The 28 essays and accompanying illustrations span 160 pages with most topping out at around 5 pages. Wonder, as in a state of being awed, is a hard thing to sustain, which may explain slenderness of the collection. There’s so much to be dazzled by in the world, Nezhukumatathil reminds us. Here is everything that’s been missing: family, food, travel, immersion in nature, the abundance of the season, the time to slow down and savor. Into this summer of our discontent comes poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s first book of essays World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments. There’s the enforced indoor time, the constant bad news, and the de rigueur doom scrolling to take in everything. The most expansive and languid of seasons has become stilted and bowed under the pandemic restrictions. If ever there were a season that needs a do-over, it’s summer 2020.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |