Professor of English and creative writing at the University of Mississippi, poet, and author of World of Wonders, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, visits WKCTC as part of its One Book Read program on Monday, March 4, and Tuesday, March 5. Daniel Hurt speaks to the New York Times best-selling author ahead of the events, in which she'll present her book of poetry that intricately describes some of the world's most unique creatures.
The One Book Read project started in 2008 at West Kentucky Community & Technically College to encourage reading across various groups of people on campus and in the local community. The project encourages the region, including school area districts and colleges, to read the same book and come together to discuss it. One Book partners join together to plan various events and activities related to the book. The culmination of the One Book Read project is an author's visit to WKCTC for special presentations about the book, writing, and the importance of reading.
Professor Nezhukumatathil said that her recent work started unintentionally and that she never planned to sit down and write a book about nature, but she was inspired by current events and the challenges people face in their lives. She says she used nature to explain these difficult topics to her children using unique animals, for example, as a way of helping them understand that while things are not always positive, being unique is a good thing.
“It's tough to explain news events that they heard on the television in 2016. So, what I did was attempt to answer some of the questions that they asked. They would ask, ‘Mommy, did you ever feel lonesome as a child?’ I'd say, 'Well, of course.' Because these questions often came when we were outside or at bedtime, I did not want to leave them with sadness. I wanted to leave them with hope and joy,” says Nezhukumatathil. “I say, ‘Look at this narwhal. Narwhals always swim in pods. And no matter what, that your family will have your back' — that kind of thing. And then, after they went to bed, I started writing them down. So these are very short answers using nature to explain these big, heavy, hard-hitting topics, but to explain it through nature.”
One of the biggest inspirations for Nezhukumatathil's work was her parents, who insisted on her learning about nature and being able to identify plants and animals. “My parents are the first poets I ever heard or listened to. My mom is from the Philippines, and my dad is from India. They always found time to teach me the names of trees or plants. Looking back now, as a teen, I'd always be rolling my eyes and say, ‘Like, okay, Mom, I get it’. But now, I think that was the greatest thing ever. My dad taught me how to identify stars. I am so grateful. I’m literally doing what I'm doing now because of them.”
Nezhukumatathil is carrying on her parents' work as a nature writing professor at the University of Mississippi, bringing her students outside and exposing them to the outdoor world. She says that, like her parents, she attempts to make these lessons fun and interesting. Nezhukumatathil says that while many of her students start the class with scant knowledge of nature, "Once you present them with something kind of magical or interesting about the outdoors, they automatically get curious. It warms my heart to see how contagious knowing about the outside world becomes. It wasn't just me being a nerd as a little kid. I think everybody needs to be reminded of their connection to the outdoors."
Some of the animals in the book include the vampire squid and other eccentric creatures. Nezhukumatathil says that she uses these unique animals as a story device. “I found that in relaying the stories to my kids, I found ways to use metaphor and to wait to find animals and plants that kind of serve as a story device for framing. Everybody, at some point, feels a little bit lonesome in high school. But I found it was easier to talk about the vampire squid, which is my favorite cephalopod. It is in the deep, darkest midnight zone of the ocean. It's basically like a floating eyeball. But when it gets scared, it pulls its legs up over its head in what's known as the pineapple position. And it shoots out all these green sequins and mucus, and it never really gets eaten because of this kind of amazing confetti of sequins. It's very mysterious, just heading alone in the deep, and it seems to be okay being alone. I just love that as a metaphor for those times in high school where I felt alone.”
She also hopes that her students and readers of World of Wonders will become more environmentally aware and conscious of things like pollution and be more careful to take care of our world. "I find that talking about things that I love in the outdoors draws people to want to know more. Hopefully, it makes them want to be like, ‘Oh, I shouldn't be throwing garbage in the ocean.’”
World of Wonders also includes beautiful illustrations by a Japanese American artist that bring Nezhukumatathil's eloquent descriptions to life. "I had the honor of working with this incredible illustrator who specializes in animals and plant drawings. I thought I would give a nice homage to the books that I fell in love with in the library, which were published in the 1950s and 60s. They didn't have digital photographs but little illustrations. I think it's a nice throwback. I wanted these beautiful illustrations to help you say, 'Hey, I want to learn more about this vampire squid. I'm gonna go to YouTube to find out more.'"
WKCTC will host Nezhukumatathil for two presentations this week, the first being a WKCTC student, faculty, and staff presentation on Monday, March 4, at 11 am in the Clemens Fine Arts Center. A Q&A and book signing will follow. Nezhukumatathil's public presentation will take place on Tuesday, March 5, at 6 pm in Crounse Hall, Room 101. A Q&A and book signing will follow.
For more information on the One Book Read program or Aimee Nezhukumatathil, visit the WKCTC website.
