An Interview with Marí Casto

Marí is a debut author from West Virginia. Her poetry is inspired by her own experiences with love, loss, motherhood, identity, and family. As a lover of the outdoors and the mountains that she calls home, much of her work is heavily rooted in nature imagery. The Line Between is her first published collection of poetry that began as an emotional outlet and diary of sorts, before morphing into words that she wanted to share with the world. When Marí isn’t writing (or reading), you can find her on a nature trail or at her favorite beer garden with her husband, son, and their two dogs.

---

---

What inspired you to start writing this book?

My current collection in process, Luna, is inspired by this season of re-discovering self. After having my son, there was a major shift in my identity, and the adjustment period has been brutal. I suffered with post-partum depression after a traumatic birth, and I struggled as a working mom who was working from home while also taking care of a new baby full time. I felt like “mom” had absorbed everything else that made me, me. Luna is inspired by that journey to finding, and accepting, the new me — a me that is a mom, and still a reader, and a writer, and a wife, and a friend, and an explorer, etc.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title of the book actually came to me in pieces. Many people are familiar with the Luna moth — a beautiful, nocturnal creature with a short lifespan that’s named after the Roman moon goddess. They are fairly rare. I’ve lived in Appalachia almost my entire life, and the first time I’d seen one was earlier this year. It felt so special. Then, not a week later, in an entirely different location, I saw another one. Luna moths carry heavy symbolism of intuition, transformation, and the divine feminine. That, for me, felt like a sign — validation, if you will — that the work I was doing to rediscover myself was going to pay off. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, I was having a bit of a crisis of self-doubt. My first work is self-published, and I’ve been absorbed in trying to market myself on social media and to bookstores, and it’s been draining. I’ve been trying so hard to come up with creative projects that will showcase my name, but it felt forced. I felt that I was taking a step back from my true muses, losing my voice, selling out. I sat down, thought of the Luna moth, and out came a poem. It felt raw and personal, and I suddenly knew that the title of this collection could only be Luna.

Describe your dream book cover.

My ideal book cover for Luna of course has the imagery of the Luna moth, but I’d like the tone to read as dark and mysterious. Perhaps with dark woods in the background and the Luna moth is the only thing in color. This collection is a journey into self and the divine feminine, and I want a cover to showcase that.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Eternity – Alex Warren

You Put a Spell on Me – Austin Giorgio

Landslide – Fleetwood Mac

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

My current read is Weyward by Emilia Hart. It was recommended to me by my brother-in-law and was absolutely just a comfort read, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t drawing inspiration from the setting and characters!

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I’ve been in banking and finance for the past seven years. I currently work from home and take care of my son and dogs full time. But before all of that, my absolute favorite job was working for a diner in Morgantown called Tailpipes. I actually am working on a poem called The Restaurant that Raised Me as a way to encompass all the ways that this job and the people I met along the way helped shape who I am at such a pivotal point in my life.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve been writing since I was a little girl — mostly short stories. Stephen King was my first major inspiration — I loved the way his writing could scare and thrill me but make me emotional, too. It also always seemed to me that he explored so many deep themes, even in his darkest horror stories; that made me think and question. As I got older, I started writing poetry as a way to cope with things going on in my life. I am the oldest of a whole gaggle of children, my parents divorced when I was in high-school, and I have always felt a sense of responsibility to be the one that keeps it together for my family and siblings. Until more recent years (thank you, therapy), I struggled with vulnerability and asking for help or support. Poetry was a way for me to get those feelings out of my chest to make breathing just a little bit easier.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My favorite place to write is either out on my deck or at my favorite beer garden. The back deck of our home is backed up to the woods, and we have a phenomenal view of the mountains to the left. Apothecary is a local beer garden in Morgantown, WV with all of the right vibes for writing — plants everywhere, moody lighting, indoor and outdoor space, and, most importantly, a great local craft beer selection!

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

I would tell my past self to stop trying to find topics and themes that are popular to write about and trust that your own intuition, voice, and experiences are where the true magic happens.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I hope that my readers are moved, emotionally, in some way. I hope they sit down after reading a poem and release a breath that felt heavy and now feels lighter because they’re seen. I hope they cry, or smile, or feel empowered. I want to leave my readers with hearts pulled wide open by the words that I’ve shared.

---

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.