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painting by Mary McIntyre

The latest reviews of Kingdom Animalia: the Escapades of Linnaeus come from Emma Neale in the NZ Listener (December 3 -9 2011):

“…Freegard is equal parts jester and scientist…the collection is as much about human follies, infringements, betrayals and tenderness as it is about the habits and habitats of our animal cousins.”

Sarah Jane Barnett in Landfall:

“There is a lot to enjoy in Kingdom Animalia.  Freegard’s poetry is sharp and funny; she is the poet next door who I immediately like.”

and Joanna Preston in A Fine Line (the NZ Poetry Society magazine):

“At its best, Kingdom Animalia is delicious – often funny, frequently touching, unmistakeably modern, and full of swerves and quirks and strange reverses.”

Earlier reviews had this to say:

Paula Green in the NZ Herald (1 November 2011):

“…Freegard has glued the breach between poetry and science with lyricism, inventiveness, research, playfulness and miniature bursts of storytelling. Fascinating.”

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/books/news/article.cfm?c_id=134&objectid=10763178

Patricia Prime in Takahē 73 (Winter 2011):

“…Freegard’s is a restless poetry, expressing contemporary angst within a context of travel, or analyzing the stopping-places, trying to see clearly, and identifying with the flora and fauna. Yet there is also a need to try and anchor the poems to the modern world.”

http://www.takahe.org.nz/review/Takahe73KingdomAnimalia.pdf

Tedi Busch in the Nelson Mail (30 July 2011):

“…The author’s imagination is infinite. In just one piece a witch teaches her to fly like a humming bird while advising a man from Japan about his cup of spaghetti and notes that our minds have minds of their own. Hers certainly does; I think I’ll go and read this all over again.”

link to review

and Hamesh Wyatt in the Otago Daily Times:

“…There is plenty of subversive humour and a little self-indulgence but never a dull moment. …….Kingdom Animalia: The Escapades of Linnaeus will get under your skin something fierce. It’s neat to have something brand-new and shiny.”

http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/164172/plenty-evidence-osullivans-lesson

Other links:

An interview about the book with Veronika Meduna on ‘Our Changing World’ poetry-and-science.asx

and with Tim Jones on his blog.

Kingdom Animalia also has its own Facebook page.