By jess l parker
STAR THINGS
POETRY
In Star Things, Jess Parker pulls down the cosmos as if a blanket, hangs the firmament itself as if a string of festive lights to illuminate the magic in the worldly mundane. These sixty-one brief yet powerful poems work in a broad array of forms, at once playful and serious, taking risks, toying with readers’ expectations and delivering seemingly effortless coups de grâce with a sly wink.
ABOUT THE Author
JESS L PARKER
Jess L Parker is a poet and strategist. Originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Jess lives in Madison, WI with her husband, son, and French Bulldog. Her work has appeared in Bramble, Poetry Hall, Millwork, Wallop Zine, and elsewhere. Jess holds a B.A. of English and Spanish from Northern Michigan University, an M.A. of Spanish Literature from UW-Madison, and an MBA from Concordia University.
author awards & accolades
2021 ALL Favorites
2021, Art + Literature Lab Favorites
‘Saturn Rising’
Dynamo Verlag Book Prize
2020, Dynamo Verlag
‘Star Things’
Kay Saunders Emerging Poet Award [2nd place]
2019, WI Fellowship of Poets
‘Saturn Rising’
VANDE SANDE FICTION PRIZE
2010, Northern Michigan University
‘An is to a was’
“With an ear for music and a flair for the occasional suprise, Parker spinkles magic onto these pages…If the stars’ reflection in a pond creates a ‘morse code’ that communicates with the constellations, so do these poems transmit…the intricacies of being human in orbit among the stars…”
– Cynthia Marie Hoffman, author of ‘call me when you want to talk about the tombstones’
Upcoming Events
Winter/Spring 2022
Poetry in Practice, DreamBank Workshop • Zoom
Join Jess L Parker for an hour of guided poetry writing for beginners to seasoned writers. Brought to you via Zoom by DreamBank on Thursday, January 13th. 3 – 4 PM CST. Registration coming soon.
Live Interview & Reading, Mystery to Me
Join Jess L Parker for a poetry reading with Interview and Q&A at Mystery to Me Books in Madison, WI on Thursday, April 7th at 6 PM CST. Follow Mystery to Me on Facebook for event details.
Now Available!
Available Now
star things
POETRY
In Star Things, Jess Parker pulls down the cosmos as if a blanket, hangs the firmament itself as if a string of festive lights to illuminate the magic in the worldly mundane. These sixty-one brief yet powerful poems work in a broad array of forms, at once playful and serious, taking risks, toying with readers’ expectations and delivering seemingly effortless coups de grâce with a sly wink.
What’s happening
Follow Along
MOONBLINK
You’d blink and miss the sliver moon,
its heavy mechanical eyelid. Your childhood
baby doll clumsily catching a wink. And think,
what are we…
Could I be someone’s moon? Pushing and
pulling the tide – and cutting you loose.
– Jess L Parker, Star Things
there’s more where that came from!
‘MOONBLINK’ is one of sixty-one beautifuly written poems published in Star Things by Jess L Parker. Preorder your copy today.
GET IN TOUCH WITH THE AUTHOR
We’d love to hear from you! Tell me what you think, let me know you want more, or if you’d like to schedule a reading or book me for a event.