Review: The Little Book of Vegan Poems, by Benjamin Zephaniah

The Little Book of Vegan Poems, by Benjamin Zephaniah
AK Press, 1902593332, 2000

The Little Book of Vegan Poems, aimed at both children and adults, begins with a compilation of definitions from various dictionaries and encyclopedias before moving into the poetry. This little book has it all: veganism, animal rights, nature, limericks, hell, even vegan erotic poetry – some cute, some vaguely disturbing, many nonsensical, all eco-friendly, makes me wonder if this book was printed on recycled paper.

There’s a warning to meat eaters on the back and inside that the poetry might offend them, but the poem ‘Eat Your Words’¹ pretty much sums it up with ‘And vegetarian poets / Make me nervous quite a lot.’

There is a handy list of vegetarian and animal rights groups and resources listed in the back of the book, along with other excellent titles from AK Press, as well as a short biography of Mr. Zephaniah.

For the vegan who has everything but.

1. pg. 30 [↩]

Psyche serves as the editor for SpiralNature.com and Plutonica.net. She also operates a tarot consultation business, Psyche Tarot. She has been published in The Cauldron, Konton, Tarot World Magazine, among other magazines, and her essay “Strategic Magick” appeared in Manifesting Prosperity (Megalithica, 2008).