2021-2022 Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, Lynne Thompson, Releases New Collection "Blue on a Blue Palette"
Lynne Thompson
This National Poetry Month, Lynne Thompson captivates with her latest collection on reimagining womanhood.
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, April 16, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Los Angeles’ 2021-2022 Poet Laureate, Lynne Thompson, presents her latest collection, "Blue on a Blue Palette."
Published today by BOA Editions, “Blue on a Blue Palette” reflects on the condition of women—their joys despite their histories, and their insistence on survival as issues of race, culture, pandemic, and climate threaten their livelihoods. The documentation of these personal odysseys—which vary stylistically from abecedarians to free verse to centos—replicate the many ways women travel through the stages of their lives, all negotiated on a palette encompassing various shades of blue.
Thompson's accolades include an Individual Artist Fellowship from the City of Los Angeles, The Tucson Literary Festival Poetry Prize, the Steven D. Dunn Poetry Prize, the George Drury Prize, the 2019 Marsh Hawk Poetry Prize, and fellowships from prestigious programs like the Summer Literary Series, Kenya, and the Vermont Studio Center. She is also deeply committed to supporting and uplifting literary voices, sitting on the Boards of Cave Canem, The Poetry Foundation, and the Los Angeles Review of Books.
Her upcoming book tour will see her traversing the East and West Coasts, as well as the UK, engaging audiences with readings and discussions.
Included in the collection are poignant pieces like "Self-Portrait Without Contact Lenses," "The Ways of Remembering Women," "Dirge for Murdered Black Girls," and "Our Ancestors, Enslaved Once, Said Juneteenth Would Never Be."
Ellen Bass, author of “Indigo" and Chancellor Emeritus of the Academy of American Poetry says, “Singing the blues in this beautiful and devastating collection, Lynne Thompson calls on the tradition of poets such as Patricia Smith and Adrienne Rich to examine a culture of injustice and loss for women and for people of color. In this moving tribute to resistance, voice, and action, Thompson affirms, ‘So they know // as you know // There will never be a last of us // We come // We come like rivers.’ Thompson employs a variety of forms, from abecedarian to cento and villanelle in skillful, smart and generous poems that include allusions to nursery rhymes, Bible verses, musicians, artists, and writers to explore the tension between creation and violence, declaring, ‘I think I might just be a clock // & juju power in a terrible century / a needle & amp; the way to plunge it in.’ This is an important collection, one to keep close, as the layers of resilience and hard-won praise grow richer with each read.”
Through the dominant metaphor of the earth's seas, Thompson eloquently portrays the tumultuous yet resilient nature of the human spirit, weaving a tapestry of interconnected narratives that resonate with the complexities of our modern world. With "Blue on a Blue Palette," Thompson solidifies her status as one of the nation's foremost poets.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Published by BOA Editions on Apr 16, 2024, “Blue on a Blue Palette” reflects on the condition of women—their joys despite their histories, and their insistence on survival as issues of race, culture, pandemic, and climate threaten their livelihoods.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The adopted daughter of Caribbean immigrants, Lynne Thompson was Los Angeles’ 2021-2022 Poet Laureate and received a Poet Laureate Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets. She is the author of four poetry collections: "Beg No Pardon," "Start With A Small Guitar," "Fretwork," and most recently “Blue on a Blue Palette.” An attorney by training with a J.D. from Southwestern Law School, Thompson sits on the Boards of Cave Canem, The Poetry Foundation, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. In June 2022, she completed her four-year service as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Scripps College, her alma mater. Thompson’s recent work can be found or is forthcoming in the literary journals Best American Poetry, Kenyon Review, The Common, Pleiades, The Massachusetts Review, and Copper Nickel, among others.
MEDIA CONTACT
To request a copy of "Blue on a Blue Palette," contact publicist Nanda Dyssou of Coriolis Company.
Nanda Dyssou
Coriolis
+1 424-226-6148
nanda@corioliscompany.com
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