With cascading, raven locks, a seductive stare and full pouty lips Mirtha Michelle Castro can easily be mistaken for Angelina Jolie at first glance. But like her infamous doppelganger, you have to look closer to see that her beguiling beauty is just the tip of the iceberg. Mirtha is a writer/poet-turned-actress who’s got people turning pages as well as heads. The result? A best selling book of poetry, Letters to the Men I Have Loved, which was released in 2014. Yet, she hasn’t stopped there: she just released her second book of poems Elusive Loves.
We caught up with Mirtha about how she overcomes the pretentiousness of Hollywood through her tight-knit relationships with friends, family and an occasional self-check. She’s the life of the party, but not into the party life and her #MCM isn’t who you think a force to be reckoned with.
‘LL: What inspired the idea of your new compilation of poems Elusive Loves?
Mirtha: I noticed I wrote a lot in Spanish throughout the years that I really loved it and I thought I should share it with Latino community. I decided to translate [the poems] into English because I still have a fan base that is primarily English-speaking. It originally started with my desire to expand to the Latin American market and give something back to my culture.
‘LL: In what ways would you say this book is different from your first best-seller Letters to the Men I Have Loved?
Mirtha: My new book of poetry discusses things I went through after my first book. It’s the seasonal cycle of romantic love. There are men who are elusive and infatuation in the summer could be hot, then in autumn things are falling part and by the winter it might be dead. I lived love stories and romances within the book.
‘LL: How has your idea of love changed since your first book was released?
Mirtha: Now, I am not as naïve. Although I still want to experience and am open to love, I’m able to see the signs clearer. Instead of wasting your time you learn who to give your love to.