Guest speaker Lynne Thompson read her poetry at the Writers Reading Series event, and focused on themes such as women, religion, culture and her travels to Kenya and Tahiti. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event took place on April 30 and was coordinated by English professor Jeff Epley and sponsored by LBCC Library Learning Resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI woke up one day and thought, \u2018What’s wrong with my life, I should be writing poetry,\u2019\u201d Thompson said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thompson read poems from her book \u201cBlue on a Blue Palette\u201d as well as other poems she has written in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Writers Reading Series takes place twice a semester, where different writers come and share their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese events get more recognition from students in the English program, however better outreach for these events around campus would allow for more students from different programs to attend,\u201d Epley said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before reading her poems, Thompson would provide listeners with a more in depth understanding of what her poems mean, and the type of poem structure she uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thompson went on to speak about her past career as a lawyer and how that inspired her to get out and become a poet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A passion for creating poetry has always been inside Thompson, as her father used to read poems to her as a young girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy only goal has always been to write the best poem possible,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thompson served on the Board of Trustees at Scripps College, the board of Los Angeles Review of Books and the Poetry Foundation, and is currently the president of the Board of Trustees at Cave Canem, a literary organization that focuses on poets in the African Diaspora. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After speaking, Thompson allowed for students to ask questions about her career and how she views poetry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor me the poem isn’t done until I can read it out loud and I can hear the music in the lines,\u201d Thompson said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event offered a space for students to connect with the art form of poetry, as expressed by LBCC student Halleena Pratte who said, \u201cWriting my own poetry is hard for me but I love listening to poetry. It’s like music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thompson\u2019s book \u201cBlue on a Blue Palette\u201d was available for purchase after the event, where attendees could get their copies signed by Thompson. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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