Snapshots from the Ark

Here is a bestiary with a weird taxonomy of “Dead Ducks”, “Dead Dinos” and “Dead Bugs”, describing the bizarre relationships people have with the animals it catalogues. Partially inspired by player mechanics involving video game animals, the relationships portrayed are exploitative, often abusive and always focus on people’s needs and concerns. *Snapshots from the Ark* takes John Shoptaw’s maxim that “[h]uman interests cannot be the be-all and end-all of an ecopoem” and turns it on its head by taking human interests as the “nature” poet’s single-minded concern. Each poem zeroes in on a different way people act as if their interests are all that matter. The animals are opportunities to present unflattering and painful portraits of our worst anthropocentric tendencies. So are they ecopoems? By holding a mirror way too close to our noses, they show us the ugliness of acting with indifference to the creatures who share the world with us. In this way, the poems raise our awareness about the consequences of our actions. Yet, they do so while being zany and fun, like when people clear-cut a forest using a giant crab that whacks down trees with dinosaurs clasped in its claws. These poems unsettle us, make us uncomfortable, challenge the way we think, and hopefully inspire us to change the way we behave. —Flamur Vehapi, "Snapshots from the ark" is witty educational & just a tad bit cynical. It provides a short description of creatures past & present & the ridiculous, often selfish ways they may be of use to us. It proclaims human interests cannot be the be all & end all of an ecopoem. At first blush one will argue by this definition these humorous vignettes are anything but, since they are so human ego-centric. But upon further reflection Jalajal's approach is the perfect remedy to see our humble place in the last of a long line of creatures, all unique, wonderful & amazing in their own right. In reverse order it starts alphabetically with the survivors of which we are in the middle of the pack. As the book continues, we find ourselves going deeper into the evolutionary past, with ancient & fantastic sea creature, reptiles, mammals, birds and finally bugs. Each category includes a meticulous hand drawn print of one of the animals and each vignette a detailed description of each animal and a clue about its habitat. In this way we unwittingly become less ego-centric and more eco centric with each turn of the page. Brandon Mayfield, author Atheism V. Belief.