

The Poet's House
Jean’s Latest Novel
Now Available
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
An unforgettable, lighthearted story about a young woman who discovers the insular world of writers, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Year We Left Home.
Carla is stuck. In her twenties and working for a landscaper, she’s been told by everyone that she’s on the wrong path, from her mom who wants her to work at the hospital to her boyfriend who is dropping not-so-subtle hints that she should be doing something that matters.
Then she is hired for a job at the home of Viridian, a lauded and lovely aging poet who introduces Carla to an eccentric circle of writers. At first, she is perplexed by their predilection for reciting lines in conversation, the stories of their many liaisons, their endless wine-soaked nights. Soon though, she becomes enamored with this entire world: with Viridian, whose reputation has been defined by her infamous affair with a famous male poet, Mathias; and her friends; and especially with the power of words, the “ache and hunger that can both be awakened and soothed by a poem,” a hunger that Carla feels sharply. When a fight emerges over a vital cache of poems that Mathias wrote about Viridian, Carla gets drawn in. But how much will she sacrifice for a group that may or may not see her as one of their own?
A delightfully funny look at the art world—sometimes petty, sometimes transactional, sometimes transformative—The Poet’s House is also a refreshingly candid and delightful story of finding one’s way, with words as our lantern in the dark.
“[A] closely observed, droll, coming-of-age story…absorbing and emotionally resonant. The Poet’s House is a keeper.”
— Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air (NPR)
Listen to the review
“Brilliantly rendered…Thoughtful, elegantly written fiction in the classic realist tradition by the gifted Thompson.”
— Kirkus Review (Starred)
“Ever insightful, imaginative, compassionate, and funny, Thompson is a virtuoso of thorny interactions between wholly realized characters rife with contradictions.
— Booklist (Starred)
“Thompson’s talents for immersive storytelling and sharp characters are on brilliant display. The author’s fans will savor this.”
— Publishers Weekly
What’s New?

“[A] closely observed, droll, coming-of-age story…absorbing and emotionally resonant. The Poet’s House is a keeper.”
— Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air (NPR)
Listen to the review
“Brilliantly rendered…Thoughtful, elegantly written fiction in the classic realist tradition by the gifted Thompson.”
— Kirkus Review (Starred)
“Ever insightful, imaginative, compassionate, and funny, Thompson is a virtuoso of thorny interactions between wholly realized characters rife with contradictions.
— Booklist (Starred)
“Thompson’s talents for immersive storytelling and sharp characters are on brilliant display. The author’s fans will savor this.”
— Publishers Weekly
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The Poet's House
Jean’s Latest Novel
Now Available
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
An unforgettable, lighthearted story about a young woman who discovers the insular world of writers, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Year We Left Home.
Carla is stuck. In her twenties and working for a landscaper, she’s been told by everyone that she’s on the wrong path, from her mom who wants her to work at the hospital to her boyfriend who is dropping not-so-subtle hints that she should be doing something that matters.
Then she is hired for a job at the home of Viridian, a lauded and lovely aging poet who introduces Carla to an eccentric circle of writers. At first, she is perplexed by their predilection for reciting lines in conversation, the stories of their many liaisons, their endless wine-soaked nights. Soon though, she becomes enamored with this entire world: with Viridian, whose reputation has been defined by her infamous affair with a famous male poet, Mathias; and her friends; and especially with the power of words, the “ache and hunger that can both be awakened and soothed by a poem,” a hunger that Carla feels sharply. When a fight emerges over a vital cache of poems that Mathias wrote about Viridian, Carla gets drawn in. But how much will she sacrifice for a group that may or may not see her as one of their own?
A delightfully funny look at the art world—sometimes petty, sometimes transactional, sometimes transformative—The Poet’s House is also a refreshingly candid and delightful story of finding one’s way, with words as our lantern in the dark.
What’s New?

Praise for The Poet's House

“Jean Thompson’s wry, canny ninth novel [is] a tribute to the soul-saving value of art, a cri de coeur for women striving to make authentic lives, and a pipeline of guidance from the elders to the emerging. Thompson’s skills make us comfortable at once — and she is often very funny.”
— Joan Frank, San Francisco Chronicle
“[A] closely observed, droll, coming-of-age story…absorbing and emotionally resonant. The Poet’s House is a keeper.”
— Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air (NPR)
Listen to the review






“Jean Thompson’s wry, canny ninth novel [is] a tribute to the soul-saving value of art, a cri de coeur for women striving to make authentic lives, and a pipeline of guidance from the elders to the emerging. Thompson’s skills make us comfortable at once — and she is often very funny.”
— Joan Frank, San Francisco Chronicle
“[A] closely observed, droll, coming-of-age story…absorbing and emotionally resonant. The Poet’s House is a keeper.”
— Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air (NPR)
Listen to the review
Praise for The Poet's House



“Ever insightful, imaginative, compassionate, and funny, Thompson is a virtuoso of thorny interactions between wholly realized characters rife with contradictions. “
— Booklist (Starred Review)
“Thompson’s talents for immersive storytelling and sharp characters are on brilliant display. The author’s fans will savor this.”
— Publisher’s Weekly






“Ever insightful, imaginative, compassionate, and funny, Thompson is a virtuoso of thorny interactions between wholly realized characters rife with contradictions. “
— Booklist (Starred Review)
“Thompson’s talents for immersive storytelling and sharp characters are on brilliant display. The author’s fans will savor this.”
— Publisher’s Weekly




Jean Thompson is a novelist and short story writer, whose most recent novel is The Poet’s House (Algonquin). She has published 9 previous novels, including The Year We Left Home and Wide Blue Yonder, and 6 short story collections, including the National Book Award finalist Who Do You Love.
Thompson’s short fiction has been published in many magazines and journals, including The New Yorker, and been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize. Her work has been praised by Elle Magazine as “bracing and wildly intelligent writing that explores the nature of love in all its hidden and manifest dimensions.”
Jean has been the recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, among other accolades, and taught creative writing at the University of Illinois–Champaign/ Urbana, Reed College, Northwestern University, and many other colleges and universities. She lives in Urbana, Illinois.




A Virtual Visit to Prairie Lights
Last night Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City sponsored me for a talk on “The Poet’s House”, in conversation with Elizabeth Weiss.


Chicago, Milwaukee, and Cake
I’m just back from two book events, one in Chicago at the Book Cellar, then on to Milwaukee at Boswell Books. Thanks to everyone who hosted and everyone who came out.


My Appearance on The Chicago Review of Books “Your Favorite Book” Podcast
It’s me being interviewed about James Agee’s A Death in the Family.