B. L. Bruce’s newest collection of poetry, “Blue California Sky,” is now available for pre-order from award-winning, women-owned press Finishing Line Press.
Blue California Sky is both homage to the varied and rich landscapes of California and poignant glimpses into the human experience: grief, trauma, loss, change, and also love, joy, wonder, and connection—to one’s self, to others, and to the natural world. Expressed in accessible yet poetic prose, the poems in Blue California Sky are haunting, lyrical, and powerful.
Included in the collection is poem “Once each year,” nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2022 and winner of the 2023 Los Gatos Poetry Contest awarded by the town’s poet laureate, in addition to three poems featured in the Fevers of the Mind Poetry Showcase in August of 2023.
“A ruminative look at grief and our lives through the small moments of nature.” – Kristine Eckart, Independent Book Review
“Spoken in meditative prose poetry, award-winning Bruce’s latest work is an ode to life’s acuity. She captures the poignancy of grief and provokes reflection on those defining moments that render us forever changed. . . . A gorgeous collection that brims with sagacity and compassion; haunting and beautiful.” – The Prairies Book Review
“This unique and gorgeous collection boasts rich, evocative wording that transports the reader to unexpected places, accompanied by striking images all along the way. A stunner.” – BookView Review (“Recommended” Award)
Award-winning author and two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, California poet Bri Bruce (writing as B. L. Bruce) has been called the “heiress of Mary Oliver.” With a bachelor’s degree in literature and creative writing from the University of California at Santa Cruz, her work has appeared in dozens of anthologies, magazines, and literary publications. Her poetry most recently appears in The Lakeshore Review, Red Wolf Journal, Bivouac Magazine, The Sunlight Press, Riverstone Literary Journal, and Gone Lawn, among many others. Bruce is the recipient of the Ina Coolbrith Memorial Poetry Prize and the PushPen Press Pendant Prize for Poetry, as well as the author of four books: The Weight of Snow, 28 Days of Solitude, The Starling’s Song, and Measures. Her highly praised debut collection, The Weight of Snow, was the 2014 International Book Awards poetry category finalist and the 2014 USA Best Book Awards poetry category finalist. The Starling’s Song, released in February of 2016, was selected as Honorable Mention in the Pacific Rim Book Festival. Blue California Sky is her fifth book. Follow her on Twitter @b_l_bruce and on Instagram @thepoesis.
Bri Bruce Productions 