There’s only one Lynn Thomas, and here at Playboy, that’s just the way we like it. Hailing from small-town Virginia, Lynn was born to a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier father. “I’d love to go to Vietnam someday,” says Lynn. “My mom kept a tight rein on us growing up, but she’s becoming more modern in her views.” As an art student in New York, Lynn studied sculpture, but it was her soft-yet-sculpted figure that caught our photographers’ attention. “I lack the naturally occurring euphoria chemical in my brain,” she jokes. “I have to seek thrills to activate it.” As a thrilling conclusion to her art education, Lynn became our Miss May 1997, and she says the experience turned her towards more performative forms of art. “I don’t want to do the kind of art others expect me to do,” she says, bold. “I want to do my own thing. In the short term, I may pursue graduate studies in the fine arts.” Lynn’s biggest turn-on is creativity, and while she’s attracted many different types of men, her ideal partner is imaginative, with a kind heart and an off-kilter sense of humor. “In a strong relationship, both parties are strong, generous and equal in every dimension,” she says. “I value empathy and decisiveness.” We sure are glad we decided on Lynn Thomas.