Our Wolves

by Luanne Castle, Alien Buddha (Contributor)

First Runner-up 2024 Eric Hoffer Award for Chapbooks

Our Wolves looks at the identity of wolves in our everyday lives and the varied ways of viewing the wolf. For example, this character cannot be seen as merely bad or even redeemed or misunderstood, as in some interpretations of the fairy tale. Similarly, “Little Red” is not simply a victim or a representation of innocence. Instead, this collection reveals the tale as a conduit for many voices and interpretations of gender, identity, and feminism.

Genres: Poetry, Fairy Tales

37 pages, Paperback

Published January 31, 2023

About the author

Luanne Castle’s hybrid flash memoir, Scrap: Salvaging a Family, with a starred Kirkus review, is available from ELJ Editions. Her story, “Garden Seasons,” was selected for Best Microfiction 2026. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Copper Nickel, River Teeth, Your Impossible Voice, JMWW, Grist, Fourteen Hills, Verse Daily, Disappointed Housewife, Lunch Ticket, Saranac Review, Pleiades, Cleaver, Moon City, Moon Park, Anti-Heroin Chic, Bending Genres, BULL, The Mackinaw, The Ekphrastic Review, Phoebe, MacQueen’s Quinterly, Gone Lawn, Burningword, Superstition Review, One Art, Roi Fainéant, Dribble Drabble, Flash Boulevard, O:JA&L, Sheila-Na-Gig, Thimble, Antigonish Review, Longridge, Paragraph Planet, Six Sentences, Gooseberry Pie, Switch, and Ginosko. She has published four award-winning poetry collections. Her ekphrastic flash and poetry collection Hunting the Cosmos is forthcoming from Shanti Arts in fall 2026. Her mixed-media art has been showcased at Rogue Agent, Ink in Thirds, Watershed Review, Wildscape, Mad Swirl, Raw Lit, and Thimble. Luanne has been a Fellow at the Center for Ideas and Society at the University of California, Riverside. She studied English and Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside (PhD); Western Michigan University (MFA); and Stanford University (Certificate). Luanne lives with her husband and three cats in Arizona along a wash that wildlife use as a thoroughfare. https://www.luannecastle.com/

Reviews

[Rose Boehm · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUR WOLVES
By Luanne Castle

A review by Rose Mary Boehm

Imaginative, evocative, narrative, and lyrical, in OUR WOLVES Castle explores the relationship between men and women, between the ‘beast’ and the human, sometimes turning on its head the old, handed-down images of the ages, embedded deeply in our psyche, contemplating what if? making us rethink every stereotype that still lives in our heads and heart. In Our Old Wolves: “Of human-like wolves concealed behind spruce and fir, / their shadows stretching out tentacles to grasp them / as they tremble past on their way to the locked river.”

Castle uses the tale of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ to explore innocence, abuse, danger, and pre-conceived ideas of what a ‘girl should do’, the forever tale of the onus falling on the woman to protect herself from wolves – and sometimes from the hunter. In School for Girls Who Shouldn’t Trust: “Let them learn karate and debate to live with / men and beasts without damage or regret.”

She examines the wolf’s ‘humanity’ – or, rather, our concept thereof. In Love You, Too: “they slid and flipped, and their maws / pinging with the makings of what / can be heard on the wind / laden with tundra scents”

and a woman’s sexuality awakening in the girl when faced with ‘the wolf’. In Human Origin: “What is a wolf if not / the hungry wildness in the heart? / That feeling inborn to the girl, / visceral and unexplored. / In the dance of girl and wolf / they are innocent as wildebeests, / reenacting for the very first time.”

Castle explores the world of girls versus boys, women versus men from everyone’s perspective. How the stories change, become fluid – who do you believe? And the grandmother is always there, in the background, a pivot for the story to develop.

But then: who is the baddy? Castle challenges you to keep an open mind. It’s possible that Grandma is the traitor, that the Wolf is Red’s protector, the Hunter is the one lusting after the girl, that the father… In Interrogation: “Check under the mask for a surprise / if your heart can stand the shock.”

This collection is not only a pleasure to read, but a powerful reminder of our duty not to take everything for granted, handed-down stories may not be what they seem. It all depends on the witness, the perpetrator, the victim. Keep an open mind, use critical thinking.

These poems live with you long after you close the pages.

[Elizabeth Gauffreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Wolves, Luanne Castle’s second poetry chapbook, offers a fresh, imaginative, and wholly original challenge to the wolf trope prevalent in Western culture, wherein wolves are portrayed as representing our worst primitive urges. I particularly appreciated the way the poems challenge this trope through the use of concrete, sensory imagery and compelling, individualized speaker voices. There is anger, regret, and a certain fearlessness in these voices. I believed them.

