The Lassen County Arts Council is inviting the community to an afternoon of literature and conversation featuring local author Dianna Henning. The event celebrates the release of her latest poetry collection, Rucksacks for the Leaf Cat, which was recently released by Finishing Line Press. This special “Meet the Author & Book Signing” will take place this Saturday, March 21st, beginning at 2:00p.m. at the LCAC Gallery, located at 807 Cottage Street. Attendees can look forward to a live reading and a book signing session and light refreshments will be provided for all guests.
In Rucksacks for the Leaf Cat, Henning prompts the reader to question the duality of love while examining what it means to survive on our delicate planet. The collection weaves together heartbreaking moments and eloquent nature scenes, mingling laments regarding war, incarceration and injustice with the “tangled hearts” of our everyday human concerns.
These poems, according to the description at the publisher’s website, touch upon the metaphysical and render prayerful attention to detail, threading sunlight across mountainous terrain and spilling starlight “when night balances its books.” Ultimately, the “Leaf Cat” serves as a wily homage to the imagination, recognizing that reality itself is magical enough.
Dianna MacKinnon Henning brings a wealth of experience to her craft, having earned her MFA in Writing from Vermont College in 1989. A deeply rooted member of the regional literary community, she currently runs the Thompson Peak Writers’ Workshop and has taught through California Poets in the Schools. Her career includes teaching poetry workshops through the William James Association’s Prison Arts Program at Folsom Prison and Diamond View Middle School.
A prolific and highly respected writer, Henning is a nine-time Pushcart Prize nominee, with her most recent nomination occurring in 2024 for her poem “In the Collage of my Mind/I’m a Simple Design.” Her work has been featured in a vast array of publications, including The Adirondack Review, Artemis Journal, New American Writing, The Tule Review, and The Lake, UK.
For those who wish to visit the LCAC Gallery and Gift Shop during the month of March, the doors are open on Fridays from 4:00 to 7:00p.m. On the day of the event, Saturday, March 21st, the gallery will observe extended hours from 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., with the featured author event beginning at 2:00p.m. For more information regarding the author and her extensive body of work, please visit her website at www.diannahenning.com.
