Poetry Connects w/Kern County's 1st Poet Laureate Don Thompson

Join us in our Local History Room for an informative talk by Kern County’s first Poet Laureate on how poetry as a form of communication connects us, as well as a bit of the history of his poetry career here in the Central Valley and poetry reading of one of his favorites, "Local Color." While much of Thompson’s work reflects our Valley’s landscape, Local Color looks beyond the land itself to explore the region’s history, capturing the stories of its people as well as its places.

Don Thompson was born in Bakersfield, California, and has lived most of his life in the southern San Joaquin Valley, which has provided the inspiration for most of his poems. He has been publishing since the early sixties with over a dozen books and chapter books published in this century. In 2016, Don was selected as the first Poet Laureate of Kern County. He and his wife Chris live on her family's farm near Buttonwillow in the house that has been home to four generations.