A review by rymoss
Twelve Words for Moss by Elizabeth-Jane Burnett

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.5

This is an incredible, beautiful book. Deceptive in its slim volume, it's packed tight with words, ideas, observations and art. An exploration of moss, from its pure physicality to its historical and spiritual usage, to its scientific makeup to its pre-historic history, this book is dense and spacious all at once. Burnett uses poetry and fact side by side to weave this narrative together, bryology stumbling over poetry. 
It took me a long time to read as print books often do, but particularly because of how much was invested into every page, every word. Each of them needed time to be unfurled, sat with, explored. The poems create space around these denser pages but are no less demanding of attention.
I think this book is a work of art and I will be keeping it close. It will need to be returned to time and again. 
As a chronically ill and disabled person who can't get out to see and touch moss I particularly loved the rich descriptions of moss in the landscape, and when Burnett's body becomes part of the landscape, swimming in bog and moss.
I read a lot of poetry, nature writing and nature-based memoire and this is a truly unique book. I would love to hear it as an audiobook.