Back in January of 2011, I wrote a poem, “Seasonally Affected,” inspired by the photography of Stephen Tomasko. I absolutely adore flowering trees, and was immediately drawn to these saturated, intense, sensitive images (by an Ohio artist, too!).Last year, Steve contacted me about including a few of my poems in a book of his. I’m honored and thrilled to report that the book is out, and it is GORGEOUS! I got to meet Steve in-person last night at Paging Columbus, where he shared a little about this project.
It’s called Delira and Excira: Visions of the Flowers of Spring. In his photographs, he brings our faces close to these branches and blossoms, calling attention to how the light hits and illuminates the flowers. I find these images lush and emotionally charged.
Flowers, trees, and plants are definitely important in my writing, especially lately. I often have a visceral response to flowers and trees--it seems amazing how what grows is both a record and a product (of weather, time, and climate).
To anyone who craves flowering trees and all of their overwhelming beauty, this book will feed you. You can order your copy here, through the publisher, Shanti Arts Publishing, and learn more about the project in this recent feature at Lenscratch.
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