Thanatology of Moths

Hi everyone. It's your buddy Tiger here, taking a small break from my comfy spot on the couch to introduce you to the first book released by
3-Legged Cat Press, Thanatology of Moths. Writer Karen D. Mitchell (who also happens to be the person who feeds me and scratches my back) describes her book and how it came to be:

This book is a mini-chapbook that contains 10 poems (14 if you consider the set of five haiku to be 5 poems), photographs, collage, quotes and a few other surprises. One of my fellow writing group members challenged everyone to put together small zines on any subject and then get together in August to trade them and leave copies around town for lucky readers to discover. I have written several poems either about moths or in which moths play a role, so I thought it would be fun to create a zine with a moth theme. Like a caterpillar in a cocoon, my little moth zine kept growing as I added more poems and pictures. I purchased Microsoft Publisher to organize it into booklet form, took it to the printer and presto! my book had spread its wings. I chose the title Thanatology of Moths because thanatology is the study of death and dying, and moths are often associated with death and despair. However, we all know that moths are also attracted to light. These poems fly in a field of contrasts: darkness and light, death and life, depression and joy. They acknowledge life's darker moments, perhaps even embrace them, but at the same time they reach toward those sacred moments of illumination that we hunger for. Mirrors, a frequent poetic metaphor, also appear throughout. Reflections are always somewhat distorted, with dark and light blending together to create something new. Each section begins with a word, which I hope captures the essence of the images and poems that follow. Here is one poem from Thanatology of Moths:

moth in the lamp

In memory of all burn victims, whether Book, Cat, Jew, Christian, Witch, or Other

Satellite in orbit, it circles
a saucer of milk
that wrinkles the night and wets

the mouth, sweet
crater splashes, toothless bats dive
in and out, deliver

coded messages to whiskered
tides. Jagged tongues lap froth,

tail-waves a hurricane frenzy, bonfires

at sea. Crystal rum scalds wing,
singes antenna, burns the straw witch
and collects her tears in a glass

to count the hours, sacrifice
moonlight, allow the bodies to float
in peace.

Karen hopes to sell copies of Thanatology of Moths at future Indianapolis arts events, such as Oranje on September 15, 2005. Keep checking back for details about the many exciting events happening this fall in addition to Oranje, such as the Masterpiece in a Day competition in Fountain Square and two events sponsored by The Writers' Center of Indiana, the Festival of Writers and the Indiana Poetry Festival. If you'd like to purchase a copy right away, e-mail us at three(underscore)legged(underscore)cat(underscore)press@yahoo(dot)com for ordering information. Copies are $6.00. Shipping and handling to U.S. addresses is free. Now I don't normally brag, but I, Tiger, personally selected every poem that appears in Karen's book. If you're not into poetry, at least pick up the book for the handsome fellow who appears on the back cover. The wings were a little itchy, but I lived to tell the tale and that's all that matters.