The opening poem, “A Snowy Night in Manistee River Valley,” immediately anchors the reader in the physical world–a cabin in the woods, a tarp-covered woodpile, a big chainsaw, mailboxes along a dirt road. We may have driven on such a dirt road ourselves and idly wondered who might live in that cabin.

But for the person inside the cabin looking out, a blizzard has changed the familiar landscape and introduced an element of danger: “Unseen, the dark river has been stilled.” And yet, the speaker “feel[s] stir crazy.” The cozy warmth from the woodstove at the beginning of the poem has become worrying. The speaker feels the need to get outside to “let the chill wind wake me to myself,” and bring clarity to which dangers have substance and which do not.

The need for clarity about the substance of danger is one of the primary themes in the chapbook. It prompted me to reflect on my own ignorance when I was younger of danger and those who would do women harm. For example, the prose poem “When Grandmothers were Diabetic and Ate Dietetic Food” hit home particularly hard with its ending lines: “Her parents stood firm / on good manners in fear’s face. / The End. (Not really.”) I was brought up the same way, and I have had to teach myself to be rude to protect myself from predators of every ilk. Another poem that hit particularly hard was “School for Girls Who Shouldn’t Trust.” I’ve lived that poem, both as a young girl and as a teacher.

The chapbook achieves its power by presenting constantly moving perspectives on the wolves in our lives, including a suite of poems from the varying perspectives of the characters in the fairytale “Little Red Riding Hood.” Each speaker–the grandmother, the mother, the wolf, the hunter/woodsman–seeks to tell Little Red’s story, thereby determining her identity according to their own definition, as well as their own identities. Unlike the fairytale, in which the cast of characters are cardboard cutouts moved around a cautionary tale, Castle’s characters–the grandmother, the mother, the wolf, the hunter/woodsman, Little Red herself–are living, breathing people, who reveal complex emotions and motivations through the language of everyday speech:

“They say she was on her way to bring me gifts, but the only
times she would call was when
she hankered for a sucker
or wanted a dress for a dance.” (“What Happens in the Dark When It’s Cold Outside”)

Another suite of poems–”How to Digest a Wolf,” “from the kitchen you enter,” “Grounded,” and “How to Make a Hand Shadow Wolf”--uses the wolf as metaphor for the speaker’s father. These poems are so unflinching in their honesty, I found them devastating to read.

Our Wolves is a remarkable poetic achievement and an equally remarkable reading experience. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy thought-provoking, emotive poetry with nuance and depth.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is a wolf if not
the hungry wildness in the heart?

–“Human Origin”

I read fairy tales when I was a child and was often hoodwinked by them. I tended to take things literally so, for example, when reading about Rapunzel, I considered whether I go could grow my hair as long. Or, after reading Hansel and Gretel, I became suspicious of my neighbor who liked children and liked to bake. Little Red Riding Hood made me afraid of the woods and the wild creatures that might hunt me there.

For that reason, Little Red Riding Hood always bugged me. So I was eager to devour (pun intended) Luanne Castle’s latest chapbook, Our Wolves.

We meet all sorts of wolves in this slim volume. There’s the father whose eyes turn yellow when he loses his temper. There’s the young man who taunts the young girl taking diabetic jelly to her diabetic grandmother. There’s the wolf as victim, as the misunderstood protector of the girl from the huntsman.

I took the precautions of locking granny
in her closet and when the girl got there, put
her in with the old lady, then waited
for the hunter to show up with his knife
and leering face. But it didn’t go well for me.

–“You All Been Waiting for a Wolf Confession”

In “What Happens in the Dark When It’s Cold Outside,” even the grandmother doesn’t entirely blame the wolf. Castle twists the tale of the grandmother who is faulted for

being old and needy.
I am old and need to be heard.

She also twists the tale of the huntsman or woodcutter, noting the history of variation and revision, a man less of a protector and more of a slacker:

When the wolf came back to the forest,
he wanted to work off some calories
and offered to chop some trees while
I took a nap in the echoing silence.

–“I’m a Woodcutter, Dammit”

I enjoyed Castle’s versions of the fairy tale, giving each character voice and showing how any one of them could be a wolf. Her interpretations encourage me to rethink the story and its multitude of meanings.

The poems where she describes living with wolves in real life chill me more than any fairy tale. In “How to Digest the Wolf,” we learn about a girl who would

Study his face for bared teeth or curled lips.

