Introduction

The soul-searching poems in Larry Dunn's debut collection, A Beanie and A Cup of Tea, invite readers into a deeply personal journey that explores the mystery of life and death, the beauty of words as gift, and the power of sustaining love not fully known before the loss of his son, Seth.

Both introspective and transparent, Dunn writes with an unflinching style about the realities of unimaginable loss, his willingness to embrace the unknowable, and his renewed commitment to cherish life and those he loves.

Themes and Portrayal

In an honest portrayal of what it means to sit with the pain of loss, Dunn searches for ways to stay connected to his son within the “thin spaces” of these poems, “where mystery is / cloaked in beauty / and the line between / heaven and earth / collapses into love.”

A Beanie and A Cup of Tea invites the reader into these spaces, extending a knowing embrace and giving voice to those whose lives are shaped by grief.