Aimee NezhukumatathilWorld of Wonders
In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments
Illustrator: Nakamura, Fumi
Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of four collections of poems, including, most recently, Oceanic, winner of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award. Other awards for her writing include fellowships and grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Mississippi Arts Council, and MacDowell. Her writing appears in Poetry, the New York Times Magazine, ESPN, and Tin House. She serves as poetry faculty for the Writing Workshops in Greece and is professor of English and creative writing in the University of Mississippi's MFA program.
Catalpa Tree 1
Firefly 9
Peacock 15
Comb Jelly 20
Touch-Me-Nots 25
Cactus Wren 28
Narwhal 35
Axolotl 43
Dancing Frog 49
Vampire Squid 53
Monsoon 58
Corpse Flower 69
Bonnet Macaque 74
Calendars Poetica 79
Whale Shark 85
Potoo 93
Cara Cara Orange 98
Octopus 103
Grey Cockatiel 108
Dragon Fruit 113
Flamingo 116
Ribbon Eel 123
Questions While Searching for Birds with My Half-White Sons, Aged Six and
Nine, National Audubon Bird Count Day, Oxford, MS 128
Superb Bird of Paradise 133
Red-Spotted Newt 138
Southern Cassowary 145
Monarch Butterfly 151
Barreleye Fish: An Abecedarian 157
Dandelion 169
South Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher 173
Candle Larkspur 181
Firefly (Redux) 183
Acknowledgments 189
Reader’s Guide 195
Teaching Guide 221