Take the belt without crying.

[…]

Find a wolf hunter to be your boyfriend.

Having been a follower of Luanne’s blog (Luanne Castle: Poetry and Other Words (and cats!)) for several years and an avid reader of her poetry and other writing, I’m aware that some of these poems might be autobiographical. (Perhaps we can call them “autopoetry”?)

Ultimately, though, the girl–the poet–wins.

You’re in charge.
Tip your hand, open the mouth,
and howl at the moon, all aquiver.

–“How to Make a Hand Shadow Wolf”

[Roberta Cheadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an original and unique collection of poems that expose the wolves that appear in the lives of females during their formative years and through to maturity. The poet has linked many, but not all, of her poetic thoughts and interpretations of human predators to the wolf in the famous story Little Red Riding Hood or Le Petit Chaperon Rouge in the original French (which I have listed to with an English interpretation in my hand).

An example of this connection to the wolf is this extract from Our Old Wolves:

"But you will know how frightened they are
of the dark, shadowed forest and the abstruse mind.
Of human-like wolves concealed behind spruce and fir,
their shadows stretching out tentacles to grasp them
as they tremble past on their way to the locked river."

Some of the poems turn the readers traditional idea of the hero and the predator on its head and force consideration of how misleading looks, perceptions of beauty and strength, and inbred prejudices can be. It highlights how frequently girls and young women walk right into trouble because of the messages drummed into them by their mothers and society. Women are not taught to accurately identify predators or 'the wolf'.

Thanks for meeting me for coffee is a good example of this concept:

"I searched for the beginning
of your story and discovered you
were lost when you believed him.
All gone, One a milk carton missing."

The poems in the book are mainly written in freestyle poetry and are filled with subtle meanings and innuendoes for the reader to consider. This book must be read with an alert and fresh mind in order to appreciate its full meaning and intrigue.

For me, the summary of the meaning and power of this book is set out in the following words from Your Sonnet:

"My mother taught me to be kind, to be helpful,
not to ignore the slow or less than able, the ones
who are different, the needy so I asked what
he needed from me and he misunderstood.
My story is not so very different from yours
and yours and yours and yours and yours."

If you like interesting and thought provoking poetry, you will love Our Wolves.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy via Librarything.

Castle’s poetry collection is focused on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. The poems in this collection aren’t interconnected per se, though you could argue that some of them are. Some of the poems focus on the wolf, some on the grandmother, some on huntsman, and some focus on everything. There are even a few that focus on the idea of fiction and of fictional characters as well.

Perhaps one the most powerful poems is “What Happened in the Dark When It’s Cold Outside” which not only plays on the title of the song but is told from the viewpoint of the grandmother. The grandmother wonders “Did her mother make her visit?/She is never blamed, the wolf/faulted for his gruesome end/ and me for being old and needy” (11). It is a fair point.

Some of the poems use the idea of sexualization of children, the whole “she was asking for it” theme. This is true not just in “You All Been Waiting for A Wolf Confession” – which you can hear as an actual defense that some men might be forward – but also of “Interrogation” or “I’m a Woodcutter, Damnit”.

There are also poems that deal with making the wolf something other than the wolf. Reclaiming yourself from the wolf or delivering yourself from the wolf. This includes a wonderful poem about shadow puppets.

Both the poems “Fiction” and “Human Origins” address Red Riding Hood as something other, an other that gets things pinned on to her as opposed to simply being herself. It is this playing with the idea of fiction and of what stories tell us as well as the power of stories themselves that runs though the collection.

In many ways the style of the poems – the theme and use of description -reminds me strongly of Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, in particular “The Company of Wolves”. There is the same sense of sexuality and responsibly. Castle uses as the theme of blame or of guilt. Who is guilty in the story of Red Riding Hood is in fact something that many of us wonder – the wolf of course, but who else?

If you are interested in Red Riding Hood or love Angela Carter, I highly recommend this collection.

[mad mags · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Library Thing's Early Reviewers program.)

Nobody ever asked me
about any of it.
People don't want to hear
the stories of an old woman.
But I know things. About

the girl, the wolf, what
happened that night
when the moon moved past
the woods and the ground
grew too cold for snow.

("What Happens in the Dark When It's Cold Outside")

She never listened to the tales about her,
choosing to remain buoyant and open.

("Fiction")

Why am I the one who has to be confined?

