cover image Shake Them 'Simmons Down

Shake Them 'Simmons Down

Janet Lembke. Lyons Press, $22.95 (244pp) ISBN 978-1-55821-350-0

From birds (Dangerous Birds) and water (Skinny-Dipping), Lembke turns her attention here to trees. This collection of essays--in which 22 of the 25 pieces are previously unpublished--may be her finest work to date. Though her trees are native to the South, some species--tupelo, sweet gum, catalpa, sassafras, pawpaw and sumac--range as far north as Michigan and New York. Lembke discusses the history of trees and their relationship to wildlife and humans. She takes us to the first Paw-Paw Conference, where she samples the gooey fruit, and to the biggest yellow poplar (tulip tree) in Virginia. Other trees in these essays are the loblolly pine, 'simmon (persimmon), pecan (Jefferson's favorite), osage orange and yucca. As a bonus, Lembke offers recipes, folklore and a few of her own poems in this treasure for tree lovers. Illustrations. (Aug.)