Minden resident has poetry book published; readings slated in Carson

Minden resident Krista Lukas has published her debut poetry collection “Fans of My Unconscious” through Black Rock Press.

She will read from her collection at the Mile High Jazz Band’s Jazz and Poetry event June 11 at Comma Coffee in Carson City, and the Ventana Sierra Advanced Writers Conference at Western Nevada College in Carson City on June 14.

Born in Truckee, Calif., Lukas grew up in the Lake Tahoe area. She received her Bachelor of Arts in literature from the University of California, San Diego, and did the coursework for her K-12 teaching credentials at Sierra Nevada College.

She has taught English and English as a Second Language at various levels. Currently, she serves as the gifted and talented specialist at Jacks Valley and Zephyr Cove elementary schools.

According to a press release, “Fans of My Unconscious” brings a microscope’s eye view to the poignancy and absurdity in everyday life.

“With humor, warmth, and clarity, Lukas observes the meaning and the meaninglessness in the mundane. The post office, a campfire, and a bulletin board are the seemingly unglamorous settings transformed in these poems into flights of the imagination. Lukas meditates on technological advances, oranges, and the end of the world revealing the strange within the familiar,” the press release stated. “She listens for the next line that will be spoken by someone unsuspecting and she writes it down, adding her own quirky twist to the conversation. This poetry collection is for a seasoned reader of poetry as well as someone who has yet to take up the genre. These poems invite without spoon-feeding and surprise without pyrotechnics. They revel in language without sacrificing meaning. ‘Fans of My Unconscious’ is a collection to enjoy and recommend.”

Lukas has published poems in The Best American Poetry 2006, Creative Writer’s Handbook, New Poets of the American West, and literary magazines including 5 AM and New Millennium Writings. She is the recipient of a Nevada Arts Council Fellowship and the Robert Gorrell Award for Literary Achievement from the Sierra Arts Foundation.

Her book manuscript was a finalist for the 2009 May Swenson Poetry Award. Her poem “Letter from My Ancestors” was translated into Russian and published in Polutona Magazine.

A lover of arts and culture as well as the outdoors, Lukas enjoys traveling, museums, hiking, cross-country skate skiing, and most of all, reading.

She is the recipient of a poetry fellowship from the University of California, Riverside, where she will begin the Master of Fine Arts program in the fall.

For more information, visit www.blackrockpresspubs.com.