("Grounded")

OUR WOLVES is a poetic reimagining / retelling / reexamination of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. Within these pages, the wolf could be anyone, from the canine's wild cousin, a Big Bad lurking in the woods, to Red herself. It's an alluring idea, although I naturally enjoyed some of the poems more than others ("School for Girls Who Shouldn't Trust" and "You All Been Waiting for a Wolf Confession" are particularly biting). I'm not sure I entirely understood some of the others; perhaps a second or third read-through is in order.

I do wish the collection was longer; the final piece, "How to Make a Hand Shadow Wolf" almost felt like the end of a first act, a promise of more to come.

Also, have a not-so-petty complaint about the print book - the text is tiny! Like eight point at best. As short as the book is, I developed a headache from eye strain two thirds of the way in. I know I'm getting up there, but still.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

This was a memorable and heartfelt collection of poems. The author does an incredible job of finding the right balance of storytelling through the poems themselves to tell this reimagining of such an iconic fairytale and highlighted the rich themes found within the poems with powerful imagery and insightful tones that kept the reader grounded in the magical reality they were weaving together.

The heart of the author’s work rested in the moving themes the poems played with and the folklore that the author drew upon to weave this tale. The poems hit upon things like identity, staying true to oneself, honesty, and overcoming our fears in life, and the way the author was able to write these poems in a way in which the audience was able to see themselves in one form or another through these varied perspectives was memorable, to say the least. The way in which the reader is treated to the perspective of the Wolf, Grandma, and of course Red herself allowed for readers to connect more with the major players of this tale and the struggles each and every one of them held onto until the bitter end.

The Verdict

Heartfelt, memorable, and captivating, author Luanne Castle’s “Our Wolves” is a masterful and engaging poem collection. The imagery and atmosphere that each pome conjures up and the rich dynamics each perspective brings to the narrative of Red Riding Hood made this a truly thoughtful and relatable collection that readers won’t soon forget.

[Patricia Furstenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Our Wolves" poet Luanne Castle creates a captivating collection of poignant poetry that lingers long after the last page is turned. With a masterful touch, she navigates the complexities of Little Red Riding Hood's traumatic adventure, offering taut narratives and sympathetic monologues that illuminate the story's characters' diverse perspectives. Castle's sharp and memorable verses expertly transform familiar stories into powerful explorations of abuse, danger, sexuality, self-sufficiency, and interpersonal relationships.

Castle's work is distinguished by her ability to breathe new life into well-known characters who is presented as a multifaceted individual with wisdom, rebellion, resilience, and cunning rather than as a victim or innocent child. Castle's lens reveals Red as a symbol of empowerment and agency, challenging stereotypes.

"Our Wolves" is a captivating tapestry of atmospheric power, dynamic portrayals, and vivid imagery that transports readers to the heart of the story. Castle's poems invite us to explore the depths of the human psyche and reflect on timeless themes that have endured throughout history. Whether you're drawn to the haunting allure of the forests or the thought-provoking insights into human nature "Our Wolves" will linger in your mind long after you've turned the final page.

[D. Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Castle is a mesmerizing poet, and this small paperback contains a collection of 22 poems drawn from the folklore of Little Red Riding Hood. But the tone of the poems won’t evoke fairytales. Instead, Castle explores its darker themes, particularly related to girls: the expectations placed on them, the mixed messages, their vulnerability, their desire for autonomy, and their victimhood in a modern world populated by wolves wearing the skins of men. Woodcutters aren’t always heroes, and not all Red Riding Hoods are rescued. There is recklessness, control, blame, passion, and violence. There’s intense danger.

In other words, these are thoughtful and provocative poems that I found stirring, raw, and deeply insightful. They’re also beautifully written with gorgeous but accessible language, providing glimmers into the lives and stories of girls everywhere. I’ll never look at the tale of Little Red Riding Hood the same way again. Highly recommended.

What Happens in the Dark when it’s Cold Outside (an excerpt)

Nobody ever asked me
about any of it.
People don’t want to hear
the stories of an old woman
But I know things. About

the girl, the wolf, what
happened that night
when the moon moved past
the woods and the ground
grew too cold for snow….

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading poetry and when I heard about Our Wolves by Luanne Castle it sounded like an interesting collection to enjoy. These poems tell the story of Little Red Riding hood and the characters from the children’s fairy tale. The story told through this set is a coming-of-age story for Red and the lessons she learns in life.

I enjoyed reading Our Wolves very much. As usual when reading poetry, I read the poems twice and out loud to get a feel for them. I recommend this collection, I especially like the imagery Luanne Castle creates and I could easily envision Red, the wolf and her grandmother as I read. I also like that Red Riding Hood is portrayed as a strong female lead here, the quote below was my favorite.

