OP: The Poppy and Other Deadly Plants
Seymour Lawrence, New York, 1967. Hardcover. Very Good. Second printing.
Goth girl’s goth girl Esther Baskin (d. 1973) produced two books on dark subjects. The first, Creatures of Darkness (1962), tackled nocturnal animals. The second, The Poppy and Other Deadly Plants (1967)—well, that’s self-explanatory.
In her preface Baskin says, “The plants discussed in these pages are not like the wily poison ivy, which only causes nasty itching, but rather those which really kill people. And kill them with a fury.”
Following this totally metal introduction are profiles, in no apparent order, of toxic plants. Baskin provides some botanical information, but her interest is more historical and anecdotal, drawing on an array of sources from ancient folklore and classic literature to medical manuscripts.
While somewhat meandering, Baskin’s writing is engaging and informative, if only because her personal interest is so palpable. Though she only covers fourteen plants in depth, an appendix of one hundred additional deadly options follows the primary text. Just in case you need options, perhaps.
As to whether or not this counts as a book on food and drink, we’ll refer to Terry Pratchett: “All fungi are edible. Some are only edible once.”
Very Good, clean and unmarked. The jacket bears closed tears and light scuffing. Illustrated by Baskin’s then husband, renowned artist Leonard Baskin (1922–2000). Second printing.
