PRESS FOR JESSICA LIND PETERSON
Sound Like Trapped Thunder:
2020 Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Book Prize, Seneca Review Books
Finalist, Memoir & Creative Nonfiction - 2022 Minnesota Book Awards
Best Arts & Entertainment of 2021 - Duluth News Tribune
“A sparkling collection of essays about animals and humans…funny — weird and witty and off-kilter in its delivery…Peterson's collection crackles with dangerous energy…Those of literary mind-set will be tempted to look for the seams, to sniff out precisely how this sleight-of-hand will be accomplished, but it's always best to simply let magicians cast their spells. For this is ultimately what Peterson is after — the imperfect magic of our somewhat broken world. She wants to make peace with all its flaws and fractures.”– Minneapolis Star Tribune
“In the face of existential questions, Peterson strikes a captivating balance between existential dread and a lighthearted, subtle sense of humor…Whether talking about recurring phone calls from a stranger or her fear of her grandmother’s death, Peterson offers a refreshing outlook on the mysterious world we inhabit…Perhaps most impressively, Peterson weaves her everyday experiences with her memories of the past, her present feelings of loneliness, and her fear of the future. She manages to present her readers with a gripping narrative without proceeding chronologically, reflecting instead the circular process in which she explores. Peterson faces complex issues head on by embracing things she cannot control. Her profound honesty is compelling and unconventionally reassuring as she accepts belonging to a world of duality, where winter is both harsh and beautiful.” India Smith, Rain Taxi Review
“Duluth writer’s debut essay collection offers chance to play on the page…it has a sense of what-if wondering that is darkly funny…”
– Duluth News Tribune
“Allowing for Breathing Room; A Conversation with Jessica Lind Peterson” by A. Kendra Greene - The Rumpus
“Strange Season” - The Best American Essays 2021 - Notable Essays 2020 & Literary Nonfiction of 2020
PLAYS
THE CHRISTMAS SHOES:
“With cheeks awash, your heart will get a needed workout…Bring your hankies, lots of them, for you'd be a real Scrooge if you're unaffected by A.D. Players' world premiere adaptation of The Christmas Shoes.” - Houston Press
“A lovely Christmas tale…The Christmas Shoes did not disappoint! If you are in the mood for an unconventional Christmas story jam-packed with humor and heart, run, don't walk to see The Christmas Shoes before it closes.” - BWW Houston
STRING:
"String" is a cleverly crafted piece of work, full of poetry, wisdom and laughter, but it's the electric chemistry and comic zing the two Petersons bring to the roles of Raina and Ryan that really make this Yellow Tree production sing.” – Minneapolis Star Tribune
“As hilarious as it is heart-warming!” – Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Fall in love with String!” –Minnesota Monthly
“Lind writes with humor and wisdom that is way beyond her years…” – Duluth News Tribune
“Romance finely delivered ... proves that a light touch can strike exactly the right note…Lind's voice is articulate and refreshing. – LA Daily News
“A breezy, laugh-a-minute romantic comedy… a distinctly Neil Simonesque take on finding love in the modern world…Lind is at her best in the comic scenes, firing off jokes in rapid succession…Delightful entertainment.” – Howwastheshow.com, String
"String offers a funny, charming look at romance." – Marianne Combs, MPR
A HUNTING SHACK CHRISTMAS:
“There is a lot to love about “A Hunting Shack Christmas.” It is funny, sweet, tender, and filled with the best of holiday spirit. A comedy with a heart and plenty of tenderness.”– Encore Michigan
“There are hits, and then there are hits. Yellow Tree Theatre most definitely had a hit last year with A Hunting Shack Christmas, which managed to sell out its run before opening night.”—Ed Huyck, City Pages
“Hilarious, heartfelt & very Minnesotan!”—Cherry and Spoon
MIRACLE ON CHRISTMAS LAKE:
“The ensuing loony antics make the Guthrie’s staging of “Noises Off” look like “Death of a Salesman.”… Peterson’s script has the rat-a-tat rhythms of a classic sitcom. There are enough sight gags and on-stage reaction shots to re-buckle the Borscht Belt…undeniably skilled art…the incontinence-inducing laughter was unlike anything I’ve heard inside a theater in recent memory.”– Dominic Papatola, St. Paul Pioneer Press
”Several audience members were visibly wiping tears of laughter…The holiday play's conclusion resonates even more joyfully now than at its premiere!” Jay Gabler, City Pages
"Audiences lapped up Miracle on Christmas Lake!" – Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A mad-cap holiday farce!” –TC Daily Planet
“The brilliance of [Miracle on Christmas Lake] lies in just how well it plays to its audience….from the belly laughs coming from the crowd, we could tell that playwright Jessica Lind Peterson knows her target audience…Peterson’s characters charmed the pants off her audience, many of whom had to wipe away tears of laughter.” – Sophie Kerman, Aisle Say Twin Cities
“Funny, silly & entertaining!...This wacky, sweet, ridiculous little play chock full of Minnesota references…ridiculous humor…” –Cherry & Spoon,
ANOTHER MIRACLE ON CHRISTMAS LAKE:
"I can affirmatively state that this is one of those rare times when the sequel surpasses the original. – TC Daily Planet
"Miracle on Christmas Lake II is silly and preposterous and hilarious and heart-warming!...Outrageously quirky! A riot!...A sensation...brilliant and hilarious! – Cherry & Spoon
"This is a hilarious show with tons of heart and local flavor. It’s not the usual holiday sugary sweet schmaltz, but you’ll still leave the theater with a warm glow to carry out into the cold Minnesota night. You’ll remember fondly this crazy quirky little Minnesota town full of loveable characters that may actually resemble people you know." – Cherry & Spoon
A GONE FISHIN’ CHRISTMAS:
Jessica Lind Peterson hailed a “MinneSNOWta Christmas send-up master” – Mpls. St. Paul Magazine
"A heartwarming Christmas tale...Comedy and heart combine in A Gone Fishin’ Christmas!” – Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A perfect mix of heart and humor...Hilarious and heartwarming...The most delicious mix of emotions...This wonderful cast and creative team have beautifully, hilariously, and poignantly brought this uniquely original Minnesotan to life!" — Cherry and Spoon
WHAT I LEARNED FROM GRIZZLY BEARS:
What I Learned from Grizzly Bears is quirky and beautiful, full of commingled fun and sadness…Effortless…Seems almost too fully articulated for a play so short.”– Miami New Times
LENA LONG LEGS:
“A quirky and poignant tale!”—Broadwayworld.com