Among other things, she learned Brown County plants had really cool common names. One of the poems in the book, in fact, is made up almost entirely of the names of mushrooms:“… pinwheels, parasols, fairy sparklers, fairy fingers, gem-studded puffball, artist’ s conk …”
Since all the photos have the common names of plants and animals listed by page number at the back of the book, it serves as a kind of guide to species identification of Brown County life. The photos are lush with color and well-composed, taking advantage of natural light. Many are close-ups, showing details which would otherwise be lost.
The real beauty of the book, however, is in the poetry. Not a word is wasted, not a line is forced. Instead, the poems speak of one woman’ s awe at discovering the beauty around her, and a universal sense of somehow belonging to that natural world.
Pollock has written poems for years, previously publishing two award-winning chapbooks of poetry. But her new book combines nature photography with the poems, organized by the four seasons, beginning with winter through the rich life of spring and summer, finishing with the slow change into autumn.
“ There’ s so much cool stuff out there I almost can’ t stand it,” she said.
The idea of combining the poems and photos into a book was spurred by the reaction she got from friends who saw her photos on her Facebook page and urged her to put together a collection. She designed the book herself and after an initial order, the book will be printed on demand.
She will make a presentation from the book from 2 to 3:30 p. m. April 28 as part of Poetry Month at the Brown County Public Library, reading poems and projecting photos from the book.
Field Guide to the Art of Looking: a year wandering the Brown County woods is available from Lost Lake Studio, either through the studio’ s Facebook page, or by emailing < michelepollock @ gmail. com > or calling 812-988-0198. •
Again, spring! & Earth explodes with green along the leaf-strewn path beside the creek. Constellations of star chickweed, trio of trillium, common blue & downy yellow violets, a million chartreuse leaves against the celestine sky.
Ancient peoples walking this land would have seen the same flowers as I: rue anemone, wild blue phlox, acres & acres of celandine poppy. In that open space between forest & more forest, where the sun leaks in, a patch of mayapples opens its green umbrellas.
Petrichor, breathe, My feet on the path a quiet prayer to spring.
Harsh calls of blue jay snag the air. Woodpeckers syncopate with crows & each other. A warbler sings & sings & I am too love-struck to disagree.
Turtles on their deliberate paths, snails & slugs living their lives by inches.
All this renewal with the new warm sun, all this living.
like the heart, after a cold hard breaking, sprouting again with the possibility of new love.
— from Field Guide to the Art of Looking
March / April 2019 • Our Brown County 39