Review ~ Ten Poems about Wildlife from Candlestick Press

 

Candlestick Press
July 2022

My thanks to the publisher for this poetry pamphlet

Poems that explore the wonders of the animal kingdom

Hedgehogs and hares, dragonflies and deer... This mini anthology is a delightful celebration of the many wild creatures that flutter, slither, swim or stride through the British countryside.

Poet Pascale Petit has selected poems that take us into their unfamiliar worlds. The strange language of bats and the exhilaration of wild ponies running free are brought vividly to life, while the sinuous body of an otter is captured in a poem of slippery word-play.

Again and again we experience the thrill of encountering a wild animal in its habitat:

“When she pauses in the clearing between cedars

slender neck arched like a drawn bow,

I want to kneel, hold her against my thundering heart,”

from ‘Dream of My Daughter as a Fawn’ by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné

The anthology is a reminder to pay attention to the natural world and its creatures – that although poems may appear to keep them safe, we should never take them for granted.

Poems by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné, John Clare, Emily Dickinson, Jen Hadfield, Norman MacCaig, Robert Macfarlane, David Morley, Les Murray, Pascale Petit and Robert Williams Parry.

Cover illustration by Sam Cannon.

Donation to The Wildlife Trusts.

My Review..

There's something quite magical about taking an early morning stroll and coming across a couple of roe deer quietly munching or seeing the glorious red coat of an urban fox. Wildlife is on our doorstep and if there is anything I have learned from this recent pandemic it is to appreciate the wildlife you may have in your local area.

In this collection of ten poems, the individual poets share their thoughts and feelings about wildlife. Quietly exploring what it means to view the world in a very different way.

What better way to start the collection than with The Fox by Robert Williams Parry ( translated by RS Thomas)

"...suddenly

and breathtakingly he was there,

a fox on soft foot, his mind 

elsewhere.."

Hedgehogs, fawns, otters, bats, dragonflies and mice all find their place in this poetry collection and each animal is beautifully brought to life with words which capture their innocence and their specialness.

I loved Horses, Running by Pascale Petit

"..I watch the horses run downhill,

tails flung out in a slipstream of wind,

they blur and the moor and the grass blurs with them

just as the earth must blur as it spins..."

I have special fondness for hares and this lovely poem by Norman MacCraig really captured my imagination

"...He's gone - but still, so high,

so gently the hill curves over,

two ears like antlers move

Pricked on a pewter sky..."

Ten Poems about Wildlife is a really lovely collection of poems which capture the stunning beauty of our wildlife and reminds us that we should do everything we can to protect and encourage them. The collection is a perfect gift, or instead of card, for anyone who enjoys the natural world.

About the Publisher

Candlestick Press is an independent publisher based in Nottingham, UK. We’ve been publishing poetry pamphlets since 2008 not only for people who already love poetry, but also for those who will love it but perhaps don’t know that yet. Our ‘instead of a card’ pamphlets make an ideal alternative to a mainstream greetings card and are a small gift in their own right. They have matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message, and are excellent companions on journeys or for a bedtime read. By supporting us, you help an independent press and our supported charities at the same time as treating yourselves, your friends and family to some wonderful poems.

Twitter @poetrycandle

Blog Tour ~ Foxes Unearthed by Lucy Jones

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be starting off the Foxes Unearthed Blog Tour

I'm thrilled to welcome the author, Lucy Jones to the blog 
to share some of her favourite Foxy Facts with us

Elliot and Thompson
2017

Foxy words

The fox weaves into our language in myriad ways. Most fox-related words relate to the animal’s supposed artfulness or craftiness. ‘Foxly’ was used to mean cunning as long ago as the twelfth century. However, there are more than a handful of neutral fox words that are devoid of the predatory meaning. My favourite is “foxes brewings”, which means ‘a mist which rolls among the trees on the escarpment of the Downs in unsettled weather.’

Fox-tossing

The most shocking thing I discovered while researching Foxes Unearthed was the sport of fox-tossing. It sounds fictional but in the 17th and 18th centuries European aristocratic couples would gather in courtyards to play what must be one of the most barbaric sports in history. The fox was tossed into the air using two sticks and a piece of cloth and the highest flung animal would win the contest. If that’s not bad enough, on nights of masked balls, the fox would also be dressed up in costume. Unsurprisingly, it was usually fatal.

