Beneath the Surface by Luciana Fisher
Calling All Poetry & Prose Lovers!
MEET THE POET: Luciana Fisher
by Ina Labiner.
It was to be my usual interview with Luciana Fisher that I would later write based on notes l'd taken. She handed me a copy of her debut poetry collection, Beneath the Surface, and suggested that, if I read it, I would better understand who she is. After reading it, I realized that the book told her story. I could never explain who Luciana is with the clarity, honesty, and punch she displays through her poetry.
Writing became her "journal toward self-acceptance." She hopes to "inspire others to live boldly, to express themselves, to be honest even if it hurts." Luciana's motto is "be true to yourself." In addition to being dyslexic, when Luciana was diagnosed with breast cancer, she rekindled her life-long passion for poetry; thus, this book.
The book is divided into five sections: The Silent Storms We Sail; Mirrors and Shadows; The Threads That Bind Us; Ink, Fire and Rebellion; and When Absence Speaks. Each section includes poems describing her feelings. After each poem she explains its meaning and why she wrote it, followed by a request asking readers to think about how their experiences might relate to hers.
The poems have such titles as The Power of Gratitude, Memories of an Inner Child, Connections, What is Love, Tend to What Matters, Expectations, The Absence of you - powerful stuff! I could not help reflecting on my own life as I read it.
In the Threads That Bind Us, Luciana writes the poem Tend to What Matters - she invites us to nurture relationships like a plant, naming what is necessary to keep it alive and blooming.
She explains in her poem, Expectations, that the repetition of perfection will not be achieved on a daily basis.
"Trial and error leads to perfection." For Luciana, the art of creation is the important thing. "Keep creating even if the outcome isn't perfect."
In Virtuality, she plays with language and technology and urges the reader to "set the phones aside - and un-friend the friend who knows your name, but not your pain, online for a matter of gain. Self-esteem is the prize."
A standout is a poem written as a dyslexic person sees it. Dyslexia is a disability affecting reading and writing skills, which Luciana has been living with her entire life, and which she has overcome - so obvious in her po-etry. The poem is titled Ignliv with YdsLexya.
Beneath the Surface takes you on an amazing journey through Luciana's life. It is an extraordinary read!
(Paperback can be purchased at books.by/beneath-the-surface for $24.99, E-book on the Amazon Kindle Store for $9.99, or free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription. A portion of revenue from each sale supports breast cancer and dyslexia neurodivergence causes.
5% of proceeds goes to thebreasties.org and another 5% to The Neuro Diversity Alliance, thendalliance.org)
Beneath the Surface takes readers on an intimate journey through life — layered, honest, and deeply human. Now available in English and Portuguese. French and Spanish editions arrive this February.
Website: lucianafisher.com
Copyright © Luciana Fisher | Year Posted 2026
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