Other Nations

The poems in Other Nations: An Animal Journal challenge the notion that animals are on this planet solely for humans to use and exploit. Instead, the poems recognize the individuality of each animal with the view that animals are, as the naturalist Henry Beston saw them, "other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth.""With the consummate eye of a gifted poet, Maria Famà takes us on a journey into the hearts and souls of animals -- feral and domesticated -- that tame our human arrogance," says author and poet Mary Saracino. "Her beautiful poems help us view the world through their eyes, feel the rhythms of their lives, experience the world through the non-human lens of the creatures -- from lions and elephants to birds, dogs, cats, and, yes, even rats -- that grace our planet. In doing so, she frees us from our human-centric hubris and paves the way for a deeper understanding of our connection to all beings, big and small, that share our planet with us."