“What is a wolf if not
the hungry wildness in the heart?
That feeling inborn to the girl, visceral and unexplored.”- Human Origin

[Andrea Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, delicious, haunting, raw. These poems unpick myths of wolves and in particular, Little Red Riding Hood in our culture. There are many voices in this collection - a feisty grandmother asking us to consider where the blame really lies for what happened to Red, a protective wolf who is killed by the predatory huntsman, a Red that soars beyond the fictions made of her or finds home in the language of wolves, a teacher pining the absence of a student. These poems show that it is never as simple as the fairy tale. There is blame everywhere and people (and wolves) are often not what they seem. The wolves are often those closest to us and those who should love us might be to blame for our fate. I love Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber and these poems are reminiscent of those stories, but stand proud in their own right. A wonderful collection that will stay with me.

[Michelle Stockard Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this slim volume of poetry. These are poetic "stories" derived from the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. Anyone who knows me knows I love fairy tales and retellings of the tales. The tale is used effectively with unique portrayals of Red, and the wolf. The wolf is an abusive father, a killer, a sex offender...many precarious scenarios. Yet not all the poems portray Red as a victim.
I don't think I've ever read a collection quite like this. I have an extensive poetry collection and I know I will be returning to this volume again and again.

Some of my favorites were:
What Happens in the Dark When It's Cold Outside
You All Been Waiting for a Wolf Confession
How to Digest the Wolf
Your Sonnet

[Suanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy Luanne Castle’s poetry and its connection to our past and to nature. Our Wolves is a bit of a departure from that, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. Here, she subverts the old fairy tale, “Little Red Riding Hood” and, though a unique combination of poetic forms and shifting points of view—from Little Red to her mother to her grandmother to the wolf to the huntsman—shows that within each of us lies a wolf. Underlying ideas highlight the way the patriarchy programs girls to say “I’m sorry” to everyone and to “study his face for bared teeth or curled lips./Take the belt without crying.” The father slaps her bare skin with his palm. This is definitely a chap book to read slowly and savor so you can catch all the innuendos and subtle humor and twists in this age-old story.

[Joy Kidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, enchanted by different Red Riding Hood stories, explored them from different angles and from the points of view of each character in the classical tale--the wolf, the grandmother, the woodcutter, even Little Red herself. Creative and fascinating.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

An interesting take on Red Riding Hood.
Dark and shades of abuse. Might be someone else's cup of tea but not mine.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts:

The poems are various creative spin-offs from the original story of Little Red Riding Hood.

The poems are adult in subject.

They have adult themes. Some examples are abuse, power and control, and wisdom in relationships.

The poems are written in a writing style of casualness. However, the mood of the poems often holds sarcasm and anger.

The poems are non-rhyming.

The poems, and because of the subject matter, are not going to be for all readers. It will depend on how sensitive to the content of abuse is the reader. I am an abuse survivor. I am able to read the poems and feel a slight pull towards bad memories and feelings, but I am thankful for writers who take on hard subject matter. Abuse should not be a taboo subject. It should not be whispered about or closeted.

My favorite poems:

“A Snowy Night in Manistee River Valley.”

“What Happens in the Dark When It’s Cold Outside.”

“School for Girls Who Shouldn’t Trust.”

“You All Been Waiting for a Wolf Confession.”

“Thanks for meeting me for Coffee.”

The poem, “School for Girls Who Shouldn’t Trust,” spoke to me in a big way. I was that girl a long time ago.

Source: I received a complimentary PDF e-book from Poetic Book Tours and Luanne Castle. I am not required to write a positive review.
Audience: Adult readers of poetry.
Rating: Very good.

[Deborah Brasket · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved fairy tales, especially the darker, deeper, originals where good did not always overcome evil. So when I heard about Our Wolves, a chapbook of poetry about “Little Red Riding Hood,” I eagerly scooped it up. I discovered with delight that Castle explores the slippery, slantwise versions of the classic tale, re-imagines various retellings, and poses intriguing questions:

Who are the “wolves” in our own lives, those who would devour or diminish, devour or diminish, strangle or silence us? Who are these little Reds with their erotic cloaks and bobby socks? Their “do-good” Granny baskets and daring treks through dark woods warned by all as dangerous?

And what of the Mother who sends her daughter off on such a risky mission? What of the Granny who chooses to live in such a dark and dreadful place? What of the Hunter or Woodcutter? Is it the Woodcutters own blood-lust that lifts the axe that splits the Wolf? Is it lust for the Wolf’s silky pelt that brings the Hunter to Granny’s door?

To find out, you will have to read this book, which I highly recommend.