As If They Were a Basket, a poem elaborated by nature and by science

This slim chapbook presents a rather lyrical poem by the author then purports to (and quixotically does) draw parallels and commentary on it, line by line, from naturalistic memoirs, diaries and scientific observations by writers in those fields, all properly annotated, each of the three aspects running concurrently and developing its own but companionable sense.

The volume starts off by way of introduction with the following quote by scientist D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson: “We begin by describing the shape of an object in the simple words of common speech; we end by defining it in the precise language of mathematics; and the one method tends to follow the other in strict scientific order and historical continuity.” It continues with a museum photograph of the skeleton of the Irish Elk which is, in fact, neither Irish nor an elk. 44 pages. Limited Edition.

“Three years ago my husband gave me two-thirds of an exceptionally beautiful and sacred mountain. I disputed whether he owned it in the first place, but I accepted through treaty his offer of the majority portion.”

This gift is only the first volley in the border dispute between two countries a husband and wife have each imagined for themselves. End of the Fire Cult alternates between tales of her Marmoral and his Belgrave. When a third country threatens to invade both Marmoral and Belgrave, the couple must decide how to defend themselves. End of the Fire Cult examines culture and change, while also telling the story of the waning days of a modern marriage.

An excellent glimpse into what anthropology was like in the not too-far distant past, Daris Swindler’s six-month daily journal, written while on expedition to Melanesia from the University of Pennsylvania with Dr. Ward Goodenough and Dr. Ann Chowning fifty-three years ago, is human and captivating and shows us yet another time that is gone forever. Generously illustrated with photos from the trip the account takes us through unexpected adventures and routine data collection, all with a touch that is accessible and entertaining, and introduces us to a generous, independent people living in a natural setting and learning to adapt to modern life. A great book for budding anthropologists, seasoned scholars and armchair travelers alike, and a valuable text to accompany college-level courses.

Produced originally as a gift for the friends and benefactors of Ravenna Press, this little volume takes a look, at once whimsical and lyrical, at things in a human scale, at the small, routine events of our days, coupled many times with descriptions of the technical underpinnings that make the small, routine actions possible.

During the time of a falling city, I came to the Yucatan and spoke to my Mayan friends, and, through the Mayan language and contact with their lush world, I came to inhabit a different place. During a time of fission, I experienced fusion—the coming together of various forces. This book of poetry recaptures that journey and presents a critique, deconstructing the three major themes that are suggested by the reordered name of a fallen building: TRADE WORLD CENTER.

from the Foreword