Birdbrains: A Lyrical Guide to Washington State Birds

Birdbrains: A Lyrical Guide to Washington State Birds is a one-of-a-kind Washington State bird guide. The anthology includes original pen and ink sumi-e paintings by artist Hiroko Seki, bird fact notes, and short poems/stories/memoir. Poems/prose are bird-focused rather than human centered. The bird notes include information about song, call, mating rituals, habitat, migration, climate, dark comedy, and fun facts.There's a saying among people who look up at the sky to view birds-the more you study birds, the smarter they become. That's the inside joke for the title of this anthology. Birdbrains is a compliment to the birds and to the humans who take time to study them. For example, Magpies can recognize themselves in the mirror; Chickadees collect one thousand seeds a day, hide them over miles, and then find them again; and crows frequently hold crow funerals after one of their own dies-first there is stillness, then quiet, then keening. From the most common Rock Pigeon, to the rare Mystērium Rara Avis, we hope this collection will offer you wonder and joy. Get up from wherever you are sitting right now and go outdoors, binoculars or not. Watch what is happening all around us. With the right kind of attention, what might we see? Birdbrains brings to the stage 107 species of Washington birds in the words of ninety-eight talented poets and writers. The contributors come from different regions of Washington State, from other parts of the USA, and even from faraway lands such as Ireland. In the mix of talent, there are contributions from four Washington State Poet Laureates (Elizabeth Austen, Claudia Castro Luna, Kathleen Flenniken, and Derek Sheffield), three Pulitzer Prize winners (Rae Armantrout, Ted Kooser, and Diane Seuss) and a special collaborative poem by Ann Teplick's young students at Seattle Children's.

About the Author :
Susan Rich (Editor) is the author of six collections of poetry and co-editor of two prose anthologies. Her most recent poetry books include Blue Atlas (Red Hen Press) and Gallery of Postcards and Maps: New and Selected Poems (Salmon Poetry). In addition, she has co-edited the anthologies Demystifying the Manuscript: Creating a Book of Poems (Two Sylvias Press) and Strangest of Theatres: Poets Crossing Borders (McSweeney's). Educated at Harvard University, University of Oregon, and the University of Massachusetts, Susan's previous books include Cloud Pharmacy, The Alchemist's Kitchen, Cures Include Travel, and The Cartographer's Tongue-Poems of the World. A recipient of the PEN USA Award and the Times Literary Supplement Award (London), she has also received recognition from the Fulbright Foundation and Peace Corps Writers. Rich's recent poetry appears in the New England Review, Ploughshares, Poetry Northwest, and elsewhere. She lives and writes in West Seattle, Washington. Dr. Stephanie Delaney (Bird Notes) loves all things birds. She is studying birding through Birds Connect Seattle and has been birding seriously since the pandemic, submitting birds most days in eBird, with over 1500 reports submitted to date. Stephanie is a lifelong learner and higher education administrator. She is especially interested in urban birding and teaching more diverse audiences the joys of the bird world. Hiroko Seki (Artist) is a Nihonga and Sumi-e artist. Seki: "My sumi-ink history started with sumi-ink hand-drawn, silk-textile, Yuzen kimono painting, an academic degree, and, most importantly, studying under sumi-e master, Ota Shoukoh. I got my artist name Shuhkoh from her. I enshrine moments from nature. Nature draws in my senses. Sumi-ink, soy, and dye drive innovation in my Sumi-e." hiroko@shuhkoh.com

Review :
You just should not miss reading Birdbrains: A Lyrical Guide to Washington State Birds. Take this lyrical guidebook into the field, and form even stronger connections with birds and with the humans who love them. -Dr. Ursula Valdez, Avian Ecologist and Conservationist, University of Washington This wildly varied anthology invites us to pay attention to the feathered creatures who define the very air around us. Birds are nothing short of magic-as are these poems, which I know I'll return to just as surely as the robin that makes her hopeful nest under my eaves each spring. -Keetje Kuipers, Editor-in-Chief, Poetry Northwest