Taylor M. Kleine-Deters – Contributor
When asked to give a brief introduction to herself Casey-Jo Loos said, “I would say I am a connector and a lover of humans, life and nature [as] I spend my time searching and creating connections every day.” In addition to being one of the hosts on 102.7 The Peak’s afternoon radio show, she is a licensed yoga and meditation instructor. She will be adding self-published author to her list of concrete accomplishments when her collection of poetry and prose, i see you, i am you, is released on Feb. 1.
i see you, i am you will include four years of material that she has collected and has been “inspired by every day connections and experiences… by seemingly fleeting interactions with people [and] things that break [her] out of narcissistic self-involved tendencies.” Her experiences, other people’s experiences, being in love or feeling the lack of love in her life are the tales that pepper the pages of i see you, i am you. Loos explains writing this book served as a way to work through different events and reconcile past traumatic experiences.
Loos has been telling stories and writing for as long as she can remember – yet, in becoming more vulnerable online and sharing stories on various platforms, people have responded. Her audience has been saying for years that she should publish a book. Until a year ago, the publishing of her book was a distant idea. “I hadn’t published a book because I didn’t know how, and I let that fear of failure prevent me from doing it. Which is so stupid! What I really must have been afraid of is succeeding because I had already failed by not trying,” she says with a laugh.
Working through four years’ worth of writing was a daunting task and Loos started with a 500-page collection which she then painstakingly whittled down to the book’s final form of seven chapters and its meticulously organized contents. Her team of three friends, Gary Sylvester, art director and book designer, Rachel Villari, editor and Vanessa Dong, cover designer and book illustrator, helped to mould the book into its final form.
Even the most vulnerable of writing was included. Loos says “If I share my deepest vulnerabilities, within reason and in the right way, from a place of healing, not from a place of an open gaping wound, then perhaps it can affect other people and heal [them] a little bit more. Maybe these are the kinds of conversations you wouldn’t expect to have, even though they happen daily. There’s so much sharing of the highlight-reel.”
Loos has been criticized for oversharing on social media but remains firm in her belief that talking about difficult things is necessary and will continue to have hard conversations with people through her platform if she can. She explains that “you can never look at somebody and know how they feel and what their experience is. People look at me and say, ‘Oh, you’re a radio host! You have a dream job! Everything’s great!’ but I have so many stories and so many experiences, just like everybody.
“Happiness is great and necessary but there are so many other emotions that we as humans have… having these discussions can serve as a permission slip for someone who has felt these things to talk about it when before they may have been afraid to” she concludes with confidence.
Loos is hosting a now-sold-out event at the Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive where the small audience may pick up their books, hear her read excerpts from it, meet her creative contributors and even win prizes from local businesses. The other two options for pick-up are Feb. 4 at Verde Plant Design on Main Street or Feb. 6 at Perverted Ice Cream on Thurlow. The smaller events will be more casual one-on-one experiences where you can pick up your book, have a conversation and support a local business while doing so.
You can purchase i see you, i am you and RSVP to a pick-up event at linktr.ee/caseyjoloos and follow her on Instagram or Twitter @caseyjoloos
