The Gift of Doll God
When I showed up at the psychiatrist seeking help for my night terrors, the first question the doctor asked was whether as a child I had played with dolls. I was incensed—a thirty-something lawyer in charge of my own life, and he was reverting to some Freudian hooey? Better he should have asked why as a child I insisted on climbing higher and higher in the trees on the farm until the limbs became branches so thin they swayed in the wind, making me whoop and holler with joy.
And yet. I loved Thumbelina, whose body wiggled when I turned the crank on her back. And Chatty Cathy, who repeated herself ad nauseum but, hey, she talked. And the grownup doll who stood inside her traveling trunk that held seamed stockings and suits with matching pill-box hats. If I could call every one of these dolls back into my life I would. The next best thing is reading Doll God, by Luanne Castle.
Luanne’s beautiful new collection of poetry arrived when I was recovering from hip surgery. I slowly turned the pages, absorbing the lovely images. Not all the poems are about dolls, of course. One of my favorite, “When a Leaf Falls,” describes a quiet evening at home where “lamplight casts a golden sheen” and:
The girl would be happy forever except
for that feeling
like a boulder held just above.
She can’t get too
comfortable
as anything could unbalance it.
An extra star in tomorrow’s sky, rain
or no rain
could re-set it all.
Luanne’s words do for me what I want poetry to do: lead me gently down a twisting path where I cannot see the next turn yet the revelation of what’s round the corner is always a delight. Even for something as familiar to me as my beloved Scarlett O’Hara Madame Alexander doll, Luanne surprises:
Like me this doll is studious
with thick legs,
has been a victim of potients
and infatuated with love,
though tenderness has nestled close to danger.
I look closely to confirm she’s been martyred.
“The Half-Undressed Madame Alexander Doll: A Diorama.”
I’ve read and re-read the poems, luxuriating over them, which is as good a recommendation for anything as I can give. I’m particularly drawn back to the doll poems, mining them for insight that the silly psychiatrist with his hand over his mouth could never have fathomed. Or as Luanne says in “Prospective Ghost’s Response to the First Duino Elegy, “Master, I am still looking for angels.”
You can order Doll God (Kelsay Books Aldrich Press, 2015) from Luanne’s website or on Amazon. You’ll be glad you did.
Aldrich Press, chapbooks, Chatty Cathy, Doll God, first book of poetry, Kelsay books, luanne castle, Madame Alexander Doll, playing with dolls, poetry review, vintage Thumbelina, Writersite.org
Luanne
Ellen, what an absolutely gorgeous review of Doll God. I am so glad it resonated with you. I love that you ended it with that line, too. It’s very close to me, if that makes sense. Your special way with words makes this review very very special to me. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my “baby.”
Ellen Morris Prewitt
I’m glad you liked it! Let me know if I misspelled anything. 🙂 I loved the work, and I’m glad to share it with others. Are you enjoying the rollout–I hope so.
Luanne
As with everything, things always happen at once. With my dad sick, the book just out, a deadline for my memoir manuscript with Stanford (for my tutorial), and tax season for my business, I am trying to remember to enjoy every time I come up for air ;).
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Sor sorry your dad is still ailing. I’ll be keeping him in my thoughts.
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1WriteWay
Wonderful review! I’m in the midst of reading Doll God and agree with you about the power of Luanne’s words and vision.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
I so enjoyed the book. Thanks for stopping by, as well as your kind words about the review 🙂