Nancy Lynée Woo is an eco-centric poet, teaching artist, and community organizer based in Long Beach, on traditional Tongva land. Her first full-length poetry collection, I’d Rather Be Lightning, is a love song to the earth, celebrating what we stand to lose. Nancy is the winner of the Brett Elizabeth Jenkins poetry prize and has received fellowships from PEN America Emerging Voices, California Creative Corps, and the Arts Council for Long Beach, among others. She is currently the Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate Fellow with the Long Beach Public Library, where she enjoys mentoring a cohort of teen poets. She also serves on the 2025-26 LA Department of Arts and Culture Arts Education Leadership Circle. Nancy believes in the power of the arts to bring people together.
Nancy first encountered her recommended book, Last Days by Tamiko Beyer, when she was completing her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at Antioch University. “I was writing my thesis about the genre of hopepunk, which posits that hope is the strongest force against the powers of destruction operating today,” she says. “When apathy is rampant, hope is punk. There is no savior coming to save us; instead, we all must work together using our skills and talents to bring forward a world where humans, nature, and technology live in harmony.”
Book: Last Days
Author: Tamiko Beyer
“Last Days wraps eco-poetry into social justice, centers mixed race and queer identities, calls upon the power of ancestors and indigenous wisdom, and forwards a futuristic vision where everyday people turn into heroes fighting against the corporate state,” explains Nancy. “It is exactly what I needed to read as I was writing my own eco-poetry collection, I'd Rather Be Lightning, and it has been a major influence on my poetic journey.”
She continues, “Tamiko Beyer exemplifies what it means to be doing social justice and environmental work in real time and reflecting that in poetry to inspire others. In today's world of climate change and fascism, we need as many people as possible to be activated by hope and come together to build strong, resilient communities.“
One of Nancy's favorite poems in the book is “We Are Bodies in Bodies We Are Stars,” which she shares with students when teaching. “I enjoy teaching it because it uses the plural pronoun ‘we' to powerfully demonstrate the energy of collective consciousness,” she says. “This poem moves me to my core and often makes me feel emotional, resonating with me on a soul level. It connects to my sense of unity with others out there doing the work, even if we can't always see each other doing it.”
On why she thinks reading is important, Nancy proclaims, “Reading expands our minds and hearts! Especially in a time of rampant propaganda and book bans, it's important to encounter perspectives and experiences outside of our own.”
“There are so many different types of stories, and often the dominant cultural narratives favor just a few,” explains Nancy. “For example, I love dystopian fiction, but it's a lot less fun when it turns into dystopian non-fiction, and so I would love to see more stories that showcase an alternative to the hero's journey, such as the heroine's journey, solarpunk, and hopepunk.”
To explore Nancy's work, visit her website at www.nancylyneewoo.com or find her on Instagram, @fancifulnance.
