Lara Palmqvist

As a writer with a background in both science and theology, I use words to explore overlapping—and at times conflicting—views of the world. I draw from numerous disciplines in my art because I believe no single theoretical model can contain the complexity of lived reality, and I find that creative innovation arises from cross-collaboration. From this approach, central themes in my fiction emerge: generational interconnectivity, layered history, and environmental consciousness—in other words, interdependence across species, time, and place. I am especially interested in producing work that recognizes the deep unity beneath diversity of appearance and celebrates the connections that bind all things.

This is the case for my current work-in-progress, All Lines Converge, a multi-layered novel set in the far north. Composed of interlocking storylines that span from the 1940s to the near future, the literary novel is innovative for its temporal breadth, polyphonic perspectives, intertextual links, and multidisciplinary approach to examining concepts of global diversity. During my two month stay at the Saari Residence I will work intensely to make progress on my novel manuscript, with particular focus on the project’s historical aspects. I also look forward to allowing my natural surroundings and conversations with fellow residents to shape my thinking and inspire new directions in my work.

Lara Palmqvist received her B.A. in biology from St. Olaf College in the United States, and her M.Th. in religion in peace and conflict from Uppsala University in Sweden. Her writing has been honored by the Ox-Bow School of Art, Kimmel-Harding-Nelson Center for the Arts, Marble House Project, Anderson Center at Tower View, and Sozopol Fiction Seminars in Bulgaria. She is also the recipient of awards from the Jerome Foundation, Rotary International, and U.S. Fulbright Commission, through which she taught creative writing at the Ivan Franko National University in Ukraine.