbook collection, exclusively from dancing girl press

In the Jaguar Valley (dancing girl press, 2023)

—  poetry inspired by my stays in Quito, Ecuador

º

Daphne Mayor and Daphne Menor from the air. Flying into the Galápagos Islands. photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW TRAVEL EXPRESSIONS

Synchronized Chaos

“Carnaval’s Morn,” and “From Shore to Shore” (mid-June 2023)

---

---

                Do you have a project in mind?

Rely on my decades of writing and publishing experience to make your writing or website shine!

If you need any of the following services, please feel free to contact me for a cost quote on your project:

• an article for your publication or website
• proofreading and editing of your blog articles
• a translation (Spanish-English)
• proofreading or copyediting of your dissertation, book or article
• design of an eBook or ready-to-print collection of your poetry (please see here for examples)

I am also available to participate in literary events.

º

NEW PUBLICATIONS : Poetic and Travel – March Equinox 2023

In some traditions, the March equinox marks the New Year. Andean indigenous nations now observe Pawkar Raymi, meaning “the flowering festival” or “colorful festival.” It is a time to give thanks and share the gifts of Pachamama (Mother Earth). In Ecuador, the festivity is also called “Muchuc Nina” (New Fire).

May this New Year bring you all pleasant adventures and sweet dreams come true!

º

Throughout the Americas, other indigenous nations are celebrating the equinox in their ways. At this time of year, the Aymara (of Peru, Bolivia and northern Chile and Argentina) observe Hallu Willka Chika, which marks the end of the growing season and the coming of winter.

At the opposite end of the region, winter is ending and spring – the growing season – is beginning. In Mexico, people are gathering at Teotihuacán, Chichén Itzá and other sites to celebrate the March equinox.

º

---

º

My poetry and travel writing continue to appear in journals and on websites around the world – this quarter, in the US, England, Australia-New Zealand, the UK and India.

Spend this March equinox browsing through the list (with links) below, poetically journeying to Ecuador, Venezuela, the US, Colombia, the Galapagos Islands … and destinations within my self / Self …

Several of these journeys are accompanied by my photography and drawings. My artwork is also featured in one publication.

An added feature this month is a new micro-chap of my poetry – journeying this time to the Patagonia of Argentina and Chile.

In the realm of travel narrative and articles, we’ll be heading to the oldest European settlement on Honduras’ Caribbean coast, and enjoying summer in Uruguay.

And until we next meet …..

Safe Journeys!

Lilac Moon (pen & ink, colored pencil) © Lorraine Caputo

º

NEW LITERARY EXPRESSIONS

“Lovejoy” in Jalmurra (28 December 2022)

“Dust to Dust” in Flora Fiction Literary Magazine (Volume 3, Issue 4, Winter 2022)

º

“Lilac Moon” + drawing in Jalmurra (8 January 2023)

“The Hunt,” “Spirit Bolom,” “Wisdom” and “Animal Dreams” in Lothlorien Poetry Journal (England) (6 January 2023)

“And the Seasons …” [drawing], “Solomon’s Song” [poem], “Awakening” [poem] and “Currents” [drawing] in The BeZine (Volume 9, Issue 4, Winter 2022)

“Perfumed Moon” in A Moon of One’s Own (Issue 2, January 2023)

º

“This Season’s Dance” and “Cleaving the Night” in Verse-Virtual (Volume 10, Nº 2, February 2023)

“Frozen Sight” and “Thin Shadows” in Otoliths (Australia-New Zealand) (Issue 68, Southern Summer 2023)

“In Clear Nights,” “Enchanted Night” and “Golden Dawn” in Impspired (UK) (February 2023)

“Full Moon Journey” in PPP Ezine (Poetry Poetics Pleasure Ezine) (India) (Volume 7, Issue 2, February 2023)

º

“Dawn,” “Horizon (Venus)” and “All Night” in Scarlet Dragonfly (Issue 12, March 2023)

º

Besides my photography and artwork appearing in the above journals, my visual creations also been featured :

“Autumn Night” (drawing, colored pencil) in New Feathers Anthology (3.3, Winter 2022)

º

º

Patagonian Sketches (Origami Poems Project, 2023)

Download a FREE copy of my newest microchap of travel poetry – with my artwork on the cover!

Where are we off to this time? To the Patagonia of Argentina and Chile!

(And if you are able, please donate to the Origami Poems Project who generously make these microchaps available! Thank you!)

º

º

photo © Lorraine Caputo

º

NEW TRAVEL EXPRESSIONS

Synchronized Chaos

“Trujillo” (January 2023)

Invisible City

“Uruguay Sojourns” (Issue 6, Spring 2023)

º

---

---

Do you have a project in mind?

