When I was a child, there was a bookshelf in our living room and on that shelf lived a copy of Edward Fitzgerald’s translation of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayam. I don’t remember when I first delved into this book. I know I was still in grade school and I do remember that my initial attraction was to the lovely, colorful illustrations that accompanied the text. It was a handsome book indeed — hardbound with its own slipcase, pages smooth to the touch, text printed in some kind of fancy font that was almost as pretty as the pictures. Continue reading “Book Tales: Poetry Remembered”
Tag: essay
My neighbor, Lee, came to my front door one afternoon. He was holding out his hand for me to see something. The something turned out to be a 
very well preserved Cuban tree frog skeleton. Take the time to do a little research on the Cuban tree frog and you will discover that it is one of Florida’s many invasive species. You will also discover that Florida’s wildlife experts recommend euthanizing these frogs when they have been properly identified. Why? Because the Cuban tree frog is classified as an invasive, exotic species that represents a danger to native fauna. While I was photographing this cool little skeleton, I got to thinking about what we mean when we talk about invasive vs. native species. Turns out it’s not exactly a crystal clear distinction. Continue reading “The Nature of Nature: Invasion!”
Karen Lee Kleis 