How to Become Baba Yaga

Possibly the most unique collection of poems you will ever encounter, Ki Russell tackles the concept of Baba Yaga with passionate, catalytic fervor. "Baba Yaga is a witch-like figure appearing throughout Russian and other Eastern European folklore. Her distinctive attributes include a hut that rests on chicken legs, which moves according to her bidding. She also rides in a mortar and steers with a pestle while sweeping all traces of her travels away with a silver broom. Her physical appearance varies somewhat, as she can control her body’s size. Often she is depicted with a hunched back and a blue nose. Baba Yaga frequently appears as an antagonist with cannibalistic tastes. However, occasionally she provides valuable assistance and guidance to petitioners—as long as they mind their manners. Petitioners are encouraged to offer blue roses, as Baba Yaga prefers them and uses their petals in some of her magic."