Rely on my decades of writing and publishing experience to make your writing or website shine!

If you need any of the following services, please feel free to contact me for a cost quote on your project:

• an article for your publication or website
• proofreading and editing of your blog articles
• a translation (Spanish-English)
• proofreading or copyediting of your dissertation, book or article
• design of an e-Book or ready-to-print collection of your poetry (please see here for examples)

I am also available to participate in literary events.

NEW PUBLICATIONS : Poetic and Travel – December Solstice 2022

Happy December Solstice!

As summer is beginning here in the Southern Hemisphere and winter officially starts in the Northern Hemisphere, it is time for another quarterly round-up of my recent publications.

Indeed, my poetry and travel writing continue to appear in journals and on websites around the world – this quarter, in India, the US, Austria, Hong Kong, and the UK.

Spend this December solstice browsing through the list (with links) below, poetically journeying to Venezuela, the Galapagos Islands, the US, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and Uruguay …

… and destinations within my self / Self …

Added features this month include my artwork and photography being featured in several publications … and several newsworthy bits & pieces …

In the realm of travel narrative and articles, we’ll be riding a train in southern Mexico and another in northern Mexico, witnessing a crowd watching a football (soccer) game in the Guatemala highlands, visiting southeastern Guatemala – and information to help you plan the ultimate road trip in southern Peru, way off the proverbial “gringo trail”!

And until we next meet …..

Safe Journeys!

Sunrise over the Condor Range (pen & ink, colored pencil) drawing © Lorraine Caputo

º

NEW LITERARY EXPRESSIONS

“Mucuchíes” in PPP Ezine (Poetry Poetics Pleasure Ezine) (India) (Volume 6, Issue 10, October 2022)

“Answering Some Call” in Literary Cocktail Magazine (India) (Volume 1, Issue 2, Fall 2022) – also photography

“Chill Breeze” in Scarlet Dragonfly Journal (Special Issue – Hallowe’en 2022)

º

“The Circus” in Silver Birch Press – One Good Memory Series (6 November 2022)

“After that Eclipse” and “Orisha Storm” in The Pine Cone Review (Austria / International) – Glissade: Special Issue on Dance (Issue 5, November 2022)

“In This Season of Light” in The Gift (Sweetycat Press, 2022) – anthology

“And That Rain Again” in Red Eft Review (16 November 2022)

“Spirit Suite – Étude Nº 11” (poem); “Roots” and “Talking Trees” (drawings) in fws (formidable woman sanctuary):  journal of art and literature – woodlands (issue 1, volume 1, Fall 2022)

“Delayed Journey” in 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine (Hong Kong) (Issue 68, December 2022)

“Lament for the Missing Moon” in Scarlet Dragonfly Journal (30 November 2022)

“Early Morning” in Panorama Journal (UK) (Issue 7 : Dawn, November 2022)

º

“Escaping the Night,” “Holiday Trippers” and “Secrets” in Otherwise Engaged Literature and Arts Journal

(Tenth Volume, Winter 2022)

“Sketches of La Purísima” and “Songs of La Purísima” in Agape Review (11 December 2022)

º

Besides my photography and artwork appearing in the above journals, my visual creation also have been featured :

“Fire, Water, Earth, Air” (drawing; pen & ink) and “Lilac Moon” (drawing; pen & ink, colored pencil in Sequoyah Cherokee River Journal (Issue 11, Fall/Autumn Issue – November 2022)

“Antisana” (photography), “Sunrise over the Condor Range / Amanecer sobre la Cordillera del Cóndor,” “Parinacota,” “Puracé-Coconuco” and “Ushuaia” in Feminist Hiking Collective – 16+1 campaign (25 November – 10 December 2022)

“Autumn Night” (drawing, colored pencil) in New Feathers Anthology (3.3, Winter 2022)

º

… plus a few that flew under the radar (so to speak) …

“Sojourn” in PPP Ezine (Poetry Poetics Pleasure Ezine) (India) (Volume 6, Issue 7, July 2022)

“Homeward Bound” in PPP Ezine (Poetry Poetics Pleasure Ezine) (India) (Volume 6, Issue 8, August 2022)

º

º

AND OTHER NEWS IN THE PUBLISHING REALM

I was invited to guest edit Synchronized Chaos October 2022: A PAN-LATIN AFFAIRE.

I was shortlisted for Yellow Arrow Publishing’s 2023 Chapbook Releases.