Eyes

Foxes are supreme examples of evolution. They are brilliant predators, hence how widespread Vulpes vulpes is across the globe. In particular, their eyesight is incredible. You know that glow that foxes, and other mammals, have in their eyes when they’re caught in headlights? That’s because of the tapetum lucidum, a layer of light-sensitive cells that allows animals that have it to see in the dark. Handy for catching mice in the woods at night.

Playing dead

The fox playing dead is an old yarn. It seems unlikely, but in January 2016, the ruse was caught on film. Siberian hunters came across what appeared to be a dead Arctic fox, trapped in a snare. The video shows the fox being manhandled as they remove the snare. It looks utterly dead. But when the hunters place the body in a box, the fox bursts out and scrambles across the snow for its life. An incredible sight (and it doesn’t look faked)

Nursemaid

Before I wrote Foxes Unearthed, much of what I thought about the social groupings and relationships of foxes was learned from the 1990s television adaptation of Colin Dann’s The Animals Of Farthing Wood. I assumed foxes lived in pairs with their cubs. In fact, the more we learn about foxes, the more complex their societies seems to be. For example, a group of foxes will often include a barren vixen who helps the matriarch vixen look after the cubs. She may be a sister or a cousin but her role is crucial in helping bringing up the wee foxes until they’re old enough to disperse.

©Lucy Jones

 Read my review of Foxes Unearthed here

More about the author

Lucy Jones writes mainly about culture, nature, music, science, wildlife and the environment. She was Deputy Editor at NME.com and previously worked at The Daily Telegraph. She is the recipient of the Society of Authors' Roger Deakin Award for Foxes Unearthed.

You can find Lucy on her Website

Follow on Twitter @lucyjones @wildlifedaily

Blog Tour runs 14th - 21st March

 follow on Twitter @lucyjones #FoxesUnearthed @eandtbooks

*Foxes Unearthed is out in paperback on the 16th March and published by Elliot & Thompson*

Thanks to the publishers I have a fabulous copy of Foxes Unearthed to giveaway to one lucky UK only winner

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Good Luck



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Review ~ Foxes Unearthed by Lucy Jones

Elliot & Thompson
19 May 2016

I fell in love with this book from the get go just because of its cover, not that I'm biased about orange whiskery creatures, you understand.

But putting aside the glory of its cover, this book really brings home our love and loathing of this most enigmatic of predators. For some, it's a creature of magic and mystery, whilst for others its a source of constant misery as hen coops up and down the land are targeted on an almost nightly basis. And then of course, there's the altogether more contentious issue of fox hunting which I'm not going to dwell on, except to say that the book covers this hot topic with great insight.

I loved the readability of the book, combining fact with fiction, folklore and magic with cold hard facts, but always, what shines through is the author's commitment to telling it like it is, with no superfluous waffle , not overly fanciful , just a really interesting look at the role foxes have in our rural and urban environments. The detail is good, the author's opinions are clearly expressed and throughout the book are intelligent observations from specialist contributors which help to give the book an overall balanced view.

There's something rather special about this beautiful wild creature and if you've been privileged to see one really close then you get the idea of both their vulnerability and their utter strength. Some years ago, I was lucky to be able to see foxes regularly at play in the early morning and it was perfectly magical to watch the rough and tumble of fox cubs with an early sun glinting on their russet coats, which were a darker red than I expected. But to watch this fascinating wild creature relaxed and playful, delighting in the sights and scents of an early Summer morning was just stunning and it is something that I will never forget.

I enjoy reading books which teach me something new and in Foxes Unearthed, I learned an abundance of facts about Vulpes Vulpes which I didn't know, and that's where the delight of this book lies, in learning something new and precious about one of our very special wild creatures.

Best Read with...Cheese sandwiches wrapped in grease-proof and a pair of sharp binoculars...

About the author

Lucy Jones writes mainly about culture, nature, music, science, wildlife and the environment. She was Deputy Editor at NME.com and previously worked at The Daily Telegraph. She is the recipient of the Society of Authors' Roger Deakin Award for Foxes Unearthed.

Visit Lucy on her Website

Follow on Twitter @lucyjones @wildlifedaily

My thanks to Alison at Elliot & Thompson for my review copy of this fascinating book.

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