(Photo by Dawn Pisturino. Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.)
I woke up the other morning with this haiku in my head. I hadn’t used my Photoshop account for a while, so I created this post using one of my photos. Enjoy!
Dawn Pisturino
April 24, 2023
Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
(Classic illustration by Heinrich Hoffman)
I published my PDF chapbook for children and adults, Twisted Limericks, on Scribd.com about ten years ago and posted it on WordPress. I recently upgraded and revamped it to share again.
You can view/print/download it for free on Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xyCYWrhUn6riYEiDltpC1T3RAICm4DdJ/view?usp=sharing
Thanks for stopping by!
Dawn Pisturino
April 17, 2023
Copyright 2011-2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
(Photo by Girl with red hat on Unsplash)
I’ve been expanding my boundaries and moving out of my comfort zone:
I wrote my first short script for a scriptwriting challenge and submitted it. I also participated in reading, evaluating, and scoring 12 short scripts written by other writers in the challenge. I got valuable feedback in return for my script.
I turned my short script into a short story, which was harder than it sounds.
I’ve been studying screenwriting and working on my first feature-length screenplay.
I’m writing an opera libretto (the lyrics) for my daughter.
I’ve been writing poems and submitting to new publications. And yes, I get rejections like everybody else.
I’m still writing short stories and poems for Gobblers & Masticadores, Masticadores USA, and Masticadores India.
I’m still working on the novels I started and editing a middle-grade children’s book I finished.
If I disappear for a few days, it’s just because I’m busy with these projects. I always follow up on comments, likes, and follows.
Grazie!
Ciao!
Dawn Pisturino
April 12, 2023
Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
(Photo by Dawn Pisturino. Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino.)
Hello!
I just spent hours updating and re-vamping my author website on Wix. You can visit it here:
I was just informed by Wix that they are raising the annual price of my website by a whopping $100.00. I had thought of upgrading my blog to a WordPress website, but I’ve talked to too many people who have had problems with their WordPress websites. I’ve seen some people leave WordPress because of it. So, I will keep my WordPress blog and promote my Wix website separately. I’d rather pay a little more for reliability. Plus, Wix is user-friendly.
Thanks for visiting!
Ciao!
Dawn Pisturino
March 29, 2023
Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
I am proud to announce that my poem, Baudelaire, has been published today on Masticadores India. I want to thank Terveen Gill and her wonderful staff for publishing it. Please visit them and show them your support. Thank you!
Baudelaire
by Dawn Pisturino
when i saw you there
lying on the cold stone slab
your virgin beauty pure as white marble
i remembered why i loved you
and all the promises we made
you no longer see me
except in dreams far away
you no longer hear me
except when celestial angels
open your ear with a golden horn
but i can touch you . . .
Please go HERE to read the rest of the poem.
Thank you!
Dawn Pisturino
January 3, 2023
Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
I’m pleased and honored to announce that my poetry has been accepted for inclusion in the upcoming anthology, Hidden in Childhood, edited by the wonderfully gifted Gabriela Marie Milton, and published by Literary Revelations Publishing House. The anthology will be released in late January 2023. Submissions will remain open until January 3, 2023.
Thank you so much for including me!
Dawn Pisturino
December 22, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Co-author, 2023 Arizona Literary Magazine (Arizona Authors Association)
Co-author, #1 Amazon Best-seller, Wounds I Healed: Poetry of Strong Women (edited by Gabriela Marie Milton)
I want to thank Terveen Gill for publishing my story, You Can Have Her, today on Masticadores India. Terveen is very supportive of writers, and I encourage you to submit your poems and stories to her. Please visit Masticadores India to read the whole story.
You Can have Her
by Dawn Pisturino
The call came in on his office landline.
“Tony Blackwell? We want two million dollars in small bills, or your wife eats a bullet.”
Tony laughed. “She’s a whore. I don’t give a damn about her. Do you know how many times she’s cheated on me?”
“Hey, man, I’m sorry, but she’s still your wife. You must have some feelings for her.”
“Not at all,” Tony scoffed, and hung up the phone.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again.
“Mr. Blackwell, I repeat: we want two million dollars in small bills, or your wife dies. And don’t even think about calling the police.”
“Why would I call the police? I told you, I don’t care about the bitch.”
The voice on the other end became more insistent. “We’re not playing around, Tony. You either agree to fork over the money,
or your wife dies. I don’t care how many men she’s screwed.”
I would be humbled and pleased if you would visit Masticadores India to read the rest. If you like it, please hit the “Like” button.
Thank you so much!
Dawn Pisturino
December 1, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Dear Friends,
I’m pleased to announce that my poem, Nature’s Child, won an Honorable Mention in the Arizona Authors Association 2022 Literary Contest. It has been published in the 2023 Arizona Literary Magazine, which can be purchased on Amazon.com. I don’t normally enter contests, so I’m pleased with it!
Nature’s Child
by Dawn Pisturino
She overflowed with poetry and music and laughter,
Spilling the boundaries of her life
With delicious rivulets of innocence and joy.
She danced — naked! — in the pure white light of a waxing moon
On a soft, sultry night at the Summer Solstice
And sang to the icicle stars in the middle of winter.
Her nakedness gleamed in moonlight and candle-light,
Sunlight and lamplight,
But she feared not the shadows or the darkness of night.
They called her witch, priestess, sorceress of the Devil.
She laughed at their ignorance —
These holy men of the Church —
And covered her nakedness with rose petals and fern.
Green ivy adorned her wavy red hair —
Long strands of vine cut from ancient oak —
And, in time, she began to resemble the earth itself.
Green moss sprouted between her virgin legs
And beneath her hollow armpits.
Her toenails twisted and curled at the ends of her feet
Like earthbound roots sunk deep into the soil.
Her arms opened wide beneath the golden sun,
Offering prayers and sacrifice to the deity of Life.
She gathered all the richness of sun and rain,
Exulting in the wild green world of her existence.
She withered with the passing years,
As her limbs grew gnarled and bare,
And the birds no longer nested in her hair,
Until hunters from the village
Found her standing on the banks of a gushing stream
And bowed down to worship Nature’s Child.
~
Thanks for stopping by!
Dawn Pisturino
May 31, 2022; November 14, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
I’m pleased and happy to announce that my poem, “Nature’s Child,” has been selected as a finalist in the Arizona Authors Association 2022 Literary Contest. On November 5, 2022, the final winners will be announced. Either way, my poem will be published in the 2023 Arizona Literary Magazine. I don’t usually enter contests, but I was feeling confident and decided to take a chance.
Thanks for visiting!
Dawn Pisturino
September 13, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
I’m pleased and proud to announce that my poem, “Melissa and the Angels,” has been published today on Spillwords. I want to thank Dagmara K. and her wonderful staff for publishing it. I chose to use an unusual rhyming pattern and some words that are difficult to rhyme. It was these difficult words that shaped the story.
Melissa and the Angels
by Dawn Pisturino
Melissa, in a tattered dress,
Came slowly down the lane,
A wicker basket on her arm,
Fresh eggs and butter from the farm,
Her tresses in a tangled mess,
Barefoot, and limping with the pain. . .
Please visit Spillwords here http://www.spillwords.com/melissa-and-the-angels/ to read the rest of the poem. If you like it, please like it on both Spillwords (the little heart at the top of the post) and my blog. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your visits and your support.
A big THANK YOU! from the bottom of my heart.
Dawn Pisturino
August 22, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
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