~ Book Review by Aurora Antonovic ~

moon moths volume 1
an’ya
the natal*light press
POB 3627
La Pine, Oregon
97739 USA
$14.95 US + shipping

moon moths, volume 1, is a collection of haiku and haiga from well-known haijin, an’ya, and it’s an artful collection in every sense of the word. moon moths consists of 25 booklets pouch-bound in a style known as oriental fukuro-toji. Each booklet is composed of hand-made mulberry paper in various shades of luxurious tissue-thin colour. Between those pages is hidden one of an’ya’s haiga in her inimitable style.

Reading through this book is like walking through an art gallery searching for treasure. Each booklet is representative of a different hallway or corner with an’ya’s haiga appearing as art-words hanging on the walls. Yet this is an art gallery experience like no other. Where else could one handle the art, inhale the art, take time to carefully examine the artisanship of each placement of paper, each pressed-in mulberry flower, each stroke of pen?

Most poetry books can be read in an evening’s time, but not so with moon moths. This book invites the reader to have an experience in sensory richness, with sights, smells, and textures that are unique.

an’ya’s words bear their usual image-rich, nature-inspired trademark. Her images are well-crafted, with no line wasted, and each placed with artful skill. Such quality work is worthy of the unusual, innovative presentation that moon moths provides.

This is the perfect gift book, although you’ll have a hard time parting with it, even as a loaner. But should you find yourself persuaded to lend out your copy of moon moths, volume one for a time, don’t despair: moon moths, volume 2 is already in the works.

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