º

The view from Cerro Baúl near Moquegua – one of the incredible destinations to add to your itinerary! photo © Lorraine Caputo

º

NEW TRAVEL EXPRESSIONS

Ají Magazine

“To the Brink of Central America” (Fall 2022)

Litro Magazine (UK)

“Riding and Endangered Eagle” (22 October 2022)

“The Championship Game” (5 November 2022)

Synchronized Chaos

“Quiriguá” (November 2022)

Peru Schedules

“Southern Peru | 9 Incredible Destinations You’ve Been Missing!”

º

---

Please feel free to contact me if you need:

• an article for your publication or website

• a translation (Spanish – English) of your scholarly article or literary work

• proofreading / editing of your dissertation, book or article

I am also available to participate in literary events.

NEW PUBLICATIONS : Poetic and Travel – September Equinox 2022

Hello, once more, to my humble corner of cyberspace. Let us gather to review the quarterly roundup of my poetry and travel writing publications, which continue to appear in journals and on websites around the world. During this past quarter, my works have been published in the US, Australia-New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Czech Republic – and in Spanish, in Ecuador.

Spend this September equinox browsing through the list (with links) below, poetically journeying to Guatemala, Colombia, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Venezuela, Alaska, Peru, Argentina, the US … and destinations within my self / Self …

An added feature this month is a new microchap of my travel poetry – this time from the Chaco region of northern Argentina.

In the realm of travel narrative and articles, we’ll be riding a train in Bolivia, hiking the Caribbean coast of Honduras, and learning labor history from and Honduran banana worker.

º

In Other News …

Two of my poems have been nominated for Best of the Net Anthology 2023: “Fiesta Plains,” which appeared in Dashboard Horus, and “Floating,” which was published by The Field Guide Poetry Magazine.

I have been invited to guest edit a special issue of Synchronized Chaos, which will coming out in October.

º

Until we next meet …

Safe Journeys!

º

An eclipsed moon. photo © Lorraine Caputo

º

NEW LITERARY EXPRESSIONS

“Eclipse,” “Skygazing,” “Respite from the Rains,” “This Night’s Rising Tide” and “Entwine” in The Stars and Moon in the Evening Sky (Southern Arizona Press, 2022) – anthology

“Cold Moon Night,” “Night Pulse,” “The Stillness,” “The House of 1,000 Windows” and “The Warning” in Setu (US-Bangladesh) (Volume 7, Issue 1, June 2022)

“Viaje de vacaciones” in Revista Máquina Combinatoria (Ecuador) (Volumen 4, número 5)

º

“Una noche en Caleta” in Revista Máquina Combinatoria (Ecuador) (Volumen 4, número 6)

“Enchanted Illusions” in Otoliths (New Zealand-Australia) (Issue 66, Southern Winter 2022)

º

“A Quito Canvas” and “The Wind Xocomil” in Verse-Virtual (Volume 9, Number 8, August 2022)

“Triple Lakes” in The Jewels in the Queen’s Crown (Sweetycat Press, 2022)

“Dis-Eased Time,” “Lucid” and “Parched” in Bare Bones Writing (Issue 1, August 2022)

“White Rains,” “Neverending,” “Surrendering to Wakefulness,” “River of the People of the Clouds” and “Turbulence” in Academy of the Heart and Mind (16 August 2022)

“Silver Travelers” in Your Daily Poem (23 August 2022)

º

“Watching Me” in Zooanthology (Sweetycat Press, 2022) – anthology  

“Monday Morn A-Opening” in Al-Khemia Poetica (6 September 2022)

“They Will Loosen Their Grasp” and “Renascence” in Fragmented Voices (UK-Czech Republic) (14 September 2022)

“Casas de Adobe” in Revista Máquina Combinatoria (Ecuador) (Volumen 4, nº 7, Julio 2022)

“Veterans Day” in The Poppy: A Symbol of Remembrance (Southern Arizona Press, 2022) – anthology

“And the Rain Comes” in Memoryhouse Magazine (Issue 27, Fall 2022) – also photography

º

Chaco Dreams – Journeys through Argentina’s Chaco Region (Origami Poems Project, 2022)

º

The complete manuscript of my works about the United and Standard Fruit Companies. photo © Lorraine Caputo

º

NEW TRAVEL EXPRESSIONS

Schuylkill Valley Journal – Dispatches

“Into the Chaco” (18 July 2022)

New Feathers Anthology

“On to El Triunfo” (3.2, Summer 2022)

Rabble Review

“Another Man Who Remembers” (Canada-US) (Issue 4, Summer 2022)

– An installment from the yet-unpublished Ode to the United and Standard Fruit Company

º

---

Please feel free to contact me if you need:

• an article for your publication or website
• a guidebook updated
• a translation
• proofreading / editing of your dissertation, book or article

I am also available to participate in literary events.