Thompson’s first volume of poems, Beg No Pardon, received the 2007 Perugia Press Prize and will be published this fall by the independent literary press.
“Extroverted, declarative, jazzy, and vital, Beg No Pardon commands attention from the first word to the last,” says Susan Kan, editor and director of the Perugia Press. “At times alarming and sexy, at times sorrowful and bitter, Beg No Pardon describes a vivid world of Afro-Caribbean heritage and late 20th century life.”
Thompson currently serves as director of employee and labor relations at UCLA. She earned her J.D. at Southwestern School of Law. The recent transition from law practice to human resource manager has enabled the writer to purse her passion for poetry. Her poems have been published in numerous journals including Poetry International, Rattle, Louisiana Literature, The Yalobusha Review, Runes, The Indiana Review, and the Red Hen Press anthology, Mischief, Caprice and Other Poetic Strategies.
As a student and alumna, Thompson has been an integral part of the Scripps community. During her college years, she was the student council president, and, upon graduation, she received the Annual Alumnae Award for service to the College. She has also acted as chair for the networking committee of the Alumnae Association and president of the Alumnae Association. Thompson visited the College community as the 2003 Lois Langland Alumna-in-Residence. During her residency, the writer stressed the importance of allotting time for passion and creativity.