Tree Spirits Grass Spirits
By Hiromi Itō
2023
First Published
3.57
Average Rating
185
Number of Pages
A collected series of intertwined poetic essays written by acclaimed Japanese poet Hiromi Ito―part nature writing, part travelogue, part existential philosophy. Written between April 2012 and November 2013, Tree Spirits Grass Spirits adopts a non-linear narrative flow that mimics the growth of plants, and can be read as a companion piece to Ito’s beloved poem "Wild Grass on the Riverbank". Rather than the vertiginously violent poetics of the latter, Tree Spirits Grass Spirits serves as what we might call a a recounting of one’s life through the logic of flora. Ito’s graciously potent and philosophical prose examines immigration, language, gender, care work, and death, all through her close (indeed, at times obsessive) attention to plant life.
Avg Rating
3.57
Number of Ratings
30
5 STARS
17%
4 STARS
50%
3 STARS
17%
2 STARS
7%
1 STARS
10%
goodreads
Author
Hiromi Itō
Author · 5 books
Hiromi Itō is one of the most prominent woman writers of contemporary Japan, with more than a dozen collections of poetry, several works of prose, numerous books of essays, and several major literary prizes to her name.
